1968 Harvard-Yale Game Documentary On Dvd

A new DVD and book capture the legendary 1968 Harvard-Yale game.

Some—in fact, many—have called it the greatest football game ever played. Now, The Game of all Games—the battle of undefeated Harvard and Yale squads on November 23, 1968, that ended with both squads still undefeated after Harvard scored 16 points in the final 42 seconds to tie Yale, 29-29—is preserved in three media: film, book, and DVD. The film, by Kevin Rafferty ’70, intercuts footage from the game film, working through the contest quarter by quarter, with recent interviews Rafferty did with players on both teams. It makes for a captivating documentary, mixing high drama with social, cultural, and political history—a climactic sporting event set against the backdrop of Vietnam and the 1960s. When Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 had its limited theatrical release a year ago, the New York Times called it “preposterously entertaining” and said that the movie “pulses with the artful, exciting beats of a thriller.” The Village Voice’s critic flatly declared it “the best football movie I’ve ever seen.”

The DVD (www.kino.com/harvardbeatsyale), released this fall, includes the 104-minute documentary plus 73 additional minutes of interviews with the players, who include Yale’s quarterback Brian Dowling (the model for the “B.D.” character in Doonesbury) and actor Tommy Lee Jones ’69. In addition, Rafferty has written a profusely illustrated book, with the same title, published this October by Overlook Press. The volume draws on the filmed interviews and includes many color photographs of the athletes and the game, and even a few early cartoons by Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau. (Prior to this year’s contest, in New Haven, Trudeau and Rafferty, along with 1968 captains Dowling and Vic Gatto ’69, will sign copies.) Some cavilers occasionally question whether the Harvard-Yale game really merits being called The Game. The 1968 contest leaves no room for doubt.

You might also like

Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival

Without Christopher Marlowe, there might not have been a Bard.

Bringing Korean Stories to Life

Composer Julia Riew writes the musicals she needed to see.

Being Undocumented In America

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s writing aims to challenge assumptions. 

Most popular

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.

Three Harvardians Win Macarthur Fellowships

A mathematician, a political scientist, and an astrophysicist are honored with “genius” grants for their work.

Explore More From Current Issue

Book cover of "Black Moses" by Caleb Gayle with subtitle about ambition and the fight for a Black state.

Civil Rights In the American West

A new book chronicles one man’s quest for a Black state.

Illustration of college students running under a large red "MAGA" hat while others look on with some skeptisim.

How Maga Went Mainstream at Harvard

Trump, TikTok, and the pandemic are reshaping Gen Z politics.

John Goldberg

Harvard In the News

University layoffs, professors in court, and a new Law School dean