they don't make movies like that anymore

[oneill]

I may be showing my age, but does anyone remember "The Games" from 1969? That's a candidate for worst of all-time - Ryan O'Neal as a beer-swilling marathon runner from the U.S., Charles Aznavour as a Zatopek-type Mittel European, training while being trailed by a commissar on a bicycle, Michael Crawford (yes! The Phantom of the Opera) as an English marathoner....The outdoor footage was filmed in Rome, at the 1960 Olympic venues. I doubt if anyone would ever put that out on DVD.

[Kevin]

Re: they don't make movies like that anymore

I just saw this one mentioned in another thread on this site. Would love to see it, if it is available.

[gh]

Re: they don't make movies like that anymore

If you ever want to know if a movie (of any kind) is available, the quickest and easiest way is to go imdb.com (internet movie database--everybody should have it bookmarked!), click on title, then enter name of movie. If you do that w/ The Games then specify 1970, you get this URL

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065757/?fr ... ft=64;fm=1

at top right you'll notice an Amazon shopping cart grid (this shows for all movies you select). In this instance, none of the countries or formats are active links, meaning, at least, that Amazon doesn't have it. Which probably means it's not available.

[eldrick]

Re: they don't make movies like that anymore

i remember that film quite well

it had englisher aiming for 2"00'00 pace !

a ridiculous story for '69 & the winner ( the african ) came home in i think ~ 2"11

i still have a laugh when i recall they credited the englisher in going thru 1/2 way in 59+ !!!

[SQUACKEE]

Re: they don't make movies like that anymore

and in 90+ heat." but bill, a 2 hour marathon, thats impossible!" and the coach replies " thats exactly why were gonna do it"

i taped the entire movie recently off the tv. one of my favorite comedys.

[oneill]

Re: they don't make movies like that anymore

I'm a little vague on the details, but wasn't the winner of that epic race the character of Sonny Pintubi, the Australian aborigine? There may have been an African runner in it, but I believe that Pintubi emerged as the winner.

[eldrick]

Re: they don't make movies like that anymore

>I'm a little vague on the details, but wasn't the winner of that epic race the
>character of Sonny Pintubi, the Australian aborigine? There may have been an
>African runner in it, but I believe that Pintubi emerged as the winner.<


apologies

i'm sure he was meant to be the "african", but they had to locate him somewhere else in order to bring in in a more interesting "colonial" angle - white trainer/promoter betting for/against their colored athlete

they couldn't really do that in mostly independent africa ( except south africa - now that could have made an even more poignant story - actual apartheid & a white trainer/ black athlete

only problem, south africa was banned )