Easy Living

This 1949 football drama, directed by Jacques Tourneur, was somewhat ahead of its time in its realistic depiction of the politics and money behind professional football. Victor Mature stars as Peter Wilson, the star halfback for the New York Chiefs, who risks oblivion and the loss of his mercenary wife by revealing a newly found heart condition. If Wilson plays the game at his best, he could kill himself; yet if he retires, he loses his lucrative position, his fame and, as a result, his wife. Lucille Ball costars as Anne, the team secretary, who unselfishly helps Wilson resolve his problems -- even those with his wife, although Anne is in love with him. In the end, Wilson must come to terms with his own self-respect and choose to play in the big game or settle for a small college coaching job.

• television