Knute Rockne: All American (1940)

Knute
Rockne: All American (1940) is the inspirational film biography
of the famous and prominent Notre Dame football coach, Knute ‘Rock’
Rockne (Pat O’Brien). The immortalized coach is brought to life
in this excellent, episodic film characterization directed by Lloyd
Bacon – it portrays his sportsmanship, emphasis on teamwork, his
determination to win, and his wholesome influence on the many young
men who played on his squads.

An original screenplay by Robert Buckner was based
upon the private papers of Mrs. Rockne and the University of Notre
Dame. As a tribute to some of Rockne’s colleagues, four of his contemporaries
(including grid coaches and friends) appear briefly in one sequence:
Howard Jones, Glenn ‘Pop’ Warner, Alonzo Stagg, and William ‘Bill’
Spaulding. The sports film is peppered with actual newsreel clips
of actual games (mostly between traditional rivals Army and Notre
Dame).

Plot Synopsis

The film is best known for its famous line of dialogue,
spoken by Rockne’s most famous player, George Gipp (Ronald Reagan),
a real-life football star who died young of pneumonia and provided
an inspiring anecdote to his coach. Gipp tells his coach:

Some day, when things are tough, maybe you
can ask the boys to go in there and win just one for the Gipper.

Later in a memorable scene (duplicating what actually
happened at half-time in a 1928 Army game), the team coach quotes
his player in a pep talk to his losing football team at half-time:

Well, boys, I haven’t a thing to say. Played
a great game — all of you. Great game. I guess we just can’t expect
to win ’em all. I’m going to tell you something I’ve kept to myself
for years. None of you ever knew George Gipp. He was long before
your time, but you all know what a tradition he is at Notre Dame. And
the last thing he said to me, ‘Rock,’ he said, ‘sometime when the
team is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell ’em
to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper. I
don’t know where I’ll be then, Rock,’ he said, ‘but I’ll know about
it, and I’ll be happy.’

[Note: In later years, Reagan melded together his filmatic
and political careers by adopting the slogan “Win this one for
the Gipper” for political purposes.]