What about Jim Thorpe?

The IMDb does a wonderful job on getting cast member listings, but really made a big mistake here as well as on their Jim Thorpe page. The legendary college football great Jim thorpe appears in this movie and even has a speaking line, yet no credit. It appears that every other cast member is listed, even those with no lines and those barely seen on camera, including one child thespian by the name of Phil Thorpe, ironically.

Jim Thorpe appears on screen during the half time locker room scene where Rockne admits to the team and himself that they are losing to Army (the final score being 27-0), having taken that team too lightly. Thorpe, seen wearing a fedora and overcoat, sticks his head in the room during the halftime scene and proclaims, "Two minutes, Rock." Not exactly a big part, but more words than those spoken by many others of who are listed.

There is further irony here because also appearing in this film is the actual Pop Warner who is seen playing himself and had become famous as Thorpe's coach in college. And Thorpe is also mentioned in the movie, when Pat O'Brien as Rockne in the scene that introduces George Gipp wishes he had a great running back on the team and adds, "someone like Jim Thorpe."

And there is more irony in that there are parallels between this movie and the screen bio of Thorpe. Just as this movie is called Knute Rockne All American, that movie is called Jim Thorpe All American. And here we see Reagan as George Gipp make the squad as a kicker and than shock his legendary coach Rockne when he demonstrates his skill as a runner. In the Thorpe movie Jim also makes the squad in the same fashion and than similarly surprises his legendary coach Pop Warner when he weaves his way downfield through a bevy of would be tacklers.

I really find it surprising that Thorpe was not listed as a cast member, as it is one of the great trivia questions among fans of the golden era of Hollywood and among sports fans, that the great Thorpe has a cameo role in this very famous sports movie, made legendary by then President Reagan's frequent invocation of that great line about Winning one for the Gipper.