Number One (1969 film)
| Number One | |
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| Directed by | Tom Gries |
| Produced by | Walter Seltzer |
| Written by | David Moessinger |
| Starring |
Charlton Heston Jessica Walter Bruce Dern John Randolph Diana Muldaur G.D. Spradlin |
| Music by | Dominic Frontiere |
| Cinematography | Michel Hugo |
| Edited by | Richard K. Brockway |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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100 min. (UK) 105 min. (TCM print) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,100,000 |
| Box office | $1 million (US/ Canada rental) |
Number One is a 1969 American film drama released by United Artists and directed by Tom Gries.
The film stars Charlton Heston as Ron "Cat" Catlan, aging quarterback for American professional football's New Orleans Saints, and Jessica Walter as his wife. Musician Al Hirt plays himself, as do several real-life members of the 1968 Saints. The football scenes were shot at the Saints' then-home field, Tulane Stadium.
Ron "Cat" Catlan once led the New Orleans Saints to a championship (something the real-life Saints wouldn't experience until Super Bowl XLIV in the 2009 NFL season). After fifteen years in pro football, he tries to compensate for his failing skills with booze and an extramarital affair. ("You're not even worth the price of a ticket anymore," a fan yells at him after Cat refuses her an autograph.)
Friend and teammate Richie Fowler (Bruce Dern) offers Cat a job with his auto-leasing company, and a management position in the computer industry is also on the table, but Catlan hesitates, insisting he can still lead the squad to future glory. The associate with the computer firm warns him not to put off making a decision: "There are a lot of kids coming out of college, Cat, and they're smart kids. A year from now, I might not be able to offer you a job driving the company truck."
Things are no better at home for Catlan: his long-suffering wife, Julie (Jessica Walter), threatens to leave him after too many booze-fueled outrages and late nights with other women. She begins to drift away into her own life, leading Cat to an abortive affair with Ann (Diana Muldaur).
Cat finally begs Julie to stay, saying everything will be alright after he leads the Saints to another title. In the end, though, Catlan is crushed in a violent sack by a Dallas Cowboys player, seemingly ending his football career. Julie can be seen leaving the stadium, apparently unconcerned with her husband's condition.
Despite having All-Pro signal-caller Billy Kilmer as an instructor, Charlton Heston did not make a very convincing pro quarterback. "I marveled at how skinny he was in a Saints uniform," said local DJ Bob Walker, who was an extra in the movie. "It hung on him like a cheap suit three sizes too big. When the cameras weren't rolling we watched him try to throw some passes. His receiver was 10-20 yards away and his alleged passes didn't come close." Joe Wendryhoski, who basically played himself in the film as the Saints center, called Heston "a great guy, very sociable" who unfortunately "didn't have an athletic bone in his body. As a quarterback, he left a lot to be desired."
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