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 one of the tryout scenes, there is a young boy dribbling multiple basketballs, showing off his ball handling skills. This is University of Arizona head coach, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, Sean Miller.

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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

ABC edited 8 minutes from this film for its 1982 network television premiere.

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Connections

Featured in High Flying Bird (2019)

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Soundtracks

(Do It, Do It) No One Does It Better
Music by Thom Bell
Lyrics by Jack Robinson & Casey James
Performed by The Spinners

User Reviews

The fish that saved Pittsburgh was on 3-31-07. So i wanted to share some thoughts on my on personal experience as a young extra on the set.

I was also a teenage extra when this film was shooting. However, at 14 I was memorized by all the star fested personalities. I along with two other teens lucked up and got a speaking part that ran two days. My part is right after the scene where the Pisces win the game, Dr. J comes out of the arena, three female fans are waiting, and two ask for his autograph, I say I will settle for a kiss. How lame. Wow, And yes the director took many takes to choose from before the scene ended.

However, I remember having lunch on the set, I had choice between roast duck or swordfish, I choose the duck. That's when I meet Debbie Allen (Ola) who was very nice and helpful she had such a beautiful spirit about her. Jack Kehoe (Set shot) was also kind to me on the set. I say that because as a 14-year-old impressionable girl these two people showed sincere genuine kindness. Now, not all the people on the set were nice, so I want to acknowledge those that were, it meant so much to me at the time. I never will forget you or the director. I appreciated his vision, which went far past the movie. I believe by including the extras, he exposed young people to something that would have only remained a dream.

In addition, the scenery of our fair city shot both during the day and the night was just beautiful. Even now watching the movie, someone yell's that's our city bridge, or I've been on that basketball court. The city looked beautiful on the big screen.

YES, the movie was a FLOP but my experience was not! My kids still get a kick out of seeing their mom as a teenager on National TV.

Sam

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