Number One (1969) {Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review}

Reviewed By Jason Lockard

Charlton Heston is an icon. He has played everything from a vampire hunter to the leader of the people of ancient Israel. Of course my favorite character he ever played would have to be astronaut George Taylor in the original Planet of the Apes.

I always enjoy seeing Heston in films I haven't seen before. Well, in 1969 he played a pro football player in the film Number One. This film had a DVDr release in 2015. But now thanks to the good folks at Kino Lorber it is debuting on Blu-ray.  

Ron Catlan (Charlton Heston) is the aging Super Bowl winning star quarterback of the New Orleans Saints. He had twelve good seasons as the top quarterback in the NFL, but now at age 40, his body is beginning to wear out. After a less than spectacular pre-season, Ron has a rather difficult decision to make, to retire or pursue other opportunities.

As Ron enters into a mid-life crisis he sees the young quarterbacks breathing down his neck. He weighs the options of joining former teammate Richie Fowler (Bruce Dern) in the automobile leasing business, or possible using his mathematics degree from Notre Dame to enter the burgeoning field of computers. But Ron’s wife Julie (Jessica Walter) loves the money and the spotlight and Ron still loves the fans and groupies like the gorgeous Ann Marley (Diana Muldaur).

The story is a true dramatic one, the football story is just a side note to the real story of a man who doesn't want to give up the spotlight. Charlton Heston plays a very loathsome character. Ron is so egotistical you really don't root for him. This is not the typical Heston character, yet he does a remarkable job carrying this role.



The stressful relationship between Ron and Julie can feel all two real at time and their exchanges can be hard to watch at times. But sadly that is the way some relationships are in real life.

Kino Lorber and Scorpion Releasing join forces to bring us this release. The film has been transferred in 1080p in it's original widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a DTS-HD 2.0 mono audio. This transfer looks absolutely stunning! The picture is bright and vibrant and the audio is clear with no signs of hiss or pops.

Included on this Blu-ray release is English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, always a nice bonus. Than there is a nice trailer gallery with movie trailers for the following films; Number One, Counterpoint, Two-Minute Warning, Slow Dancing in the Big City.

I really enjoyed this film and not jut because I am a fan of sports movies. I think is is a very well paced and thought provoking film. It makes you really think about what you would do if all you ever loved was taken away?

If you are a fan of Charlton Heston or sports films Number One is a great film to add to your collection. This new Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber is the prefect way to experience this film. Head over to Amazon.com and order your copy.

Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) Kino Lorber's Blu-ray of Number One receives...