The Guy Who Came Back 1951

Injured and unfit, Harry Joplin — nicknamed “Hurricane” by teammates — is frustrated after being rejected by both the Navy and his football team. The team suggests that he become a coach, but he refuses to believe that his playing days are finished.

His wife Kathy Joplin supports the family, and their son Willy Joplin watches his father with wide eyes as Harry teaches him the basics of the game. In the depths of his despair, he is drawn to Dee Shane, who persuades him to reinvent himself as an entertainer, reciting his old football tales on stage. The onstage appearance flops before a large audience, sending him spiraling into a three-day drinking binge.

Kathy begins seeing another man named Gordon Towne, and Harry feels the ground shift beneath him. He tries wrestling to make a living, but the spark is gone, and the effort feels hollow, with Henry Kulky in a supporting role as the “Wizard, Wrestler” persona.

Back on the gridiron, his old football coach gives him one final chance in a pivotal game against the Navy. He starts poorly and is benched, begs to stay on the sideline for the sake of his son in the bleachers, and watches as the war-weary team, short on healthy bodies, depends on him again. He redeems himself with a touchdown that helps secure the win.

The victory brings renewed meaning at home, and he is ready to accept a coaching post. Yet before he can commit, an admiral who witnessed the game offers to recruit him into the Navy.