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Jim Thorpe, The World’s Greatest Athlete

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primary_youtube_id: SDdLUFZOz04
2009
01:16:00
United States of America,
Italy,
Sweden
Biography of the legendary Native American athlete who won two gold medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
Physical formats available:
Betacam SP
Digital formats available:
Quicktime (Pro Res)
Audio & visual:
Sound, Color

Context

The story of the Indian from Oklahoma acclaimed as the greatest athlete of the 20th century.  Hero of the 1912 Olympics and an early pro-football star, he defied racial prejudice in the world of sports.

Beginning with Thorpe’s boyhood in Indian Territory, the film chronicles his rise to athletic stardom at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, winning two gold medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics, his fall from grace in the eyes of the amateur establishment, and his rebound in professional baseball and football.  After retiring from sports he went on to  become an actor in Hollywood films.  He fought for equal pay for Indians in the movies.  In the 1940s he crisscrossed the nation as a public speaker advocating for Indian tribal self-determination.

Credits

Director: Tom Weidlinger
Collection
Tom Weidlinger
(4)
Tom Weidlinger is a writer and filmmaker who has been writing, directing and producing documentaries for 35 years.  He began work on the manuscript and documentary, The Restless Hungarian, in late 2013. His earlier work deals with a wide range of subjects, from the emotional development of boys to humanitarian aid in the Congo. Social justice is a common theme.