The One and Only (1978)

Director:

Carl Reiner

Writer:

Steve Gordon (written by)

Release Date:

3 February 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

She had to marry him. She was too embarrassed to have him as a date.

Plot:

1951: Andy Schmidt is in his last year of college. Taking life easy and always a saucy joke on his lips...

Plot Keywords:

Wrestling | Show Business | Dysfunctional Marriage | Fame | Marriage Problems

Cast

Henry Winkler	...	Andy Schmidt
Kim Darby	...	Mary Crawford
Gene Saks	...	Sidney Seltzer
William Daniels	...	Mr. Crawford
Harold Gould	...	Hector Moses
Polly Holliday	...	Mrs. Crawford
Hervé Villechaize	...	Milton Miller
Bill Baldwin	...	Announcer in Des Moines
Anthony Battaglia	...	Little Andy
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Arnold - The King
Peter Brocco	...	Autograph Hound
Brandon Cruz	...	Sherman
Lucy Lee Flippin	...	Agatha Franklen
Charles Frank	...	Paul Harris
Chavo Guerrero Sr.	...	Indian Joe (as Chavo Guerrero)
H.B. Haggerty	...	Captain Nemo
Dennis James	...	Himself
Jean Le Bouvier	...	Wrestling Fanatic
Ralph Manza	...	Bellman
Ken Olfson	...	Mr. Arnold
Jack Scalici	...	Waiter
Will Seltzer	...	Eddie
Amzie Strickland	...	House Mother
Mary Woronov	...	Arlene
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Karron	...	The Elephant
Larry Gilman	...	Man in library (uncredited)
Richard Lane	...	(uncredited)
Gene LeBell	...	Reigning World Wrestling Champion (uncredited)
Jimmy Lennon Sr.	...	Ring Announcer in New York (uncredited)
Roddy Piper	...	Leatherneck Joe Brady (uncredited)

Directed by
Carl Reiner

Writing credits
Steve Gordon		(written by)

Produced by
Steve Gordon	....	producer
David V. Picker	....	producer

Original Music by
Patrick Williams

Cinematography by
Victor J. Kemper

Film Editing by
Bud Molin

Production Design by
Edward C. Carfagno

Set Decoration by
Ruby R. Levitt

Costume Design by
Moss Mabry

Makeup Department
Ken Chase	....	makeup artist
Leonard Drake	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Richard McWhorter	....	unit production manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Birnbaum	....	assistant director
David Nicksay	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Bud Alper	....	sound mixer
George Watters II	....	sound effects editor
Frank White	....	sound effects editor (as Frank R. White)
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
Gene LeBell	....	stunt coordinator

Music Department
Kacey Cisyk	....	singer
Bob Kruger	....	music editor

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Robert Hoffman	....	dialogue coach
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Balmoral Associates
• First Artists

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Pictures

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Netherlands:AL

Company:

Balmoral Associates

Trivia:

Actor Henry Winkler is seen sporting peroxided blonde hair in this movie. The name of the blonde-haired ballet-costume wearing wrestling character with a harem of girls that Andy Schmidt (Henry Winkler) creates was called "The Lover" or "The Great Lover', and he is 'The One And Only' of the film's title. The character and film's story was based on glamor wrestler Gorgeous George (real name George Raymond Wagner) and his career. This picture was made and released about fifteen years after Gorgeous George had passed away. Winkler once commented that George had blond curls and sprayed himself in the ring with perfume, "If that doesn't shatter my Fonz image, nothing will!".

Quotes:

Sidney Seltzer:If his legs were as big as his schlong, he'd be playing basketball.

Movie Connections:

Features "Your Show of Shows" (1950)

Soundtrack:

THE ONE AND ONLY

What was I thinking??

When this film hit the theaters in 1978, I saw it three times. But when I watched it again recently on video (a video that I BOUGHT), I couldn't believe that I at one time LIKED this movie. Winkler plays a totally unlikable character who never gets any better. Darby plays a dopey girl who, for reasons not addressed in this movie, falls for the obnoxious egocentric jerk.

I chuckled maybe twice during the whole movie. The rest of the time I was wondering how anyone could fall in love with someone who cares about no one on earth except themselves and how Carl Reiner got mixed up in this mess.

I was embarrassed to admit to my wife that in the late 70's I actually paid to sit through this tripe... three times! Foolish youth.