some time ago and we read of the result of a poll take by some newspaper sport writer . the question pose be only two and and be brief and right to the point . the question number 1 ask respondent to tell who be his most beloved college football team . question number 2 ask the fan to name his most hated college football team . the answer to both question be simply and notre dame . nd be top on both list . yeah and love em or hate em and but you sure do not ignore and em . the root of this unique position of this indepent college football powerhouse be find in the life and career of one and grow up and little immigrant norweigen boy from chicago name knute rockne . a a biopic and the production of knute rockne and all american ( 1940 ) and come out relatively close to the death of coach rockne in a 1930 plane crash . it be about 10 year after that the film be release . that would mean that preliminary work on the project start about 8 year after our nation great loss of mr. rockne . his likeness and voice be well know from newspaper and radio and motion picture news reel . both knute widow and bonnie skiles rockne and and the university of notre dame have approval right in choose the actor to play the lead and okay the script . we think that they could not have do the job any good . pat obrien truly look the part and be himself a footballer in college . ronald reagan be cast in the pivotal role of george gipp and a free spirited student go to notre dame on a baseball scholarship . he be a walk on football player . the cast run full of talented player . we have griffith veteran and donald crisp a fr . callaghan and c. s. c. and notre dame president . albert basserman be fr . newland and the chemistry prof and rockne mentor . gail page appear a the mrs. and bonnie skiles rockne . owen davis and jr. be rockne cohort and gu dorais ( the passer in that historic nd vs. army game at west point . ) the cast be round out by kane richmond and nick lukats and william marshall and william byrne a the four horseman . real life big time college coach howard jones and pop warner and bill spaulding and amos alonzo stagg appear a themselves in scene of congressional probe into college sport and add an authentic touch . a for biopic and knute rockne all american . and all one can only say that it hit the ground running and and do not slow down from begin to end . there be no wasted time either . all the screen time be use to move the story along . use of notre dame choir and the campus itself and all that brass band rah rah march music all ad to the feeling of really be there . to this day and even though their basketball team and other sport team compete in the big east conference and notre dame remain an independent in ncaa football . what this mean and that in effect and the fighting irish play a national schedule . there be no such agreement with the family of george gipp . there be a lawsuit some year ago over the scene portray young mr. gipp give the famous win onr for the gipper speech . television print of this knute rockne all ameican be minus the speech in the death bed scene . other notre dame theme film be make over the year . the spirit of notre dame ( universal 1931 ) feature j. farrell mcdonald a a rockne look alike coach . it also feature lew ayers and andy devine nat pendleton and as well a the member of the real notre dame championship team feature the real four horseman . then of course and we have rudy ( tri star 1993 ) with sean astin and jon favreau and ned beatty and charles dutton and among others and in a fine cast . there be also talk of an unauthorized film and critical of notre dame call golden glory and but nothing have materialize and have it . ( let me know and dear reader and thanx . ) warner brother always have great music in their and both in opening theme and in incidental music . in this rockne movie and they have incorporate the notre dame fight song in the score . along with it be step notre dame and the notre dame alma mater and which have it premiere at the rockne funeral in 1930 at the notre dame basilica .