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Trouble Along the Way

  • 1953
  • Approved
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.4K
YOUR RATING
John Wayne and Donna Reed in Trouble Along the Way (1953)
Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video
Play trailer3:06
1 Video
22 Photos
FootballSatireComedyDramaRomanceSport

An ex-football coach is hired by a small Catholic college to train its football team in the hopes of winning games and making money to save the school from bankruptcy.An ex-football coach is hired by a small Catholic college to train its football team in the hopes of winning games and making money to save the school from bankruptcy.An ex-football coach is hired by a small Catholic college to train its football team in the hopes of winning games and making money to save the school from bankruptcy.

  • Director
    • Michael Curtiz
  • Writers
    • Melville Shavelson
    • Jack Rose
    • Douglas Morrow
  • Stars
    • John Wayne
    • Donna Reed
    • Charles Coburn
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    2.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Michael Curtiz
    • Writers
      • Melville Shavelson
      • Jack Rose
      • Douglas Morrow
    • Stars
      • John Wayne
      • Donna Reed
      • Charles Coburn
    • 40User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trouble Along The Way
    Trailer 3:06
    Trouble Along The Way

    Photos22

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    Top Cast81

    Edit
    John Wayne
    John Wayne
    • Steve Williams
    Donna Reed
    Donna Reed
    • Alice Singleton
    Charles Coburn
    Charles Coburn
    • Father Burke
    Tom Tully
    Tom Tully
    • Father Malone
    Sherry Jackson
    Sherry Jackson
    • Carol Williams
    Marie Windsor
    Marie Windsor
    • Anne McCormick
    Tom Helmore
    Tom Helmore
    • Harold McCormick
    Dabbs Greer
    Dabbs Greer
    • Father Peterson
    Leif Erickson
    Leif Erickson
    • Father Provincial
    Douglas Spencer
    Douglas Spencer
    • Father Procurator
    Lester Matthews
    Lester Matthews
    • Cardinal O'Shea
    Chuck Connors
    Chuck Connors
    • Stan Schwegler
    John Alban
    John Alban
    • Football Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Murray Alper
    Murray Alper
    • Bus Driver
    • (uncredited)
    Margaret Barstow
    • Blonde
    • (uncredited)
    Brandon Beach
    • Football Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Arthur Berkeley
    • Waiter
    • (uncredited)
    Beatrice Bernadine
    • Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Michael Curtiz
    • Writers
      • Melville Shavelson
      • Jack Rose
      • Douglas Morrow
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews40

    6.82.3K
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    Featured reviews

    8coop-16

    very nice, heart-warming little film

    One of the unknown minor masterpieces of Curtiz, and a very fine, well modulated performance by John Wayne.Its probably the best-and the frankest-film about college football ever put on the screen.Its rich in human interest and well acted by all the principals.
    MichaelM-3

    Offbeat, different, one of the Duke's best

    Perhaps because "Trouble Along the Way" is so unusual a film for John Wayne, I rank it among my favorites.

    He is a little more down to earth in this one; there is no violence; there is humor.

    There is also a superb cast, some of the finest players with whom the Duke ever performed.

    I highly recommend "Trouble Along the Way," to everyone, but especially to anyone who isn't familiar with the wide range and great ability of John Wayne.
    8larryblanks

    Winning Isn't Everything, It's the only thing - John Wayne, Not Vince Lombardi

    The quote "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" was actually a quote made by John Wayne in this 1953 film, "Trouble Along The Way". John Wayne does a fine job playing a college football coach, Steve Williams, who get's incorrectly caught up in a recruiting scandal. Sherry Jackson plays his daughter who idolizes him and demonstrates her excellent acting ability. I'm not a big football fan, but really enjoyed this film. Not only for the nostalgic look at the days when college football was fun and not the principal business of the university, but for the ethics that were around during that period of time.

    Wayne makes the statement in the film many years before Vince Lombardi is credited with it.
    8sbrix

    Heartwarming but still frank expose of "professional" college football.

    This is one John Wayne movie with which I was not familiar and with which his biography barely deals. While often stock & predictable, it is truly a heart-warming movie which nevertheless contains a rather frank expose and indictment of the "professionalism" present in college football. When one considers that when the movie was made, college football was MUCH bigger than professional football, it is amazing that the movie is so realistic in this regard.
    7Dr.Brent

    The Duke is funny!

    An enjoyable little film. What was surprising was how funny John Wayne is here. I am not a big fan of his films but I wish he had more films like these out of his cop/cowboy/soldier stereotypes. Perhaps because he was a football player he was comfortable in the role of football

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    Related interests

    Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans (2000)
    Football
    Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    Satire
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance
    Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in Moneyball (2011)
    Sport

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During one of the tackle stunts, John Wayne injured his right arm and wore it in a sling when he wasn't filming. He learned how to throw and write left-handed and his character in the film is the same, while the Duke was really right-handed.
    • Goofs
      Steve Williams (John Wayne) makes the statement that President Theodore Roosevelt changed football rules and then was voted out in the next election. In fact, President Roosevelt urged that the rules be changed in 1905, and they were changed in 1906. Roosevelt chose not to run for reelection as President in 1908, despite huge popularity; therefore, he was not "voted out" in that election. Roosevelt chose William Howard Taft to be his successor, and Taft won the 1908 election. However, Roosevelt did not like the job Taft did and chose to run against him in the 1912 election as the nominee from the Bull Moose Party. Roosevelt split the vote with Taft, and Woodrow Wilson won the 1912 election. So, although Roosevelt lost the 1912 election, he was not "voted out" because he wasn't "in" at the time.
    • Quotes

      Father Burke: You'll find the answer in Deuteronomy, Chapter 32, Verse 15.

      [the other priests look at one another]

      Father Burke: Well, well? Is there a Bible in the house, or do you have to go to a hotel?

    • Connections
      Featured in Sports on the Silver Screen (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      St. Anthony's Alma Mater Hymn
      (uncredited)

      Music by Max Steiner

      Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

      Sung by a chorus during the opening credits and at the end

      Played often in the score

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    FAQ15

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 4, 1953 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • Camino de adversidad
    • Filming locations
      • Pomona College - 333 N. College Way, Claremont, California, USA(Pomona College)
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 51m(111 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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