Number One

Number One

Year: 1969

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: English

Director: Tom Gries

Drama

When you’re number one there’s only one way to go… down. A former football hero cannot accept his career is over. He loses himself in alcohol and women.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Number One (1969)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Number One (1969). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1960s

Set in the late 1960s, the film portrays a veteran quarterback facing fading skills in a rapidly evolving NFL. The era highlights gritty stadiums, tough defenses, and the rising celebrity culture surrounding sports stars, alongside personal turmoil at home and the pressure to chase another championship.

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana, Dallas, Texas

The narrative centers on professional football in the Deep South, with action anchored in New Orleans as the Saints contend for titles. It also features a pivotal matchup in Dallas, capturing the electric atmosphere of NFL Sundays. The settings reflect a sports world where fans worship heroes and the stadium is both stage and pressure cooker.

🏈 Pro Football 🎭 Drama 🌆 City Life

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:29

Main Characters – Number One (1969)

Meet the key characters of Number One (1969), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Ron 'Cat' Catlan (Charlton Heston)

A once-celebrated quarterback whose prime years are behind him, Catlan wrestles with persistent injuries and self-doubt. He tries to mask decline with booze and bravado, clinging to the belief that he can still lead his team to glory. His personal life suffers as he repeats old patterns of infidelity and denial, risking everything for one more title.

🏈 Pro Football 💔 Relationships 🥃 Alcoholism

Julie Catlan (Jessica Walter)

Catlan's long-suffering wife, she endures his outbursts and infidelity while trying to salvage their family. Her patience wears thin as alcohol-fueled chaos pushes her toward separation, highlighting the emotional cost of a career in decline. She ultimately decides to leave, choosing her own life over a breakup-stained marriage.

💔 Relationships 🏠 Family 💬 Communication

Richie Fowler (Bruce Dern)

Catlan's friend and former teammate who offers a safety net in the form of a job in auto-leasing and a path into the corporate world, representing the option of a clean break from the gridiron. He remains a steady, pragmatic force contrasting Catlan's impulsiveness, but his help also underscores the tension between business opportunity and athletic identity.

💼 Career 🏎️ Business

Ann Marley (Diana Muldaur)

A catalyst in Catlan's personal life, Ann becomes the focus of an abortive affair that complicates loyalties at home. Her presence intensifies the quarterback's self-destructive streak while offering a momentary escape from his failing marriage.

💞 Affair 🕵️ Secrets

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:29

Major Themes – Number One (1969)

Explore the central themes of Number One (1969), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🥃 Fame Decline

The movie traces how a once-legendary quarterback clings to past glory as his skills wane. Alcohol becomes a coping mechanism that blurs judgment and accelerates personal collapse. The quest for a final title clashes with mounting injuries, family strain, and a loss of self-worth. The result is a cautionary look at how fame can speed up a man's downfall.

🏈 Legacy

Catlan aches to redefine his legacy beyond last season's triumphs, yet the scoreboard and his body seem to betray him. The film probes whether greatness is measured by rings or by the resilience to endure, especially when career opportunities tempt him away from honesty and responsibility. The tension between ambition and reality drives both on-field decisions and off-field choices. Ultimately, the story questions what a true legacy can survive.

💔 Love and Betrayal

The personal life subplot reveals a wife at the brink of leaving as Catlan's infidelity and booze-fueled nights erode trust. An affair adds fuel to the fire, testing loyalties and exposing fragility within a marriage built on shared history. Julie's eventual departure mirrors the unraveling of the quarterback's world. The theme highlights how intimate betrayals can be as devastating as physical injuries.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:29

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Number One Summary

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Number One Summary

Number One Timeline

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Number One Timeline

More About Number One

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Number One (1969) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Number One (1969) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

Number One (1969) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow