Knute Rockne, All American

[MoodyBlues]

I'd never actually seen Knute Rockne, All American. Of course I knew its "win one for the Gipper!" line, and I knew Ronald Reagan was in it, etc., but I hadn't watched it. Until today! And there were a few things that surprised me:

Ka-newt. That's how Knute was pronounced. All these years I thought it was Newt.

Reagan has a very small part in the movie. I thought his was a big role, but he's actually in it for a very short time. His character, George Gipp, is very important to the remaining story line, but Reagan is gone by then.

The movie spans many years, yet--miraculously!--the actors/characters barely age.

The famous quote...is wrong. It's actually:

Now 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 them to go out there with all they've 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."

(Courtesy of IMDb]

Reagan was almost 30 when he played a college freshman.

The Rockne's first son, when shown at his christening, has a mohawk! I kid you not.