Jim Thorpe - All-American Page #4

Jim.

Maybe you fix this up, huh?

You tell me what to write?

Better let Ed do it.

He's the student in this crowd.

- You help me fix up letter, huh, Ed?

- Sure.

I'm the only guy here who's not in love.

That makes me an expert.

"Miss Anna Sweet Flower.

"I said I like you

and I want to give you a letter.

"Whenever I give you letter

please answer to me soon

"as I wish to touch the letter

that you have touched.

"When you give me letter,

it makes my heart glad.

"I wish always we smile at each other

when we meet.

"We live happy all time.

I like you and I love you.

"My whole heart

is shaking hands with you.

"I kiss you.

"Your lover, Little Boy."

You fix up, huh, Ed?

I couldn't improve on it, Little Boy.

Send it to her the way you wrote it.

- The band plays well these days.

- Oh, hello, Pop.

- Yes, they do.

- Nice and cool, isn't it?

Come on, Jim. Walk with me.

I've been worrying about you.

You haven't been yourself lately.

- Well, I feel fine, Pop.

- Just the same, you don't act right to me.

- Well, I've never felt better.

- Don't tell me. I've been watching you.

You're just not right.

- Are we going into the infirmary?

- Yes. You need a checkup.

- Pop, I told you I'm all right.

- Come on, don't argue.

I want the nurse to have a look at you.

Nurse, will you check this man, please?

Margaret.

Hello, Jim.

I'm working in the infirmary.

Pop got me the job.

I've been reading a lot about you

in all the newspapers.

Why did you do it?

I don't know.

I was confused and mixed up.

For both our sakes,

it seemed the best thing to do.

- Why didn't you write?

- There was nothing I could say.

Jim, you spoke about

background and heritage.

They seem to mean so much to you.

It's taken me all this time to realize

that they aren't really important.

What counts is that we're people.

I told you once I loved you.

I still love you.

- Does that answer you?

- Oh, Jim!

Oh, I've missed you, Margaret.

More than I've ever missed anybody

in all my life.

- Will you marry me?

- That's why I came back to Carlisle.

Are you sure you won't mind

being married to a coach?

- A coach? Jim, where?

- Any place.

Whenever they get around

to making me an offer.

They will.

Darling, you'll be a wonderful coach.

Hurry up, fellows! Come on, let's go.

Here!

All right, boys, your attention!

Boys, I've never

made a speech to you before.

I don't have to make speeches.

And I don't have to tell you

that Penn is a powerhouse,

a football team

that's been unbeatable for two years.

But I'll say this.

If there's any team that can beat them,

it's this Carlisle bunch right here with me.

Believe me, boys, I'm proud of you.

But remember this.

This is going to be the toughest

football game you've ever played.

Penn is a hard-hitting, rough bunch

that asks no quarter and gives no quarter.

That's why they're champions.

Also, they have one of the greatest

breakaway runners in the country,

Tom Ashenbrunner,

All-American for two years.

We've got an All-American, too.

Well, I guess I don't have to say any more.

All right, Carlisle, take the field!

All right. Here we go, kids.

Come on! Let's go.

Come on, let's play.

- Jim?

- Yes, Pop?

This game may be more important

than you think.

I've just learned that Allegheny's

scouting for a football coach.

They've got their eye on you

and Tom Ashenbrunner.

Thanks, Pop!

Better tell Ashenbrunner

to stay out of my way. I need that job.

Yes, I know. Margaret told me.

The Penn-Carlisle game that year

will go down in history

as one of the hardest,

most bruising gridiron battles ever fought.

Two great teams and two great players

pitted against each other.

- Heads.

- Tail.

We'll kick.

Ashenbrunner was the Penn captain,

a great driving back

with a tremendous will to win.

The checkerboard field

has been abandoned by this time

because the game had opened up a little.

The flying wedge had been outlawed,

but football in those days

was still no sport for children.

Penn kicked off to Carlisle,

but Jim soon learned

that this was going to be no field day!

Penn had set up a defensive system

designed to stop Thorpe

before he got started!

It was a new experience for Jim

to be bottled up,

and though he fought to get clear,

Penn kept stopping him

at the line of scrimmage!

With so much at stake for these two men,

I suppose it was inevitable

for bad blood to start early.

- Nice going, Ash.

- What's the matter, Thorpe? Nervous?

Again Jim was stopped

at the line of scrimmage

and Carlisle went back into kick formation.

Now it was Ashenbrunner's time

to show his stuff and he showed plenty.

Ashenbrunner, Ashenbrunner!

On the next play Ashenbrunner broke

loose behind some great blocking.

Penn converted

and the score was seven to nothing.

Let's get that touchdown back!

Fighting fiercely

to get that touchdown back,

Jim on the kick-off return

battled his way up to midfield.

Indians! Yeah!

Then on a Statue of Liberty play...

Three.

Jim converted for Carlisle

and the score was now seven to seven.

All that afternoon,

Carlisle and Penn battled each other

in a game that had resolved itself

into a personal duel

between Thorpe and Ashenbrunner.

The play got harder and fiercer

with both lines charging viciously

and both captains all over the field.

In the third quarter

Jim kicked a 25-yard field goal

to make the score ten to seven.

But Penn came right back

with a brilliant run from Ashenbrunner

that had the crowd on its feet.

In the final minutes, Penn led 13 to 10.

The dog-tired Indians were staying

in the game only on sheer courage.

Penn had the ball and was freezing it.

17, 28, 34, 46, 57, 68.

They're stalling. They're freezing that ball.

Let's smear this play.

We've got to get that ball back!

Hit them hard. Make them fumble.

Come on. Let's go.

- What's the matter?

- Nothing.

What's the matter with Little Boy?

Time out.

Nice going, Little Boy.

- How much time we got?

- Twenty-five seconds.

Come on.

I'm gonna try for a field goal.

You're crazy, Jim.

We're on the 50-yard line.

- This angle's too tough, it's...

- It's our only chance.

Can you hold them for just one more play?

Just 'till I get the kick over?

- You kick it, Jim. We hold them.

- All right, let's go.

He can't kick a field goal from there.

Block that kick.

Get set. 36, 48, 52.

It went through!

- Attaboy, Jim!

- Nice going, Jim, boy!

Great kick, Thorpe.

You sure made me look good

out there today, Little Boy.

Thanks.

If I had half a brain,

I'd have taken you out of the game.

- I'm sorry about the knee.

- Don't feel bad, Jim. I get better.

I have to get better. I'm in love, too.

In case anybody's interested,

I just spoke to the doc.

He expects the patient

to lead a long and lusty life on two legs.

Say, Jim, Pop wants to see you.

- Hi, chief.

- Has he heard anything?

Don't know.

He just said he wanted to see you.

- He's in his office.

- See you later, Margaret.

Rate this script:3.0 / 2 votes