Knute Rockne, All American (1940)
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Director: Lloyd Bacon
Honors:
Knute Rockne was the most celebrated football mind of the early decades
of the twentieth century and in Warner Bros.’ film Knute Rockne, All American celebrates his impact on the college
sport and the numerous lives he played a part in with a Hollywood take on his
life story. The picture stars Pat O’Brien in the role that his career would be
most critically remembered for. Also featured is a 29 year-old actor in
performance that takes up very little screen time, but helped to give him a
nickname that followed him all the way to becoming one of the most influential men
of his time. It would be a quaint biographical tale of one sports legend that
would live on for other reasons than being a well-liked movie of 1940.
Knute Rockne, All American is
a biographical film about the famed college football coach that revolutionized
the game and helped make a small catholic college in Indiana into a national recognized
institution within the sport. Born of poor, humble Norwegians Knute Rockne (Pat
O’Brien) works himself through college at Notre Dame where he would play
football and later serve as their head coach. On multiple occasions through his
career he revolutionizes the game with many new strategies including the
forward pass and offensive shifts, as well as supplying great promotion for
both his school and the sport. In his career he turns the small college of
Notre Dame into a national power in football, winning multiple national
championships while helping to mentoring many young men, dealing with personal health
issues, and defending the game when professionalism in the college ranks brings
the sport into question. Tragedy strikes when while on his first real vacation
with his wife (Gale Page) and family after devoting so much time to his job the
famed coach is called away on business and unfortunately loses his life in a
plane crash.
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| Future President Reagan as "The Gipper" |
The film presents itself more as a celebratory eulogy for the man that
had perished in 1931 as the feature creates an image of Rockne as a near saint
for Notre Dame and of football. As the movie moves forward through the major
events in his life the film oversimplifies the man’s achievements and few bumps
along the way. One short segment which is glanced over, but is memorable is
Rockne’s relationship with one of his star players George Gip (Ronald Reagan)
who at the end of his college career dies of illness. The picture is more of an
ultimate highlight reel of Rockne’s life with very little overarching story.
If one was to attempt to zero in on a singular storyline that carries
throughout it would be the relationship with his wife, Bonnie, played by Gale
Page, and her overly supportive nature while wishing that she could have more
relaxing personal time with her husband. Near the end of the picture when she
receives her wish “Rock” is plucked away from her, at first by the sport
calling on him again, but ultimately by the plane crash that claims his life
while he travels to a football convention. The feature literally ends with a eulogy
for Knute Rockne and provides the audiences with examples of how today’s game
(meaning 1940’s football) is impacted by Rockne’s influence.
The picture was an act of honor and love to the man as his widow, the
real Bonnie Rockne, who gave her blessing for the production of the motion
picture. With her approval Pat O’Brien was chosen to portray Rockne, and the
make-up which helped to transform O’Brien into the famed coach. O’Brien was a
well-respected actor of the time, on most occasions serving as a moral center
in many of the pictures that featured him. He was selected by Mrs. Rockne with no
reservations on his casting. James Cagney, a dear friend of O’Brien lobbied
hard for himself in the role, but do to his past disputes with Catholics would
not be made a possibility of the role. (…or so a legend claims) O’Brien would
put on a rather stiff performance of the famed coach creating a relatively two
dimensional character, but with the movie being a praised overall look at
Rockne’s life, it would not leave for much emotion in the first place.
As for the role of Bonnie Rockne, that would go to actress Gale Page
who was best known for her work in the “daughter” films, Four Daughters, Daughters
Courageous, Four Wives, and Four Mothers. With the majority of her
professional career being on radio and as a singer Page does have a sing-songy
characteristic to her voice, but that would ultimately not equal to better
acting jobs. Here we see Page as a saintly house wife in the Rockne household
for whom the audience can really feel bad for with her husband devoted more to
his sport than almost anything else..
Originally the feature was to be directed by William K. Howard who was
considered one of Hollywood’s leading directors during the late 20s and early
30s. However his career was wavering during this period and when he wished to
add more of religious tones to the feature showing Rockne as a convert to
Catholicism producers decided to release the director from the picture and
replaced him with Lloyd Bacon. Bacon had a history of directing larger
productions, including the successful musicals 42nd Street and Footlight
Parade before working into the grittier drama that Warner Bros. would be
known for in the 1930s. His direction would not necessarily add to the picture
as near all of the football action in the feature would be stock Notre Dame
footage spliced into the principle photography of the movie, leaving Bacon to
be move of a push button director that just got the coverage to finish the
film.
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| "Win one for The Gipper" |
Perhaps the largest impact the picture had in overall history actually
comes from a rather short segment of the picture that covers the time of George
Gip at Notre Dame. The star football player is portrayed by Ronald Raegan, an
actor in his late 20s with a vast résumé in B-movies and supporting roles in
larger pictures. “The Gipper” would pass away at a young age literally days
after his final game at Notre Dame leaving behind inspiring words that conclude
with “…win one for the Gipper.” Although Reagan’s time on screen was short he
would take the nickname with him as he moved from acting to politics decades
later. During the 1980 Presidential election he would use the phrase “Win one
for The Gipper” as a rallying cry that helped him win the White House, and
aiding in keeping Knute Rockne, All
American a relevant film in American history purely by Reagan’s use of the
nickname.
Knute Rockne, All America was
a well like picture for 1940, but had no great cinematic relevance beyond
Ronald Reagan keeping his character’s nickname alive. However with Ronald
Reagan’s overall historical impact the film would be long remembered and in
1997 be elected to National Film Registry as “culturally, historically and
aesthetically significant.” Looking back at the sport of football during this
period through the feature audiences can see how very different it was by look,
style, and rules making this picture difficult to enjoy as a good sports movie.
Looking at it differently it does capture many clean images of how the game was
played in the early part of the twentieth century for students of the game’s
history. However the film itself is most
memorable for the men that performed in it rather than the content the film
actually provides.
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