The Bob Mathias Story
| The Bob Mathias Story | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Francis D. Lyon |
| Written by | Richard Collins |
| Produced by | William E. Selwyn James L. Fallon |
| Starring | Bob Mathias Ward Bond Melba Mathias |
| Cinematography | Ellsworth Fredericks |
| Edited by | Walter Hannemann |
| Music by | Leith Stevens |
Production company | Mathlon Productiosn |
| Distributed by | Allied Artists Pictures[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $180,000[2] |
The Bob Mathias Story is a 1954 American sports drama film directed by Francis D. Lyon and starring Bob Mathias and Ward Bond. The story of Bob Mathias (portraying himself), the first man to win two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in the Decathlon in London in 1948 and in Helsinki in 1952. His wife Melba appeared as herself. The film utilized extensive footage of the London and Helsinki Games, including actual footage of Mathias' triumphs. It was produced and distributed by Allied Artists and was marketed as being similar to other biopics The Stratton Story and The Glenn Miller Story.
Plot
[edit] | This article needs a plot summary. (April 2021) |
Cast
[edit]- Bob Mathias as Bob Mathias
- Ward Bond as Coach Jackson
- Melba Mathias as Melba Mathias
- Howard Petrie as Dr. Charles Mathias
- Ann Doran as Mrs. Lillian Mathias
- Diane Jergens as Pat Mathias
- Paul Bryar as Bill Andrews
- Anne Kimbell as Sally
- Harry Lauter as Irving Mondschein
Production
[edit]Mathias was given a deferrment from the Marine Corps to appear in the movie. Forty precent of finance came from 75 citizens of Mathias' hometown of Tulare, California, raised in part by James Fallon who set up Mathlon Productions to make the movie.[3] The balance came from Chemical Bank '& Trust Co. of N.Y.[4]
In May 1954 Allied Artists agreed to distribute.[5] The film was shot in May 1954 over two weeks in Hollywood and Tulare. Mathias said, "Director Francis Lyon told me ‘just be yourself’ and the rest was easy.”[4]
Reception
[edit]Variety called it a "good family programmer".[6]
The film was not a financial success and only returned 60% of its cost.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Monthly 'A' Production Set as New AA Policy". Variety. September 15, 1954. p. 7.
- ↑ "The Bob Mathias Story (1954) - Notes - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ↑ "Hometown Folks Bankroll Bob Mathias Pic". Variety. March 10, 1954. p. 2.
- 1 2 "Mathias feature for Homedown premiere". Variety. July 14, 1954. p. 13.
- ↑ "Briefs from the lots". Variety. May 12, 1954. p. 22.
- ↑ "The Bob Matthias Story". Variety. October 6, 1954. p. 6.
- ↑ "James Fallon". The New Millionaires and How They Made Their Fortunes. Bernard Geis. 1960. p. 153.
External links
[edit]- The Bob Mathias Story at IMDb
- The Bob Mathias Story at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
- The Bob Mathias Story at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- The Bob Matthias Story at Letterbox DVD
 | This article related to an American drama film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1954 films
- 1950s biographical drama films
- Allied Artists films
- American biographical drama films
- American black-and-white films
- Biographical films about sportspeople
- Cultural depictions of American people
- Cultural depictions of competitors in the sport of athletics
- Films directed by Francis D. Lyon
- Films about the 1952 Summer Olympics
- Films about the 1948 Summer Olympics
- Films about Olympic track and field
- Films scored by Leith Stevens
- 1954 drama films
- 1954 English-language films
- 1954 American films
- English-language biographical drama films
- 1954 biographical films
- 1950s American drama film stubs