...All the Marbles

Plot

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. ~ Rovi

Review

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. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi

Cast

• Peter Falk - Harry
• Vicki Frederick - Iris
• Laurene Landon - Molly
• Burt Young - Eddie Cisco
• Tracy Reed - Diane

Ursaline Bryant-King - June; John Hancock - Big John Stanley; Claudette Nevins - Solly; Richard Jaeckel - Referee in Reno; Angela Aames - Louise; Susan Barnes - Merie's Wife; Lennie Bremen - No-Name Promoter; Stanley Brock - Myron; Don Brodie - Reno Timekeeper; Clyde Kusatsu - Clyde Yamashita; Perry Cook - Doctor; Cliff Emmich - Obese Promoter; "Mean" Joe Greene - Himself; Alvin Hammer - Geisha Doctor; Gloria Hayes - Jerome's Girlfriend; Chuck Hicks - Thug; Susan Mechsner - Creature #1; Faith Minton - Big Mama; Lenny Montana - Jerome; Cosmo Sardo - Barber; Nick Shields - Warehouse Player; William Kulzer - Akron Referee; Gary McLarty - Thug; Charlie Dell - Merle LeFevre; Ernie Fuentes - Man with Dice; Steven White - Body Builder; Charles Anderson - Body Builder

Credit

Beala Neel - Art Director, Eddie Saeta - Associate Producer, Walter Blake - Associate Producer, Bob Mackie - Costume Designer, Chuck Myers - First Assistant Director, Robert Aldrich - Director, Richard Lane - Editor, Irving Rosenblum - Editor, Frank De Vol - Composer (Music Score), William Turner - Makeup, Carl Anderson - Production Designer, Joseph Biroc - Cinematographer, William Aldrich - Producer, Richard S. Church - Sound/Sound Designer, Mel Frohman - Screenwriter

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