Pumping Iron (1977)

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno face off in a no-holds-barred competition for the title of Mr. Olympia in this critically-acclaimed film that made Schwarzenegger a household name.

Directors:

George Butler, Robert Fiore

Writers:

Charles Gaines (book), George Butler (book)

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Matty Ferrigno

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Himself
Lou Ferrigno	...	Himself (as Louis Ferrigno)
Matty Ferrigno	...	Himself
Victoria Ferrigno	...	Herself
Mike Katz	...	Himself
Franco Columbu	...	Himself
Ed Corney	...	Himself
Ken Waller	...	Himself
Serge Nubret	...	Himself
Robbie Robinson	...	Himself (as Robin Robinson)
Marianne Claire	...	Herself
Frank Zane	...	Himself
David DuPree	...	Himself
Eddie Giuliani	...	Himself (as Eddie Juliani)
Danny Padilla	...	Himself

Storyline

From Gold's Gym in Venice Beach California to the showdown in Pretoria, amateur and professional bodybuilders prepare for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests in this part-scripted, part-documentary film. Five-time champion Arnold Schwarzenegger defends his Mr. Olympia title against Serge Nubret and the shy young deaf Lou Ferrigno, whose father is his coach; the ruthless champ psyches out the young lion. Sardinian Franco Columbu competes in the lightweight class; at home in Italy he solves a tight parking problem by lifting the car into place. Joe Weider is the marketer; Mike Katz and Ken Waller go for the title of Mr. Universe. Bodybuilding and a celebrity-to-be go mainstream.

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Plot Keywords:

bodybuilding | gym | metal | strong man | muscleman | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 1977 (France)

Also Known As:

Pumping Iron

Filming Locations:

Sardinia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rollie Robinson, White Mountain Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that he had made up several stories in the movie for attention because the producers told him that without drama it would be boring. One of the stories made up was the fact that he did not attend his father's funeral because of a body building competition that was going to happen in a couple of months. Arnold did actually attend his father's funeral and spoke to him shortly before he passed.

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Quotes

Serge Nubret: Looks like I can take you.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Heh heh, yeah, keep looking.

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Crazy Credits

Our thanks to: Protection by "Chula"

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Connections

Featured in The '80s Greatest: Passion for Profit (2018)

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Soundtracks

Pumping Iron Song
Music and Lyrics by Michael Small
Sung by Joey Ward

User Reviews

Simply the best

Pumping Iron is simply the best movie about bodybuilding to date. It is a docu-drama, starring some of the top bodybuilders of 1975. The truth is, the drama in this movie was created to make it look exciting. The tension between Arnold and Ferrigno was hyped up, the time when Waller hides Katz's T-shirt was exaggerated, the way Arnold portrays himself as having no emotions is made up, etc. The directors and the bodybuilders really did a great job at creating extra tension. If we just watched a bunch of guys lift weights for 90 minutes, then it would be boring. This added some excitement. The only part that wasn't touched was the parts with the competitions. The bodybuilders were so used to the crew, that they didn't even notice the camera crew was there. Therefore, people get a real straightforward, honest view of what the bodybuilding world is like. Anyone who is a bodybuilder, or is into weightlifting needs to see this movie at least once. Being a person who lifts weights religiously, I watch a segment of it each time before I go to the gym. It is a really great motivational tool.