EDITOR NOTE: I was able to interview Jim Thorpe's family member many years ago when I was a staffwriter at News From Indian Country in Wisconsin. Jim Thorpe was a survivor of Carlisle Indian Boarding school. I wrote a chapter about him in a history book "Olympics at the Millennium," published by Rutgers Press.
- A new documentary, "Jim Thorpe: Lit by Lightning," about the iconic Native American athlete Jim Thorpe, will premiere on The History Channel on July 7.
- The film is executive produced by LeBron James' and Maverick Carter's Uninterrupted and directed by acclaimed Indigenous filmmaker Chris Eyre.
- The documentary explores Thorpe's life and legacy as one of the greatest athletes of all time, examining his athletic achievements and the intersection of identity and sport.
Executive produced by a 21-time NBA All-Star and directed by an acclaimed Indigenous director, a documentary about iconic Oklahoma Native American athlete Jim Thorpe will light up television this summer.
The History Channel will premiere for its new, two-hour documentary “Jim Thorpe: Lit by Lightning” at 7 p.m. Monday, July 7. It will be available to stream the next day.
The documentary is executive produced by LeBron James' and Maverick Carter’s award-winning athlete storytelling brand Uninterrupted and in association with INE Entertainment, Five All in the Fifth, and Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media company.
The film is directed by Cheyenne and Arapaho filmmaker Chris Eyre, best known for his 1998 movie "Smoke Signals," which won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival, and for the hit AMC series "Dark Winds," which is in production on its fourth season. (And Chris is an adoptee.)
The documentary is billed as offering a comprehensive exploration into the life and legacy of Thorpe, a legendary Olympian whose athletic prowess in baseball, football and basketball established him as one of the greatest athletes of all time. The film also explores "what it means to be an American through the pivotal intersection of identity and sport."
Who was Jim Thorpe?
Considered to be one of the greatest and most versatile athletes in modern sports, Thorpe, who was a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics.
Born in the late 1880s near Prague on the Sac and Fox Nation reservation in Indian Territory — what is now Oklahoma — Thorpe grew up at a time when Native people were seen as threats to Western expansion.
Despite great odds and anti-Indigenous rhetoric, Thorpe developed an affinity for athletic endeavors, ultimately evolving into a multi-sport powerhouse and symbol of the strength and perseverance of Native Americans.
Along with winning two gold medals in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, Thorpe was named a two-time college football All-American, became a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and played six seasons of Major League Baseball.
Thorpe, who died in 1953, posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024. Then-President Joe Biden bestowed the high honor at a ceremony attended by Thorpe’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren at The White House.
What can viewers expect from the documentary 'Jim Thorpe: Lit By Lightning?'
The History Channel documentary "Jim Thorpe: Lit By Lightning" will feature narrated excerpts from Thorpe’s unpublished autobiography, alongside interviews from scholars and sports commentators and "innovative recreations" of events in his life.
Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director Trait Thompson said he is excited to see the new film.
"He's one of my favorite Oklahomans. ... He should still be in the limelight. He was the greatest athlete of the 20th century, and his accomplishments, they're still of legend," Thompson said.
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