The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979)

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania basketball team is hopeless. Maybe with the aid of an astrologer, and some new astrologically compatible players, they can become winners.

Director:

Gilbert Moses

Writers:

David Dashev (story), Jaison Starkes

Stars:

Julius Erving, Jonathan Winters, Meadowlark Lemon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julius Erving	...	Moses Guthrie
Jonathan Winters	...	H.S. / Harvey Tilson
Meadowlark Lemon	...	Rev. Grady Jackson
Jack Kehoe	...	Setshot
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	...	Self
Margaret Avery	...	Toby Millman
James Bond III	...	Tyrone Millman
Michael V. Gazzo	...	Harry the Trainer
Peter Isacksen	...	Driftwood
Nicholas Pryor	...	George Brockington
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Wally Cantrell
Stockard Channing	...	Mona Mondieu
Flip Wilson	...	Coach 'Jock' Delaney
Marv Albert	...	Self (as Marvin Albert)
Debbie Allen	...	Ola (as Debra Allen)

Storyline

The Pittsburgh basketball team is hopeless. Maybe with the aid of an astrologer, and some new astrologically compatible players, they can become winners.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to a horoscope | horoscope | zodiac sign | reference to a zodiac sign | reference to pisces the constellation | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this movie, the entire Pittsburgh Pisces team was born under the astrological sign of Pisces including its superstar, Moses Guthrie, who was portrayed by real-life Pisces Julius Winfield Erving II.

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Goofs

The score before the timeout of the last game was Los Angeles 101, Pittsburgh 91, but when the game resumed, the Pisces made well over ten field goals. Their victory should have been by a double-digit margin.

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Alternate Versions

The Re-release VHS version comes in the original Karl Lorimar Home Video Box but is now labeled a Warner Home Video cassette and contains the edited television version of the film instead of the original uncut version released by Lorimar.

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Connections

Featured in High Flying Bird (2019)

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Soundtracks

Is It Love, Must Be Love
Music by Thom Bell
Performed by Loretta Lynn and Frankie Bleu

User Reviews

I liked it

The movie is goofy and campy with a bad script but I liked it. When I first saw this on TV I was picking out all the NBA stars from the various teams. This was filmed the year before Magic joined the Lakers who still had a few of their old castoffs like Hudson and Ford. A young Mychal Thompson knocks "Set Shot" into the scorers table.

Another commented on the short shorts players wore. Yes, this is how they wore them in those days. Unlike these ugly long skirts Michael Jordan brought into the league that players now wear.

The thing that bugs me most about this and other movies where a sport is being played is why the hell is the play-by-play guy heard throughout the arena????? I HATE when they do this. The sports stadium announcer only announces lineups, fouls, and substitutions - HE DOES NOT ANNOUNCE PLAYER ANALYSIS, STRATEGIES OR PERSONAL POINTS OF VIEW TO THE CROWD OVER THE LOUDSPEAKERS!!!!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 March 1981 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh

Filming Locations:

Capital Center - 1100 Capital Center Boulevard, Largo, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,922, 4 November 1979

Gross USA:

$8,281,246

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,281,246

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1