dougdoepke
Fine sleeper film, very much a reflection of iconoclastic 1970's. Seldom has corruptive nature of professional sports been on more vivid display than here. Pro football (and others?) comes across as supremely exploitative of players, with millionaire owners collecting the reflected glory. Sure, the money is good as is the lure of easy women, while all the adulation is hard to resist, but the cost comes high as battered and bruised Nick Nolte finally figures out. Emphasis throughout is on obvious physical toll, but inner toll proves equally devastating. Team quarterback Mac Davis's sly character and coaching staff's slimy ploys illustrate that inner rot in sometimes subtle fashion. Davis's understated performance provides memorable glimpse of intelligent man trapped by own weaknesses. Also one of Nick Nolte's most natural performances in both a brilliant and unorthodox career. His Phil Elliot may not be as clever as Davis, but the love of the game is truer, helping him finally see through the clouds of hype. But where oh where was director Kotcheff when beleaguered non-actress Dale Haddon so clearly needed help. Her one and only expression, paralyzed fear, almost brings down the entire film. Was the casting of this ex-Playboy playmate Hugh Hefner's price for assistance with the production?Thanks Peter Gent for the gutsy expose' and Frank Yablans for bringing it to the screen intact. (After all those Monday evenings on TV, who could ever think of Tom Landry, Don Meredith or straight-laced Roger Staubach the same way again.) (Then too, fans might check out 1949's "Easy Living", a less caustic but also revealing film on the earlier days of pro football.) All in all, the screenplay of North Dallas is one of the best from the period -- humorous, savvy, and richly ironic -- the final boardroom scene arguably among the most compelling of any on sports. It's also one of the best arguments for getting athletics out of all those cathedrals of cult worship and back into neighborhood sandlots where they belong.
John T. Ryan
The old "Grid Iron" has long been a favourite topic of Film Makers. First the College Game, which truly hit the heights in the 'Roaring 20's" was the subject of fans passion, young boys admiration and the Gamblers fascination. Tobe a College Boy on the 'Varsity' was surely a close approximation of Heaven on Earth. But what about the Pros, Professional Football, that is? Wouldn't a talented College, Simon Pure Athlete like to try his hand at this Professional Game. The American Professional Football Association had been formed and soon thereafter, the name changed to The National Football League, and it had its problems.The early pro football 'clubs' bore a greater resemblance to what we would today call, "Semi-Pro" teams. That is generally, the membership paid for equipment and game uniforms. Travel was usually done by auto and wasn't too far as a rule. The typical entrant was usually from Small Town, USA, not Bigville. So we saw less the likes of the Chicago Cardinal sand more like Decatur(Illinois) Staleys, the Providence(Rhode Island)Steamrollers and the Canton(Ohio)Bulldogs.The first and only truly recognizable "star" was Jim Thorpe, who was elected the figurehead President of the League right at the start. Then the Chicago Bears signed Harold "Red" Grange, old number 77 from the University of Illinois. The Bears went on a Barnstorming Tour following that season, introducing a sports crazy public to the "Galloping Ghost" and the Pro Game.Other College Stars and "All Americans" followed, their names alone guaranteeing boosts at Box Office numbers. Guys like Elmer Leyden, Jim Crowley, Don Miller and Harry Stuhldreyer, collectively known as Coach Knute Rockne's Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, all did hitches in the Pro Ranks, before going into Coching and Business.So the Pro FootnallWorld that our story is one of maturity, having gone through years of ups and downs in the attendance figures. By this time, the Mid-1960's, things were generally pretty good financially, to say he least. Franchises in the NFL, which had reportedly originally cost $100.00, now hovered in the Million$, as teams played their schedules in increasingly modern facilities.The story/screenplay of NORTH DALLAS FORTY(1979) is by Pertr Gent, former Pro Footballer with the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. He was a graduate of Michigan State University, where his main Sport had been Basketball.In the screenplay a "DRAGNET" Style policy of "The Names have been changed to protect the Innocent.", and to prevent any civil litigation. All the characters' names are fictitious, of course. And as for the names of the various teams, we have ones like 'North Dallas Bulls' and 'Chicago Maurauders', but when a game is portrayed in the film, we all know who'w who in the real life counterpart.The whole drama unfolds in the space of a little better than about 2 weeks time. The main character, Phil Elliot, a veteran Wide Receiver,finds himself as being on the spot when a team mate receiver is injured and his(Elliot's)playing time will be greatly increased. We spend an awful lot of time following him around town, at practice, servicing a girlfriend of one of the owning family Hunter Brothers.He also meet up with a very lovely Lady at a team party, and strikes up a romance, the real thing, I mean! We are shown the life of a pro athlete, how they want for nothing, but crave everything intangible, like Love, Security, Respect and Home.The relationships of players as "friends" and the intricate construction of the Pro Sports Team "Office Politics" are given a thoroughly complete, through the microscope examination.It is in the end, that we and our story's protagonist are suddenly made aware of what we really are to the public and the Ownership.The point of view is of Author Peter Gent, who did go through several seasons on the rosters of both Dallas and N.Y.Giants. He was always known as a sort of "Football Non-Conformist", a sort of 'flake', if you will. But, we all know that there are 3 sides to every story. Your side, My side and the True Side! We'll take Mr. Gent's word for it as far as it goes. This is the way he saw it and we can't dispute anything first hand. Besides, were you there, Schultz? And the typical , that f
jeremy3
This movie ranks up with Hoosiers, Remember The Titans, Eight Men Out, and other outstanding sports' movies. However, this movie may be one of the most accurate and realistic. Nick Nolte is excellent as an aging receiver with gifted hands. Nolte has taken a beating in his profession. Pain killers is not even an option to avoid. The intense pressure and training is portrayed in a very gritty way. The brutality and luck involved in surviving intact is portrayed no better in any other movie. And yet, I would say that this movie was from the football lover's perspective. The movie used some real pro footballers. No matter how bad things got, no one wanted to quit on the team. The footballer lived for the thrill of the game. Lastly, the money side/management side has never been portrayed better in a sport's movie. Dabney Coleman plays the soul-less main investor in the team. No matter how much Nolte's character gave, the business side was going to get him in the end. There was enormous tension between the coaches and the players. The coaches demanded perfection. The players thrived on the spirit of the game, not being treated like robots. The players feared the coaches, but also despised them. I was surprised how good Mac Davis was. He is a singer, but seemed to get how to play a quarterback on a pro team with great believability.
