... All the Marbles

Director: Robert Aldrich Robert Aldrich

Overview

Director Robert Aldrich's last film, All the Marbles stars Peter Falk as a "win-at-all-costs" type manager of a ladies tag-team wrestling combo. These girls are good and Falk wants them great. And he doesn't really care what they've got to do to get there. (This film's "R" rating is not for Raunchy, but it could be for "Revealing.") Following sort of a Rocky theme, this film finds our ladies tag team climbing its way to the top of the women's wrestling world where they face off against the world's best.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/04/2009
UPC:	0883316194898
Original Release:	1981
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:53:00
Sales rank:	22,776

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Peter Falk	Harry
Vicki Frederick	Iris
Laurene Landon	Molly
Burt Young	Eddie Cisco
Tracy Reed	Diane
Ursaline Bryant	June
John Hancock	Big John
Claudette Nevins	Solly
Richard Jaeckel	Referee
Ursaline Bryant-King	June
Lenny Montana	Jerome
Charlie Dell	Merle LeFevre
Cliff Emmich	Obese Promoter
Clyde Kusatsu	Clyde Yamashita
Joe Greene	Himself
Alvin Hammer	Geisha Doctor
Angela Aames	Louise
Stanley Brock	Myron
Susan Mechsner	Creature #1
Faith Minton	Big Mama
William Kulzer	Akron Referee
Don Brodie	Reno Timekeeper
Lennie Bremen	No-Name Promoter
Gloria Hayes	Jerome's Girlfriend
Perry Cook	Doctor
Charles Anderson	Body Builder
Steven White	Body Builder
Cosmo Sardo	Barber
Ernie Fuentes	Man with Dice
Nick Shields	Warehouse Player
Susan Barnes	Merie's Wife
Chuck Hicks	Thug
Gary McLarty	Thug
Frank De Vol	Composer

Technical Credits

Mel Frohman

Robert Aldrich	Director,Producer
Mel Frohman	Screenwriter
Richard S. Church	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Robert Aldrich's final film is a fitting crowd-pleaser of a coda to his directing career. Mel Frohman's script is a satisfying mixture of character piece, road movie and sports-competition flick (complete with a rousing wrestling-ring finale tailor-made for Aldrich's skills). The comedic dialogue has a profane charm to it and the characterizations have a colorful edge that enhances the film's pulpy feel. All The Marbles also benefits from spot-on casting. Vicki Frederick and Laurene Landon both bring plenty of eye-candy appeal to their roles but there's more to their performances that that: Frederick lends a real emotional gravity to her struggles with her chosen career and Landon has a girlish charm that is positively ingratiating. However, All The Marbles really belongs to Peter Falk, whose grizzled charisma is a natural fit for the role of the manager. He hits the ideal blend of never-say-die wit and world-weariness to instantly convince the audience and his tireless scheming to ensure his girls come on out on top at the finale is unexpectedly moving. Aldrich's direction offers a nice blend of light and shade: he can play it subtle during the film's moodier, more dramatic moments but he brings a muscular, visceral touch to the wrestling matches that really sells them. His crowning achievement is the finale, which is masterfully choreographed for maximum impact and atmosphetically shot by Joseph Biroc. In short, All The Marbles is a winner for any Aldrich fan and worth a look to anyone interested in sports films.

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