Themes: Coaches and Players, Down on Their Luck, Single Parents
Main Cast: John Wayne, Donna Reed, Charles Coburn, Tom Tully, Sherry Jackson
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 110 minutes
Plot
"Winning isn't everything -- it's the only thing." These words were spoken not by Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi but by Steve Williams, the fictional college athletics instructor played by John Wayne in Trouble Along the Way. Recently divorced, Williams has trouble finding a job due to his inability to get along with his superiors. If he doesn't find work soon, he'll lose custody of his daughter Carole (Sherry Jackson). Meanwhile, St. Anthony's College, heavily in debt, may have to close its doors. Father Burke, rector of St. Anthony's, reasons that the school could get back on its feet if it had a winning football team, thereby securing the support of the alumni. Thus, against his better judgment, Father Burke hires the troublesome Steve Williams, who'll stop at nothing to assemble a winning team. Somehow, Williams has to turn into a regular human being, and that's where social worker Alice Singleton (Donna Reed) comes in. More sentimental than most Wayne vehicles, Trouble Along the Way is well worth the ride. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
"Heart warming" is not an adjective usually applied to John Wayne films, but it fits Trouble Along the Way. For that matter, so does "manipulative" and "predictable," and maybe even "mawkish," but Trouble manages to be a good film in spite of this. A big part of the credit goes to the screenplay, the writers of which seem to have been aware of how treacly and annoying this basic story could be and so have made great pains to leaven the script with fine dialogue throughout (and quite more than "fine" in many instances), as well as some nicely observed characters moments. Trouble also benefits from Michael Curtiz's assured direction, which knows how to sidestep the pitfalls in the stock situations. But the film's biggest asset is its cast. John Wayne, still tough but facing a personal crisis rather than having to face warriors of one kind or another, turns in a solid, appealing performance. Donna Reed is dynamite as his social worker-cum-love-interest, and the chemistry between the two is perfect. There's also considerable chemistry (of a different sort) between Wayne and little Sherry Jackson, even if the young actress occasionally gets a bit too cute. And Charles Coburn, of course, is his reliably soft-but-crusty self. Trouble has its problems, but it's an engaging way to pass the afternoon. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
