The Games (1970)

Four marathon runners (one from England, one from the U.S., a Czechoslovakian, and an Australian Aborigine) prepare to run in the Olympic games. The film follows each one and shows what their motivations are for running in the games.

Director:

Michael Winner

Writers:

Hugh Atkinson (novel), Erich Segal (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Crawford, Ryan O'Neal, Charles Aznavour

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Crawford	...	Harry Hayes
Ryan O'Neal	...	Scott Reynolds
Charles Aznavour	...	Pavel Vendek
Jeremy Kemp	...	Jim Harcourt
Elaine Taylor	...	Christine
Stanley Baker	...	Bill Oliver
Athol Compton	...	Sunny Pintubi
Rafer Johnson	...	Commentator
Kent Smith	...	Kaverley
Sam Elliott	...	Richie Robinson
Mona Washbourne	...	Mrs. Hayes
Reg Lye	...	Gilmour
June Jago	...	Mae Harcourt
Don Newsome	...	Cal Wood
Hugh McDermott

Storyline

This movie is about four marathon runners from different countries who are preparing for the Rome Olympics. The movie takes you through some of the runners personal training schedules before finally showing the marathon.

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Plot Keywords:

man wrapped in a towel | marathon runner | olympics | game | summer olympics | 

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Taglines:

The spectacle behind the spectacle.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Athol Compton was an Australian Aboriginal postman who had never acted before being cast in the film.

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Goofs

At once stage during a particularly twisty and narrow part of the race on Rome's streets, the pace vehicle is forced to go so slow that it forces leader Hayes almost to a standstill to avoid colliding with it. Such things occasionally do happen in real foot and cycle races on roads - but surely it was unplanned in the movie.

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Connections

Referenced in Vsechnopárty: Episode dated 14 April 2017 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Flying High
by Francis Lai

User Reviews

Sam Elliott's film debut

To some viewers, this movie is notable primarily for being the film debut of Sam Elliott. He gets 10th billing in the role of Ryan O'Neal's friend, Richie, who supplies him with pills intended to improve physical stamina. The pills, however, prove to be more harmful than beneficial.

Though Richie doesn't seem to be making any money off these pills, he still comes across as a "pusher" and thus qualifies as one of the few unsavory parts in Elliott's long career. Actually, Elliott's dark, almost saturnine looks lend themselves well to villainry and here those looks are effectively contrasted with Ryan O'Neal's fair-haired, blue-eyed, boy-next-door appearance.

Much of Elliott's early appeal, of course, was unabashedly sensual and here he's given a spa scene with O'Neal which has each of them stripped down to no more than a towel around the waist. Elliott's darkly-haired, almost furry chest speaks of "experience" whereas O'Neal's almost-hairless one reflects "innocence." Since O'Neal is the "star," however, care seems to have been taken not to allow Elliott to upstage him. The camera tends to linger on O'Neal's torso whereas Elliott's more masculine one is relegated to the background.

This situation changed when Elliott moved up to leading-man status. In 1971's "Molly and Lawless John" and 1972's "Frogs," the camera all but drooled over his bare-chest scenes and in 1976's "Lifeguard" Elliott set the "beefcake" standard for the 1970s by appearing in much of the movie wearing only a pair of swim trunks.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 1970 (Australia)

Also Known As:

The Games

Filming Locations:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1