1931: Whenever the name of Jim Thorpe appears in print, he is the subject of much gossip.

                                                                    1931, Oct 24  Pittsburgh Post Gazette 

here's on for the book...

The script of Paramount's new football picture, "Touchdown!" lists the character name of Jim Thorpe, famous Carlisle Indian star and American Olympic hero of 1912.

     The actor who was the play the role was directed to the makeup department, where a makeup man commenced his task of making the player look like Thorpe. 

     After an hour's careful work the makeup man backed away with a sign of satisfaction. He pronounced the makeup perfect.

     But the actor complained mildly, "Do you really think you need those lines under my eyes?"

     "Certainly," the makeup artist replied. "We have to make you look as near like Thorpe as we can."

    Satisfaction turned to chagrin a moment later.

     As the actor departed for the set he commented, "I AM Jim Thorpe."

1931, Oct 24  Pittsburgh Post Gazette 

NO JIM THORPE WILL

BE IN THE OLYMPICS;

FAME STILL LIVES

1931, Sep 17   Harrisburg Telegram

Whenever the name of Jim Thorpe appears in print, he is the subject of much gossip. No athlete had more friends than the boy who started his career with Glenn Warner at the Carlisle Indian School. He is known, and admired by many Harrisburgers, including the writer, who was associated with him in various activities for a number of years.

     Jim Thorpe was at one time a resident of Harrisburg. He lived at the Columbus Hotel, played with the Newark team of the International League and won laurels. Thorpe’s first appearance here was when he was a member of the Carlisle Indian School track team, and later he played football here. Those who know Jim Thorpe always finds much that is nice to say about him. Here is what Charles W. Paddock, in his Spotlights column of the Pasadena (Calif) Star-News, has to say about Jim Thorpe”
     “While some of the finest football players in the country are battling in the Olympic Stadium this fall, and while the greatest track athletes in the world are meeting in the same place next summer in the Olympics Games, a man will be ridding cow poines out on the Universal Studio lot who proved himself a mightier football player than any champion the gridiron will see this season and a better all-around track athlete than the most brilliant stars who will shine in ’32.

                 Chief Brightpath

     You’ve heard his name if you are a follower of any kind of spot, amateur or otherwise. It is that of an Indian, Chief Brightpath, known to the world as Jim Thorpe.

     The other afternoon, while the all-star Notre Dame football eleven, together with a number of former Trojans, were making pictures for Universal, Jim arrayed in all his Indian finery and wearing moccasins, appeared on the scene. He had just finished work for the day in a Western serial and dropped by to see the Four Horsemen in action. One of the footballs bounded his way and the old boy who was at the peak of his gridiron game back in 1909, commenced warning up. He outpunted the present crop of kickers by fifteen to twenty yards on every boot, even though the modern players were wearing regular kicking shoes, and he wore only his soft-toed moccasins. And his passing proved equally superior.

     And no one present seemed at all interested in questioning his ability to still tackle. Old Jim had a reputation in this respect which mothers of budding football players in some section of the country still use as a threat to their obstreperous offspring – “Jim Thorpe will tackle you some day, if you aren’t a good boy.” For when the big chief tackled anybody and meant it, they stayed tackled.

                  Best in Track

     Great as Thorpe was as football player, his real genius was centered in track. There was no event on the program which he could not do well. The standards in those days can hardly be compared to the standards of the present. And yet his record do not suffer in comparison.

     Where there were probably less than 10,000 good athletes in the world in 1912 who had been trained in track and field sports, there are more than 10,000,000 today. Where there were a half dozen coaches who understood teaching track then, there are probably more than 100 at present who are really good, and 10,000 more who can materially aid a promising athlete. The science of the game has improved immeasurably.  To give you an idea of the progress which has been made, here is a list of the records in the decathlon, or all-around competition which Thorpe won at Stockholm, the marks listed being the best individual performances ever scored up to that time, as well as a list of the present world’s records for the same events. 

Jim Thorpe in Movies

                                1931, June 18  The Muscatine Journal and News Tribune 
Los Angeles - Out of the ditches he was digging to support his family, Jim Thorpe, Indian athlete, has jumped into the movies. He will be chief in frontier battle scenes. 

1931, June 18  The Muscatine Journal and News Tribune 

1931, Sep 17   Harrisburg Telegram