The film starts with the trustees of Calvert College trying to decide how to avoid bankruptcy for their institution. During the discussion they listen to a college football game, where Coach Gore's team is drawing huge crowds. The trustees decide to hire Gore, played by Ed O'Brien, to solve the financial crisis.
In order to get ahead, Gore does the following:
(1) neglects his wife to the point where she decides to date one of the players. (2) hires ringers for his team, one of whom can barely speak English. (3) arranges for players to pass tests despite writing nothing (literally) in an exam book. (4) bribes a professor to help a player pass a test, and congratulates the professor when told he found a copy of the test and filled it out himself. (5) all but orders his players to attack an opponent in order to knock that opponent out of the game -- "Do I have to diagram it for you?" When that player dies from the injuries inflicted by Coach Gore's orders, the coach responds "Forty people die every year in football!" (6) buys land near the college with the intention of selling it to the college to build a football stadium, at a profit of $150,000 (remember, this is 1933). (7) lectures young people on the necessity of playing fairly (ie, unlike what he does the entire film).
During the entire time of the movie, Coach Gore is never shown as -- (1) doing anything immoral, (2) having the slightest sense of remorse, or (3) being exposed, let alone brought to justice, for these actions. Indeed, none of his acts results in anything bad happening to him.
At the movie's end; Coach Gore wins the big game, saves the college, gets a huge contract, completes his $150,000 deal and, despite constantly promising his wife he'll quit the game in order to spend more time with her, gets a big kiss from her as he (again) breaks his promise to her.
www.artsreformation.com/a001/hays-code.html
The 1930 Hays Code is pretty clear:
General Principles
1. ... the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin.
Pat O'Brien clearly present a sympathetic character, one who suffers in no way (not even guilt) over the above actions. So what is the film trying to say? It's either: (1) none of the above actions are criminal, or even wrong. (2) they are wrong, but perfectly acceptable as long as you win the game.
Warner Brothers, of all the studios, was perfectly willing to present shady people doing slimy things as the lead characters in their films. However, the person doing these things would always ending up "paying" for the immorality. It doesn't happen in this film. I'd LIKE to think this was a dark satire on the immorality of college sports, but I can't help but conclude it just blithely shows a coach who succeeds in all he does despite violating just about every norm of decent behavior.
As an aside, John Wayne makes an appearance for a few seconds, and speaks a few words.
In order to get ahead, Gore does the following:
(1) neglects his wife to the point where she decides to date one of the players. (2) hires ringers for his team, one of whom can barely speak English. (3) arranges for players to pass tests despite writing nothing (literally) in an exam book. (4) bribes a professor to help a player pass a test, and congratulates the professor when told he found a copy of the test and filled it out himself. (5) all but orders his players to attack an opponent in order to knock that opponent out of the game -- "Do I have to diagram it for you?" When that player dies from the injuries inflicted by Coach Gore's orders, the coach responds "Forty people die every year in football!" (6) buys land near the college with the intention of selling it to the college to build a football stadium, at a profit of $150,000 (remember, this is 1933). (7) lectures young people on the necessity of playing fairly (ie, unlike what he does the entire film).
During the entire time of the movie, Coach Gore is never shown as -- (1) doing anything immoral, (2) having the slightest sense of remorse, or (3) being exposed, let alone brought to justice, for these actions. Indeed, none of his acts results in anything bad happening to him.
At the movie's end; Coach Gore wins the big game, saves the college, gets a huge contract, completes his $150,000 deal and, despite constantly promising his wife he'll quit the game in order to spend more time with her, gets a big kiss from her as he (again) breaks his promise to her.
www.artsreformation.com/a001/hays-code.html
The 1930 Hays Code is pretty clear:
General Principles
1. ... the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin.
Pat O'Brien clearly present a sympathetic character, one who suffers in no way (not even guilt) over the above actions. So what is the film trying to say? It's either: (1) none of the above actions are criminal, or even wrong. (2) they are wrong, but perfectly acceptable as long as you win the game.
Warner Brothers, of all the studios, was perfectly willing to present shady people doing slimy things as the lead characters in their films. However, the person doing these things would always ending up "paying" for the immorality. It doesn't happen in this film. I'd LIKE to think this was a dark satire on the immorality of college sports, but I can't help but conclude it just blithely shows a coach who succeeds in all he does despite violating just about every norm of decent behavior.
As an aside, John Wayne makes an appearance for a few seconds, and speaks a few words.