Knute Rockne never dreamed of a career in football, but the opportunity to coach his alma mater led him to pursue the work for which he is best known. In thirteen seasons as the Fighting Irish head coach, Rockne did not have a losing season. In five of those years, Notre Dame went undefeated. Rockne remains college football's winningest coach, and his leadership set the standard for coaching at the university. The life of this famous coach was brought to the screen in the 1940 movie, "Knute Rockne All American."

Pat O'Brien stars as Rockne, whose family came to America from Norway when he was a boy. Knute's father, Lars (John Qualen), moved the family to Chicago in the 1890s, where his boy discovered the game he would grow to love. After high school, Knute went to work at a Chicago post office so that he could earn college money. Once in college, he became a star for Notre Dame, as he and teammate Gus Dorais (Owen Davis, Jr.) employed a moving forward pass that changed the school's football fortunes. During a summer job, he meets Bonnie Skiles (Gale Page), who eventually becomes his wife. After college, he became a lab assistant for Father Julius Nieuwland (Albert Basserman), a chemist working to develop a synthetic rubber. Football comes calling one more time, as the college's head coaching position is available. After consulting with university president Father John Callahan (Donald Crisp), Rockne takes the job, and turns Notre Dame into a national powerhouse.

When he starts, Rockne convinces a skeptical student named George Gipp (Ronald Reagan), whose first love is baseball, to come out for his sport. Gipp eventually becomes an All American player as a senior, but his life is cut short due to a sudden illness. Through the 1920s, Rockne keeps changing with the times, introducing a shift that was made popular by the backfield known as the Four Horsemen. When allegations were made about gambling influences in the collegiate game, Rockne led the way to defend his sport's integrity. Throughout his time on the sideline, he was balancing family, team, and business. Even Hollywood became interested in the story of his success.

"Knute Rockne All American," which is based on Rockne's letters and the recollections of friends, family, and associates, is an affectionate and moving look at a man who turned a passion for sport into a way of bettering himself and others. Knute and Bonnie may have had two sons of their own, but the players became extended family to the Rocknes. The young men came on both social calls and for chances to hone their game. The screenplay from Robert Buckner, whose other movie credits include "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Love Me Tender," is nice, but should have been a little more detailed. The movie's narration names the Four Horsemen by name (Jim Crowley, Elmer Layden, Don Miller, and Harry Stuhldreher), but the actors who play the parts are never identified individually by any of the other actors. This is one of the better known works of director Lloyd Bacon, who also directed "42nd Street" and "The Fighting Sullivans." "Knute Rockne" was added to the National Film Registry in 1997.

O'Brien does a great job as Rockne, who doesn't stop being a leader or a motivator, even after the final game whistle blows. When he treats his boys to a dancing show, Knute not is not only entertained by the performers, but he takes notes, inspiring him to put some new wrinkles into his gridiron playbook. In another scene, he calls a player into his office to explain the reasons why he's not used more often. While the player understands, Rockne surprises him by telling him he's going to play in a game where the young man's father will be in attendance. Rockne also shows he's not much of a follower, which occasionally gives his wife and his doctor fits. The supporting cast is solid, particularly Crisp, Basserman, and Qualen, who somehow know what lies ahead for Knute. This movie is also one of the better known film roles of Reagan, who is sufficiently convincing as George Gipp. In addition, four college coaches of the early twentieth century make a cameo appearance in the film. The quartet includes Amos Alonzo Stagg and Pop Warner. 
 
The DVD extras include a trailer for the movie and three other features, all of which debuted in 1940. The first is the Oscar-winning short "Teddy The Rough Rider," about the adult life of Theodore Roosevelt, starting with his appointment as New York police commissioner in 1895. Sidney Blackmer looks the part and gives an adequate performance as the 26th US President, but he's always squinting and sounding like a pirate as he tries to serve by the letter of the law in all his endeavors. The second is "Porky's Baseball Broadcast," where Porky Pig stutters his way through a baseball game where the Cubs are in an all-too-familiar role to their fans. The last was a radio broadcast of "Knute Rockne All American" where O'Brien, Reagan, and Crisp reprise their roles for the airwaves. Fay Wray plays Bonnie Skiles Rockne. The program is hosted by Cecil B. DeMille.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have had one of the most watched and most revered football programs for nearly a century. Their rise to national prominence began when a young man saved his money, enrolled in the college, and brought new ideas about the way the game should be played. "Knute Rockne All American" celebrates a man who wanted others to excel as much as he demanded excellence from himself. Even if you're not a fan of the Fighting Irish, it's okay to cheer, cheer, for old Notre Dame for once. All non-fans should keep one thing in mind as they watch: It's only a movie.
 
This film is also a part of my College Football All-American Film Team: http://www.epinions.com/content_5348565124.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12