The Prize Fighter (1979)

Director:

Michael Preece

Writers:

Tim Conway (story), Tim Conway (screenplay),

Stars:

Tim Conway, Don Knotts, David Wayne

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Conway	...	Bags
Don Knotts	...	Shake
David Wayne	...	Pop Morgan
Robin Clarke	...	Mike
Cisse Cameron	...	Polly
Mary Ellen O'Neill	...	Mama
Michael LaGuardia	...	The Butcher
George Nutting	...	Timmy
Irwin Keyes	...	Flower
John Myhers	...	Doyle
Bill Ash	...	Towel Man
Joan Benedict Steiger	...	Dori (as Joan Benedict)
Merle G. Cain	...	Bumper
Holly Conover	...	Judy
Alfred E. Covington	...	Ring Announcer

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | fist fight | mafia | prize fighter | champion | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

November 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Knock-out tyrmääjät

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tristar Pictures, The Prize Fighter Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Part of a cycle of ring fighter movies, mostly boxing, some wrestling, initiated by the box-office and critical success of the Academy Award Best Picture winning boxing movie Rocky. The films include Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Tough Enough, Title Shot, _Raging Bull_, The Champ, Matilda, The Main Event, The Prize Fighter, The Greatest, Body and Soul, Paradise Alley, ...All the Marbles (aka "The California Dolls"), The One and Only, Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can.

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Soundtracks

"'TIL THE END"
Lyrics and music by Peter Matz

User Reviews

The Prize-Fighter is a Champion

It's not easy making a comedy about the fistic arts. In the 1940s Danny Kay was successful in "The Kid From Brooklyn", playing a "fighting milkman". It took almost 40 years for another boxing comedy to make an impact, and that was The Prize-Fighter.

Tim Conway plays Depression Era boxer, Bags Collins. Bags has a perfect fighting record; 20 fights, 20 knockouts.............all losses! A perfect record! Don Knotts plays Shake, the brainy(LOL!) manager of Bags Collins.

The movie manages to capture the times and is an interesting reflection of the Depression Era. Tim Conway is at his bumbling best when he is in the ring "knocking out" the top three contenders-Irish, Jake Folley and the Grader. The Bags/Grader fight had me rolling in my seat.

There's an impressive supporting cast and Robin Clarke as "Mike" the mob-boss gives an out-standing Brando impression. The final championship match is well done too.

The Prize-Fighter is a championship of a comedy.