The Main Event (1979)

A bankrupt entrepreneur attempts to recoup some of her losses by getting a washed-out boxer she picked up as a tax loss back into the ring - an idea her protégé isn't fond of.

Director:

Howard Zieff

Writers:

Gail Parent, Andrew Smith

Stars:

Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, Paul Sand

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbra Streisand	...	Hillary Kramer
Ryan O'Neal	...	Eddie 'Kid Natural' Scanlon
Paul Sand	...	David
Whitman Mayo	...	Percy
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Donna
Chu Chu Malave	...	Luis
Richard Lawson	...	Hector Mantilla
James Gregory	...	Gough
Richard Altman	...	Tour Guide
Seth Banks	...	Newsman
Lindsay Bloom	...	Girl In Bed
Earl Boen	...	Nose - Kline
Roger Bowen	...	Owner Sinthia Cosmetics
Badja Djola	...	Heavyweight In Gym (as Badja Medu Djola)
Rory Calhoun	...	Fighter In Kid's Camp

Storyline

Hillary Kramer, successful Perfume magnate awakes one morning to find that her accountant has robbed her blind and left for South America. Going through all of her remaining assets she finds a boxer, purchased as a tax write off. She decides to take Kid Natural, (Eddie Scanlon) who is much more at home giving driving lessons, into the ring and use him as her key to riches. Eddie thinks this will only get him killed and resists.

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Plot Keywords:

perfume | boxer | accountant | opposites attract | star | 

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Taglines:

A Glove Story

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pelea de fondo

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$42,800,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Artists, Barwood Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Second of two star collaborations of actors Ryan O'Neal and Barbra Streisand. The first had been What's Up, Doc? (1972) about seven years earlier.

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Goofs

When Hillary and Kid are fighting in the ring at the end of the film, Kid calls Hillary, "Judy". Judy was Barbra Streisand's character's name in the last film that she and Ryan O'Neal did together, What's Up, Doc?.

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Quotes

Percy: Man, you is the dumbest white guy I know.

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Connections

Referenced in Glee: A Very Glee Christmas (2010)

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Soundtracks

Big Girls Don't Cry
(uncredited)
Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Performed by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Produced by Bob Gaudio

User Reviews

Gotta love that tax dodge

I have to ask how do you get a job like Ryan O'Neal had. Imagine a promising fighter who injures his hand and doesn't box for four years. But he and trainer Whitman Mayo live on the arm and just show up and hang out at a gym for with all their living expenses paid and are on salary. It's all because perfume tycoon Barbra Streisand is using this as one of many tax dodges set up by her manager.

But said manager has up and fled the country taking his clients assets except for O'Neal. So now O'Neal has to fight in earnest because Barbra is broke and the gravy train is over. Barbra having nothing else to do becomes O'Neal's manager.

Like that old line about 'Ginger Rogers running the Brooklyn Dodgers' from Hollywood Hotel that sums up the comedy in The Main Event which is what Streisand and O'Neal are striving for. She's just a fish out of water. But dare I say it because Barbra hates him, but her character shows a Trump like ability to garner free publicity. And ballyhoo is an integral part of boxing.

Taking up where they left off from What's Up Doc, Streisand and O'Neal have a well meshed chemistry. Have to also give big kudos to James Gregory as the Mike Jacobs like fight promoter who knows box office when he sees it.

Funniest scenes in the film are at O'Neal's training camp where Barbra is trying very hard to fit into this most masculine of worlds. Not an easy fit by any means.

The Main Event is a fun film, the only comedy I can recall about boxing.