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List Price: $12.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 12750
Released: May 22, 2007 |
| Our Price: $5.90 |
| Used Price: $1.61 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Silver screen legend John Wayne stars as a former top-notch college football coach who tries to maintain custody of his daughter during a tough divorce while earning back self-respect by coaching a small-town Catholic school's football team. A unusually sentimental role for the Duke, in which he proves his amazing gift for comedy and sentiment. Co-starring Donna Reed ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and directed by Michael Curtiz ("Casablanca").
Description of Trouble Along the Way:
Trouble Along the Way, a John Wayne movie even John Wayne fans have tended to skip, is an intriguingly complicated entertainment that gets more interesting from reel to reel. The premise scarcely sounds like prime Duke material: Former big-time football coach with an ugly divorce behind him and a little daughter to look out for takes a job at a venerable Catholic college in danger of being shut down. The title nudgingly recalls the sentimental classic Going My Way, with school administrator Charles Coburn replacing Barry Fitzgerald in the doddering-but-sly priest role and Wayne as a nonclerical (and non-singing) substitute for Bing Crosby. In addition to the diocesan politics dooming the College of St. Anthony's, the plot is complicated by ex-wife Marie Windsor's vicious efforts to regain custody of daughter Sherry Jackson; that sparks a spiky ambivalence between social worker Donna Reed and disreputable papa Wayne, who pretty much lives out of a bar where he runs his latterday business--as a bookie.
The script was the work of future Bob Hope writers Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose, and between them and director Michael Curtiz--nearing the end of his long tenure at Warner Bros.--they scuff up Wayne's heroic image in interesting ways. To turn St. Anthony's into a winning football team overnight, Wayne indulges in some outright larceny and extortion; there's even a sly throwaway joke likening his profit-sharing plan for his co-conspirators to a form of "socialism." Instead of the anticipated big-game climax with the St. Anthony's underdogs victorious, the movie veers toward a finale in which several "happy endings" are put on hold till some point in the future. For his part, Wayne gets to deliver more syncopated dialogue than usual, and seems both refreshed and startled by the experience. --Richard T. Jameson
Trouble Along the Way Reviews:
"Trouble Along the Way", an average early John Wayne movie 
2008-01-21 - This movie is about tiny St. Anthony's college,and Father Burke who feels that a winning football team will make the school profitable. They bring in a new coach, Steve Williams, (John Wayne)to do the job. Williams has been banned fro the major conferences and is making ends meet as an oddsmakers, when St. Anthony's calls. He must build a winning team and fast.
Williams comes with his young daughter, whom Williams must prove to a Children's Court officer (Donna Reed) that he's a fit parent. You can guess as the movie goes along, questions come up about the football teams inprovement, and Williams problems with the Court officer. All turns out right in the end with the predictable ending with Wayne and Reed falling in love.
All in all not a bad movie, if you like old movies.
Trouble Along the Way
2007-07-03 - I had not seen this John Wayne movie before ordering it but like John
Wayne. It was a good story. Movie is black & white.
Trouble Along The Way 
2007-05-24 - Trouble Along The Way
The Movie
A story about saint andrews church. From the very begining its clear the plot is that st andrews church needs money and teh duke is the man they think can provide. He plays Steve a former football coach who was thrown out for being dishonest. He also has a daughter who he is raising.Along comes Donna Reed as a social worker and the plot thickens.
The Video
it doesn't have the DisneyTreatment but is watchable on my 42 inch plasma. It has mments of grain and goes out of focus in some frames but its brief and barely a distraction.it is presented in. It is in Black & White and is full frame.
The Audio
It is mono 1,0 nothing that is going to rattle the walls but it works for this movie.
The Extras
So You Think You Can't Think Sleep.
A charming story of a man who can't sleep its runs about 15 minutes and is very looney tunes. I enjoyed it not sure i watch it again but was entertaining once.
Muscle Tusle
A Merrie melodies cartoon with daffy duck
Its the one wher a muscle bound duck keeps stealing daffy's gall and he tries to beef up to compete. Most viewers have seen this one many times
Theatrilce Trailer
Like most older trainlers it doesn't really tell you what the movie is about. It is not restored it looks very bad with the white blips but it is a piece of the duke
My Opinion
It turns out to be one of the more enjoyable non cowboy pictures of the duke. I bought this in the six disc set. For those who have seen it is worth a new viewing for those who havn't its a worth while effort.
Where is Sherry Jackson Anyway 
2006-05-31 - "Trouble Along the Way," is one of my favorite "little" movies -- films I loved growing up in the 1950s, often for quite personal reasons, ranging from Tony Curtis in "The Great Imposter," to this gem.
Sherry Jackson, who plays Football coach Wayne's precocious daughter, also starred in the Danny Thomas show on TV and all grown up as one sexy android on Star Trek. She turned out so beautiful that I don't think she got as much of a chance to act as one might have wished. She's wonderful in this and I get a crush on her in a paternal sort of way everytime I watch it, and I can't say the same about that Star Trek role, ah hem.
Donna Reed as Wayne's love interest never looked more beautiful nor exuded more charm with the possible exception of her turn in "It's a Wonderful Life."
Charles Colburn as the old priest at suffering St. Anthony's is utterly convincing and entertaining every second he's on screen.
When I first saw this in the 50s, I liked Wayne in it very much because my father looked a bit like him, probably more in my imagination than reality. Still, as another reviewer notes, this film holds up remarkably well and I still enjoy it every time I see it.
Where's the DVD?
2005-07-29 - I won't bore you with story details as this film has already been reviewed. Being in my mid-50's I have seen everything the Duke has done and this wonderful, light romantic comedy has been a favorite of mine for years. A divorced father raising a daughter on his own...it went against the Hollywood stereotypical ideal of family. I continue to watch this film on my off-air copy. I only wish it would come out on DVD. Let's face it, if Wayne's early Lone Star westerns can get the DVD treatment, surely this little gem deserves the same. If you've never seen "Trouble Along the Way", sit and enjoy!
