User Reviews

The faded star-quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, over-the-hill at 40 and nursing a bad knee, considers retirement after an anonymous source disparages his season performances in print. Character rumination stacks the deck against our embittered hero: he's offered a management position with a computer firm and another job leasing cars (both offers are seen as dead-ends), while his unhappy wife is ready to walk out and a former teammate comes to him begging for a loan ($200!). Screenplay by David Moessinger is full of cynical one-liners substituting for insight into these unfulfilled people, while the football milieu is used mainly as a backdrop to the melodramatic action off the field. Charlton Heston is all wrong as an athlete--just because the man is tall and lean doesn't mean he's an ideal candidate for a football uniform. Heston is also unusually harsh with spouse Jessica Walter, who tired quickly of the Football Wives circle and now runs her own successful fashion business (Heston insults her creativity, equating it with an apparent inability to conceive a child; she slaps at him, he grabs her, and they end up making love). Director Tom Gries offers us only a flicker of insight into the world of professional football. He tries avoiding gridiron clichés, and his narrative timeline is interestingly woozy (mixing staccato flashbacks with bits of reality and, maybe, delusion), but the overall mood of the piece is unbelievably morose. Moessinger really does appear to believe that 40 means you're finished, washed-up. Heston may have felt there was something in the script he could play, something substantial and (atypical for the actor) not-heroic, but the picture isn't convincing. The foundation of the story--an aging man's fear that he's no longer useful after outgrowing his profession--is a good dramatic starting point for a character portrait (and still feels relatively fresh today), yet the writing is pretentious and dishonest. As to the downbeat finale, it underlines the pervading message that we're all "whores", like it or not. ** from ****

OK 'pass the time" movie. Parts of the movie was filmed in San Diego which was the original training camp for the New Orleans Saints Many of the extras were football players on the campus of California Western University. When the movie was screened in San Diego, the audience snickered during some love scenes. At some point in time the movie title was changed from "The Pro" to "Number One."

One of the positive outcomes was seeing Ernie Barnes expand his career from acting to painting. Many of his works were used on the television series "Good Times."

The characters are shallow and unbelievable. The story never really delves into the main character's real problems and Heston's nude scenes are revolting.

In the final scene when Catlan is crushed by the Dallas defense (actually portrayed by Saints players Mike Tilleman, Dave Rowe and Fred Whittingham), neither Heston nor the producer felt the hit on him was realistic enough, so Heston asked them to cut loose to make it look authentic. On the second take, the trio slammed the actor to the ground, breaking three of his ribs!!

As for a better actor to play this part or the "realism" as criticized below, Hogwash. I can't think of many actors back then or NOW that would take a hit like Heston did for any movie.

I enjoyed the show, LOVED the football scenes, liked the 60's look and feel of the show, and still love watching Charlton Heston movies. May he R.I.P.

Chuck Heston is not a football star, but an actor playing one. I laugh at the comments made by the other comments here; expecting Chuck to play like a pro. That's why they call it acting.

Truthfully, football is only a backdrop for a story about a faded legend trying to hold on to his career by the skin of his teeth. It's an interesting tale of all of us; facing the reality of old age.

Being that this was filmed in the late 1960s, it has a real 60s flair to it, which to me makes it kind of neat. I liked the "surprise" ending.

Number One is not the greatest movie ever made, but it is a decent entertaining flick.

Some have argued that Heston is not convincing as an NFL quarterback. I disagree. He was six feet three and 200-odd pounds, which is more than large enough, especially during the 1960s. Moreover, Heston worked out with the NFL players on set and even suffered a cracked rib, courtesy of Doug Atkins. AND CH was in his mid-40s.

No, I believe the problem with "Number One" is the screenplay. Catlan (have also seen it spelled as "Catlin") isn't an especially sympathetic character; in fact, he's rather a jerk. He leaves a lot to be desired regarding education and culture. His LIFE has been the NFL.

Now, Heston gets all those qualities, but doesn't suggest anything more admirable. Although in one of the late scenes, after Cat has committed adultery with Diana Muldaur (many men WOULD have done so with DM at her sexiest, as here; but I digress:)), he talks about his life and career with his long-suffering spouse (the excellent Jessica Walter). Here he is vulnerable, and sympathetic. Would that there were more such moments in the film.

But "Number One" remains worth watching. If you need a reason, well, it is the first film to depict at least adequately what professional American football is truly like. "Brian's Song," "North Dallas Forty," "Semi-Tough," etc. came later--

In the 1980's when people first began buying VCR's, and critics educated consumers by summarizing and rating hundreds of films, I enjoyed browsing in bookstores and reading comments about both my favorite and least favorite movies. When I could never find "Number One" in any video guide, I wondered if Charleton Heston hadn't interceded to demand that no company make this movie available on videotape.

I first saw "Number One" not long after its release in the fall of 1969. An 8th grader at the time and an avid professional sports fan, I sat in the theater and anxiously awaited the start of a film about a professional football team and its past-his-prime star quarterback. As the curtains began to part, professional football players, much larger than life on the movie screen, charged toward me and the rest of the audience. Feeling more like I was attending an NFL game than a full-length film, I excitedly named to myself the players that I recognized.

Unfortunately, those first few minutes proved to be the high point of the story. For the most part the attempt to blend NFL players and actual game footage with actors and created situations didn't succeed. Repeatedly, # 17, Ron Catlan (Charleton Heston), dropped back to pass, looked 20 yards down field for a receiver, set his feet, then drew back his right arm.

As he began to release the ball, though, he abruptly transformed into another #17, the true New Orleans Saints quarterback, Bill Kilmer, whose athleticism and spiraling passes contrasted noticeably with Catlan's mechanical style.

Catlan's undersized helmet and ill-fitting uniform contributed to Heston's awkwardness. If I remember correctly, his comparatively large body stood out even amongst some of those who blocked for him.

The makers of this movie did include some realism by showing that near the age of 40 an accomplished professional athlete, rather than quietly and humbly making the transition to the non-playing phase of his life, may endure much frustration, which he sometimes acts out recklessly. Ron Catlan, not unlike plenty of the professional athletes of that era and of any other, berated his wife and eventually betrayed her trust.

However, since the dialogue during these segments sounded less than believable -- "You can't even produce a damn baby!" he shouted at his wife during a quarrel as he pinned her against the kitchen table -- the scenes that did not require Charleton Heston to play football compensated little for the inauthenticity of the ones that did.

So... rather than make me believe that I was witnessing a legendary football player who is struggling to accept the end of his playing career, the movie constantly reminded me that I was observing a legendary actor, unsuited this time for the role he had agreed to play.

Charlton Heston's second of three films with director Tom Gries was this film set in the world of pro football. Heston plays a quarterback who's seen his best days, but just wants to hear the roar of the crowd. I can't think of another reason he could possibly have to stay.

Later on his career Heston played in a really great film about pro football, Any Given Sunday where he played the Commissioner of the game. Number One is seen from a different angle, that of the player who sees nothing out there for him when he's through hence he keeps going. Heston has not even heard too many cheers lately, in fact in a bad performance as the film opens he gets quite a few boos. Sports fans can be mighty fickle.

Football has a caste system more than any other team sports. The glamor guys are the backfield and the line are the grunts whose job it is to protect the glamorous ones who score the points. Two other portrayals of aging football players that of Roy Jenson and Bruce Dern. Jenson has one scene with Heston where he hits him up for a touch after a game and briefly and movingly describes his rather bitter life after the career was over.

Dern is different. As he puts it so eloquently he'd play a game on Sunday and he'd hurt through Tuesday. When he started hurting through Saturday it was time to quit. Smart man, as a running back and a glamor guy buy definition he's used his celebrity to build a nice profitable automobile leasing business and is looking to diversify. Next to Heston I liked him best in the film.

Dern typifies something that Stan Musial said about baseball. He knew when to quit when just getting into the uniform and playing a kid's game for lots of money ceased to be fun. Heston should have heeded his and Dern's advice.

A couple of women in Heston's life are wife Jessica Walter and football groupie Diana Muldaur. Walter has a very successful fashion designing business and hangs around with a crowd that Heston hates. It's the whole macho thing with Heston, but he also envies the fact they and the wife are making a success of something they love and are talented in.

Number One ranks up there with other great football films like the aforementioned Any Given Sunday. Heston paid great tribute to Tom Gries as a great director in his memoirs. His three films with Heston, Will Penny, Number One, and The Hawaiians give testimony to that.

Charlton Heston is painfully miscast as a veteran quarterback who won't accept that it's well past time for him to hang up his spikes. Very few of his teammates look like football players. The melodrama concerning his relationship with wife Jessica Walter borders on the hysterical. Another humorous facet is the continued reference to the New Orleans Saints as perrennial Super Bowl champions even though they had never even won a playoff game until last year, their 36th year in the league. And, if you know football, there are many incongruous things going on. There is also the usual helping of 60's style montages endemic to bad movies of this era.

There are however, a few cute scenes.

Bruce Dern tries his best as Heston's erstwhile favorite wide receiver. John Randolph and G. D. Spradlin also contribute professional performances. Altogether, this is a really bad movie.

During the life of Charlton Heston, he often selected to personify men who lived larger than life. Yet, for all of his superior talent, he often said he liked to portray ordinary men in ordinary lives. One exceptional film was 'Will Penny.' Here is another. The movie is called " Number One. " In this role he plays NFL football Quarterback, Ron Catlan. For several years he has been the mainstay player for the New Orleans Saints and has proved to be an exceptional individual. Years ago, he was selected to be the Quarterback and has taken the team to a number of play offs and a Superbowl. During the up-ward climb, men have come to respect and admire him, in addition he has garnered the praise and accolades of both his fans and his team mates. Indeed, everywhere he is seen, both professional men and adoring women seek him out. But that was then, now-a-days, he is being reminded by his coach (John Randolph) that time is catching up to him. Former team players like Richie Fowler (Bruce Dern) who are successful businessmen, advise him to quit football soon and market his name to an advantage. Yet, 'Cat' feels his present career can last several more years and doesn't want forced retirement. Hoping for the best, he plays as if his skill will last beyond his present ability. Roy Jenson makes a brief appearance. ****

This is a good date movie if you and your date don't want to watch the movie. The young lady I was with wanted me to pay attention to her, so I did. We had a wonderful time "paying attention" to each other. By the way, we both thought it was a lousy movie - it took about 15 minutes to figure out that Charlton Heston did not make a credible football player, washed up or otherwise, and he didn't do such a great job with the straight acting, either. I do remember Heston opening the blouse of the character played by Diana Muldaur. Diana was a babe in those days, in that '60s, long-flowing dark hair, eye-shadow junkie makeup style.

Unintentionally funny were some of the lines mumbled by a few real-life New Orleans Saints football players of the era - Dan Abramowicz, Doug Atkins (a very large human being), and another one who delivered what was supposed to be a locker room go-get-em speech. Sounded like he swallowed his mouth guard.

Like I said, a great date movie if you don't want to watch the movie.

If you can get past not seeing Charlton Heston in his usual stereotypical, larger than life epic roles you may enjoy seeing him take a turn at a modern drama as a normal human.

This movie is "very late 60's style" which is fun to watch now with it's flashback scenes and sixties lingo.

Great supporting cast and good chemistry all around. It's also neat seeing Heston in his sexier than usual love scenes.

Heston's performance is solid. You can feel his pain and bitterness. I highly recommend this film for Heston fans, sports fans and sixties film buffs.

Charlton Heston is the star quarterback for the New Orleans Saints..... and he's forty and thinking about retiring. The people around him are all younger than he, admiring and envious, management, who don't really care, and wife Jessica Harper, who has been listening to him talking about retiring for half a decade.

It's a well done rather melancholy portrait of a man who doesn't want to give up what makes him special. Bruce Dern, unlikable as always, gave up the game a decade earlier and now is the biggest car dealer in the state. He doesn't know why Heston won't quit and come make money with him. Only one, old, non-star player, now working in the oil fields, seems to have any idea of what Heston is going through.

Heston gives one of his mostly-stoic-then-cursing roles, and he's very good.

This movie didn't do well at the box office; they never distributed it overseas, figuring that no one cares about American football except Americans. I think A.E. Housman would have liked this movie.

Heston plays a character you can easily dislike as a pouty jerk spoiled old man. Yes I say old man because he looks old as dirt playing tris QB who should instead he considering a retirement community.

Number One (1969)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Charlton Heston plays Ron Catlan, an aging quarterback in the NFL who is entering his fourteenth season. Catlan goes through a disastrous pre-season and injures his knee so in the week leading up to the regular season he must decide if he wants to hang it up or try for one more shot of glory. This film has gotten several very negative reviews including one in Leonard Maltin's guide but I think they were a little too hard on the thing. Yes, it's nothing ground breaking and it's certainly not too deep but I thought it made for an entertaining little movie. There's nothing overly special to be found here but there's an interesting story here of the elderly quarterback trying to weigh his options. These include the retirement but also a friend (Bruce Dern) is trying to get him into a car business that would probably lead to more money and he wouldn't have to take a beating. He's also dealing with his wife (Jessica Walker) as well as a woman (Diana Muldaur) he starts an affair with. I think the film does a decent job at showing the struggle that a NFL player might go through and its this aspect that works the best here. All the personal drama with the wife and girlfriend is pretty melodramatic but none of it is soapy enough to where it kills the film. Another benefit for viewers of today is seeing the old fashioned football gear (New Orleans Saints is the team), stadiums and fans. The performances are all pretty good with Heston doing a very good job in the lead. There were a few times that I had a hard time buying him as a football player but he fit into the drama very well. Heston really appeared to know what it was like struggling getting old but he handles everything fine. Walter, a few years from PLAY MISTY FOR ME, is also good as the wife. Her and Heston really come across like a real couple, which was a plus. I thought Muldaur stole the film as the girlfriend as she really brought across some "60s swing" to the role. Dern doesn't have too much to do but he's certainly a shot of energy at least. I think the film does rely on flashbacks a bit too much and I'd argue that the thing moves at a predictable pace. With that said, the film is certainly innocent enough and I'm sure fans of Heston will enjoy seeing him here.

Was this a poor movie = yes. Were there some silly acting scenes = yes. Were some of the football scenes unrealistic = yes

Do we still talk about it because as corny as it was, it had enough very good scenes (actual Tulane stadium game footage, Al Hirt, Bourbin Street, 1969 flavor) in it to make us want to see it again= YES!

I first watched NUMBER ONE in 1969 as an 11 year old and I just finished watching it again at 50 years of age with my wife.

SOLID cast

I read somewhere that Charlton Heston ranked this movie as one of his favorites.

Just because he is known for driving chariots at full throttle for William Wyler (BEN HUR), parting the Red Sea for Cecil B. DeMille (THE TEN COMMANDMENTS), and painting the Sistine Chapel for Sir Carol Reed (THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY), doesn't mean that Charlton Heston was ever a "limited" actor as such. Truth be told, beyond even those great money-making epics with which he made his reputation, Heston was every inch as great an actor as there has ever been in Hollywood, whether it was in TOUCH OF EVIL, THE BIG COUNTRY, or MAJOR DUNDEE. Three of his best films, in fact, were done with director Tom Gries. Two of them were the much underrated 1968 western WILL PENNY (which, to my mind, is Heston's pinnacle) and the 1970 James Michener-based THE HAWAIIANS. The middle one of the Heston/Gries trilogy was NUMBER ONE, released in the late summer of 1969.

Said to be inspired by a photo that Heston saw of the legendary quarterback Y.A. Tittle at the end of his career, the film stars Heston as Ron "Cat" Catlin, the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints who has had numerous good seasons in his lengthy career. But he is now 40 years old, when all those years of hard hits, pain killers, and the like are taking a toll on his body, his mind, and his life. He and his wife (Jessica Walter) are on the outs because he has ignored her for way too long and because she's got a career of her own going. And on the side, he's got a thing for another woman (Diana Muldaur). Meanwhile, his coach (the excellent character actor John Randolph) is watching his slow disintegration; and his former teammates (Bruce Dern, playing of all things a used car salesman, and Roy Jenson) are urging him to get ready for another line of work soon, because football isn't going to last. It's no easy ride to the ignominious bottom, for sure.

Filmed primarily in New Orleans itself, and even utilizing players from the Saints (who were then in only their third year of existence as an NFL team) as extras, NUMBER ONE, though it isn't an absolutely perfect film (in fact, it is not even one of those films that is ever cited by serious studiers of the acting profession as it pertains to Heston), still shows what kind of a hard-life existence football players led in the late 1960s, a time when football in general was nowhere near as popular as it would become in the years and decades to come. There's no question that it is dated in a lot of ways; and a lot of people quite frankly found Heston to be very cold- and unsympathetic here. But quite frankly it is much more difficult to be cold and even unsympathetic because that's precisely not what Hollywood wants or expects most of the time from its acting elite, especially Heston. His performance here is about as credible as anything he ever did, proving that those who lionize Heston on the Right, and vilify him on the Left, for his politics, do so for the wrong reasons. The film also boasts appearances by Bobby Troup (he of "Route 66" song fame), and jazz music legend Al Hirt, as well as a good music score by Dominic Frontiere (HANG EM HIGH), who, ironically enough, would later marry into the NFL via Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams owner Georgia Rosenbloom.

Whatever flaws it might have in its story, and its obviously dated aspects, NUMBER ONE still manages to succeed in ways that overcome its flaws; and Heston, who considered this a very personal project of his and one of his favorites, is to a great deal responsible for it, and rightly so.

Most great athletes have a hard time giving up the game that they love. Just think Brett Favre or better yet think Michael Jordan. He had the perfect ending, he stole the ball and then he made the shot that sealed his 6th NBA championship. Then he comes back with the Washington Wizards. This movie tries to tell the story of one such athlete Ron 'Big Cat' Catlin. It's obvious his career is over but he refuses to accept it. He's well past his prime, He has too much pain to continue but he just can't give it up.

The movie takes place in a one week time frame. It opened on the last preseason game and end on the season opener. During that week we see Catlin, played by Charlton Heston, weigh his options of retiring or keep playing. We see stories on the newspapers saying he's retiring. We see the opportunities being offered him. We also see his marriage crumbling as his wife seems to be having more success now than him. Throughout this time what's foremost is that a man is aging and have a trouble time adjusting to it. There's a scene where Catlin act nasty to a waitress mostly because she's young. I suppose one can see this movie as "the greatest generation" adjusting to a new generation coming along.

One of the main problem with the movie is the screenplay. Most of the dialog are too lame to even be memorable. The most important scene in the movie was when one of Catlin's former teammate ask him for a loan and Catlin ask him why he continued playing football even though he knew he wasn't great. The screenplay and the actor speaking the lines just couldn't get that part right.

Also, the screenplay created characters that were not very interesting. For the most part the minor characters seem to just exist only when they're around Catlin. The two that seemed alive are Catlin's friend and favorite receiver played by Bruce Dern and a gay assistant of Catlin's wife. Need I say that the wife works in fashion.

The casting is another problem with this movie. I like Charlton Heston as an actor, and he gives this role a good shot but let's face it he looked far too old for the character. The character is supposed to be 40 but he looks about ten years older. For the record he was 46 when the movie was made. He always has a commanding presence so he looks right during the huddle but very unconvincing when he has to throw the ball.

Jessica Walters who played Catlin's wife and Diana Muldaur the woman he cheated with should have traded roles. Although they're equally beautiful, Miss Muldaur is not only older than Miss Walters but always acted more mature. Both women were just wrong for their part. The best performance belong to Bruce Dern although the character is your typical '60s swinger.

I have to say that I like watching movies from 1960s that were contemporary, mostly because they have a look to them that I like, especially the outdoor scenes. Seeing New Orleans as it were in the 60s is quite a treat either in day or night. The indoor scenes on the other hand looks like they were obviously shot on a sound stage. For one thing they were too brightly lit. This movie was obviously made when too much lighting is still acceptable for movies.

The ending is one of the movies biggest mistake. It should have allowed Catlin to at least end it with dignity but instead it went for one of the more obvious endings.

At age 37 Aaron Rodgers is quickly becoming the next Ron Catlan. Is there a remake of this movie in the ready? Maybe they could get Adam Sandler to play his part.

This movie was much better than I expected based on the rating. The acting was above average and Jessica Walter was superb. Sorry to see that she and Mike Henry both just recently passed away in 2021. Charlton Heston always delivers a worthy performance regardless of how good the picture is and John Randall played the head coach perfectly. 7/10.

"Ron Catlan" (Charlton Heston) is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints whose career is rapidly coming to an end. The crowds boo him and the injuries are taking their toll. While he realizes the inevitability of retirement he is terribly conflicted about what he wants to do after his football career finally ends. And it's affecting his wife "Julie Catlan" (Jessica Walter) as well. He finds relief in alcohol and eventually an affair with a woman named "Ann Marley" (Diana Muldaur). But nothing seems to satisfy him. Anyway, rather than disclose the entire plot and possibly spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a decent football movie but it moved a bit slow in some places. I liked the performances of the actors just mentioned but other than those three nobody else really stood out. Additionally, the insertion of actual game footage was a bit too obvious but that was typical for this time. On the whole I'd rate this movie as about average.

Who dat! I must explain that my family moved around a bit so when I was 8 years old and finally getting into football, I looked around for a NFL team to root for. Since I had lived in New England, Ohio and D.C. - I had no allegiance to those local teams but then I was lucky enough to meet Archie Manning in person (up in D.C.). He was so nice and gracious and asked me to root for the Saints so I said yes! Little did I know I was in for decades of heartache but I love die-hard loyal fans and Ive always rooted for them. So in 1969 when this film came out with Charlotn Heston as a Saints football player, I couldn't wait to see it. My parents heard was too "adult" for me so I had to wait until 1970 and see it on TV. Meh. It was rather plodding, the acting and the cast is good and it was directed by the eclectic Tom Gries (who had also directed Heston the year before in the excellent Western, WILL PENNY). It's exciting to see Tulane Stadium and other members of the 1968 Saints, but Billy Kilmer, the then Saints QB and would go on & play for the Washington team said "Heston was too damn skinny to be a NFL QB"

This movie erupts a devastating bluntness that effortlessly shatters everyone!! Coming to grips with the fact that your life is not the way it is suppose to be, has Charlton Heston and Jessica Walters in a permanent state of flux!! The movie audience cannot always empathize with the idea that the main characters in the movie are the culprits, but, often times, this is the case!! The term "Has Been" is now as crippling as the term "Never Will Be"!!! Relationships and infidelity end at sexual consummation or boredom, and reveille with candor and fate are the real punishments for everyone in this film!!

This movie was extremely realistic and the acting was effective!! Many issues that Charlton Heston struggled with will never be solved.. His character is such whereby he knows his days as a professional football player are over, but he cannot accept this at all!! That being said, he concocts a myriad of reasons as to why his life no longer makes sense!! This movie is excellent because it portrays human inadequacy in a way a lot of films do not!! Experimentation with what might remedy everybody's arctic desolation becomes relegated to one morally impervious endeavor after the next! Unfortunately, this happens a lot more than we would like to think!! A composite rude awakening with bitter reality pursuant to the future is the instrument that makes this movie powerful!! I give it a thumbs up!!

40 year old New Orleans Saints quarterback Ron 'Cat' Catlan (Charlton Heston) is washed up. His best days are in the past. He's fighting with his fashion designer wife Julie (Jessica Walter). His son Richie (Bruce Dern) is throwing a party and sends sexy Ann Marley (Diana Muldaur) to give him a ride. Reporter Cal Woodward is pushing him to retire and his backup is waiting in the wings. He is staring into the emptiness of a post-football life.

This is interesting. Heston is a fine actor when the role fits. It's able to portray the fear of the unknown afterlife. He has good inner conflict. It is missing some bigger Football specific issues like drugs. Cat gets injured but he doesn't suffer pains. It doesn't deal with the ugliness of long term drug use although he drinks. While it touches on the some parts of football, it doesn't dive into its darkest corners. This is like Tom Brady without some of the allegations except the marital problems. I really do like his interior conflict especially his speech about being the best and the use of real NFL teams. This has some good deep insights but is also missing a few issues.