Tony Curtis is well cast in this movie as an urban son of emigrant parents who plays college football. He's just made All American -- because his coach didn't tell him before the important game that his folks had been killed in a car crash on their way to see him play. He quits college and gets a scholarship to another school to study to be an architect. Everyone expects him to play football, but he isn't interested; he finally explains to Lori Nelson, when she catches him coaching some kids playing sandlot ball, that they're having fun, and that's great. It's when you get paid for it that it becomes a job.
He takes a lot of heat from the other students, particularly Richard Long, the snobbish scion of a rich family whose name is on all the campus' buildings. When Curtis finally starts to play, and leads the team to victory after victory, he displaces Long, which furthers the plot. Long has been drinking at a local watering hole which has been banned to the students, where Mamie Van Doren has her eye on Long; he's embarrassed by her socially, but Curtis isn't.
There's some stunt casting, with various older All Americans taking roles (including Tom Harmon and Frank Gifford) being credited with the All-American title and the year they won the honor. That includes producer Aaron Rosenberg (U.S.C. '33) and director Jesse Hibbs (U.S.C. '27).
He takes a lot of heat from the other students, particularly Richard Long, the snobbish scion of a rich family whose name is on all the campus' buildings. When Curtis finally starts to play, and leads the team to victory after victory, he displaces Long, which furthers the plot. Long has been drinking at a local watering hole which has been banned to the students, where Mamie Van Doren has her eye on Long; he's embarrassed by her socially, but Curtis isn't.
There's some stunt casting, with various older All Americans taking roles (including Tom Harmon and Frank Gifford) being credited with the All-American title and the year they won the honor. That includes producer Aaron Rosenberg (U.S.C. '33) and director Jesse Hibbs (U.S.C. '27).