Why they fictionalized the story of Jim Thorpe so much is a mystery. Most biopics do change a few details for dramatic purposes, but unfortunately they overdid it here.
Burt Lancaster was certainly athletic, but his being older than the title character and not really resembling him was a detraction. Furthermore, the story depicted one wife and a child who died, while in reality Thorpe was married three times and had eight children, only one dying. Hopefully they can make something more accurate in the future.
Burt Lancaster was certainly athletic, but his being older than the title character and not really resembling him was a detraction. Furthermore, the story depicted one wife and a child who died, while in reality Thorpe was married three times and had eight children, only one dying. Hopefully they can make something more accurate in the future.