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DVD The World's Greatest Athlete
This enjoyable comedy is one of the last Disney live-action films that feels akin to their earlier, innocent films. Jan-Michael Vincent plays the title character Nanu, a parentless child brought up in Africa with unbelievable physical skills (check out his introduction, running faster than a cheetah, played in front of pure-'70s rear-screen projection). John Amos and Tim Conway play a hapless college coaching duo whose fortunes change once they spot Nanu. After a run-in with a smart witch doctor (Roscoe Lee Browne), the two bring Nanu--and his pet tiger--to America, where Nanu finds Jane (Dayle Haddon) and starts to rewrite the record book. The film doesn't age that well, but the little ones will laugh at the shenanigans, especially when Conway is miniaturized by the doctor. Several sportscasters appear as themselves including Howard Cosell, who musters up the line, "I've never seen anything like this in my entire illustrious career." --Doug Thomas
MOVIE: Perhaps it should be called World's Worst Movie. But it's not.
Imagine Tarzan competing in college athletics. That's the premise of this movie starring Tim Conway as a second banana coaching assistant, John Amos as Coach Archer, and Jan-Michael Vincent in the title role. While this is billed as a comedy, I found nothing laugh-out-loud hilarious in this as an adult and only remembered the tiger on the plane joke from my childhood. Mostly it just falls flat. Some images stick out like leftover 60s special effects, like Conway as a little guy calling on a huge rotary dial phone after climbing out of a purse. The tiger gets points just for being there. And Vincent is mildly amusing to see in a role eleven years before Airwolf.
First up is Conway, which is why I watched this 1973 movie again. It is not one of his best performances, although he tries. He's there as Milo Jackson to fumble things up for the coach, doing his shtick, gaining top billing in the process. He's better in the Apple Dumpling Gangs 1 & 2 and definitely in The Private Eyes. Amos's character consistently overshadows his (naturally). Conway's best scene is getting stuck as a result of voodoo unknowingly by the coach.
Amos (Gordon Howard on "Mary Tyler Moore") seems just to have lame material, starting with a standard coming-from-behind coaching speech for all sports and especially in the plot to trick the young Nanu to compete in college athletics.
Nanu from Namibia, Africa, is an honorable man with long blond hair dressed only in a loincloth. This lad just wants to stay there and play with his pet tiger. However, once he is tricked into believing that he has saved Coach Archer's life, he is obligated to follow him the rest of his life. Of course, once the deception is revealed, he sheds his civilized clothing and wants to return back home leaving his coaches stranded. His romantic interest is tutor Jane Douglas played by Canadian Dayle Haddon in her first role. Alluding to Jane of the Tarzan fame is funnier on paper than in this film.
Nanu's father, witch doctor Gazenga, played by Roscoe Lee Browne, is also on had to disrupt Nanu's college career and cast voodoo spells. Danny Goldman plays jilted boyfriend Leopold Maxwell in the plot to send Nanu home and reclaim Jane.
Nancy Walker portrays blind, majorly blind landlady Mrs. Petersen, led to believe that the tiger living in her house in just another student. This is definitely not Walker's best role, because the landlady is pretty stupid, but caring, talking as she does to clothes and the tiger thinking that they are real people. Alas, poor Ms. Walker is hidden behind a hideously large pair of glasses.
Also of note, Howard Cosell plays a long winded, obnoxious sports announcer in the third act. This is a more limited role than the movie trailer portrays. The trailer also makes the movie's plot more substantial.
It is lightweight Disney movie, not the World's Greatest Movie, by any stretch of the imagination. Amusing at times. And fortunately the movie does have a sufficient and pleasant ending, a replay of an earlier scene, putting the coaches back where they began... almost.
DVD: It is widescreen, so that is good. (Important for at least one scene with Conway sneaking onto camera.) The trailer is unrestored, but available. The outtakes last ten minutes, but have no commentary and questionable value.
Good But Inconsistent "Dopey" Disney Comedy
I bought this DVD knowing that "The World's Greatest Athlete" wasn't one of the best of the "Dopey" Disney Comedies (For those who don't know, the "Dopey" Disney Comedies were the ones the studio made from 1959 ("Shaggy Dog") to 1984 (when Eisner took over). Admittedly there are stupider Disney comedies to come out since, but they don't have the charm and home-grown look and feel of these 59-84 ones.)
Anyway, blah blah blah, "Athlete" was issued in 1973 and is the first Disney feature to have an African-American star (John Amos) since "Song of the South"! The writing for this film is inconsistent. There are some genuine laughs, particularly from Tim Conway in his first Disney movie, and even some from announcer Howard Cosell!
As far as this DVD goes, I have had no luck finding it in US stores, so the version I received is a Canadian copy. I don't mind as long as it works in my player, which it does. The film itself is a widescreen transfer, which is a good thing, as Disney has sometimes not released their films to DVD in this format. The print quality is excellent and there are even some extras! Although, apart from the original trailer appear to be some random cutting room outtakes that don't have synchonized sound so you don't really know what's going on, and they're not particularly funny, either.
Overall, if you are a "Dopey" Disney Comedy fan, a Tim Conway fan, or wonder where the hell John Amos went after "Roots", check this one out. Otherwise, I direct you to "The Apple Dumpling Gang" for a better time and many more extras on the DVD.
Rolling the dice on a Disney DVD? We have a winner!
Here is an excellent example of live-action Disney from the 1970's. A fun film for everyone starring Jan-Michael Vincent as a superathlete raised in the rain forrest (what we used to call the jungle), Roscoe Lee Browne as his mentor, the very funny Nancy Walker as a 'blind as a bat' landlady, and the ever comic genius, Tim Conway. The best suprise is a very funny performance from actor John Amos as a track coach with a dismal win-loss record.
Disney Studios is graciously presenting this fine movie in its Original Aspect Ratio of 1.85:1. Why this movie and not others is, well, typical Disney mentality. But I guess we take 'em as we get 'em and Disney gets my money. Too bad "That Darn Cat, The Barefoot Executive and Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N." missed the 'letterbox boat'!
Plus if you remember seeing this movie, I'd like to learn to park my car at the airport like in the movie.
"Man the Laffboats" reads the original 1970 cover of Disney’s classic whodunnit film comedy, a seaside shenanigan starring an accident-prone ensign and a trio of bumbling jewel thieves. Robert Morse (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) plays Coast Guard Ensign Thomas Garland, an earnest public servant trying to live under the towering shadow of his late father while convinced he’s jinxed since he can barely control the chaotic waters of Newport harbor. In the middle of the nautical madness come Harry (Phil Silvers), Max (Norman Fell), and Charlie (Mickey Shaughnessy), low-grade criminals trying to recover a picnic basket of stolen jewels that was accidentally dropped into the bay. Canoes, catamarans, and submarines cavort within the simple storyline, which... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Robert Morse - Stefanie Powers Director(s): Norman Tokar DVD Release Date: Released the 02 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Straight from the vault of Disney’s bygone classics comes this 1960 family film about a boy who joins the circus, based on the book of the same name by James Otis Kaler. Kevin Corcoran (Old Yeller, Swiss Family Robinson) is unsurpassed as the earnest and endearing Toby Tyler, an orphan who lives with his poverty-stricken aunt and uncle until the day he is told he’s a "millstone around their necks." When the circus comes to town, Toby runs away to join the vagabond life of the big top. Although his concessionaire boss is a con man, Toby makes fast friends with Ben Cotter (Henry Calvin) and Sam Treat (Gene Sheldon) who protect him and, in the end, receive much more from Toby than they give. The movie’s best moments center on Toby’s camaraderie with a... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Kevin Corcoran - Henry Calvin Director(s): Charles Barton DVD Release Date: Released the 02 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Shortly after Dick Van Dyke played Bert in Mary Poppins, he starred as Lt. Robin Crusoe in this lesser known 1966 comedy, splendidly showcasing his myriad comedic talents in a South seas setting. Families who remember Van Dyke’s riotous romp as Navy-pilot-turned-island-native will appreciate this digital release of the original film. The laughs begin from the moment Crusoe is marooned at sea on a military-issue rubber raft and fights off a shark while reading a step-by-step survival guide. By the time he washes ashore on the island, discovers the wonders of bamboo, and stumbles upon a poker-playing astro-Chimp, audiences are given over to the gigglefest. Nancy Kwan, as Wednesday, adds to the merriment as the island’s other castaway who plays a humorous game of charades... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Dick Van Dyke - Nancy Kwan Director(s): Byron Paul DVD Release Date: Released the 12 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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A young Kurt Russell stars in this good-natured comedy. Steve Stone is an ambitious mailroom clerk at a third-rate television network when he stumbles onto the fact that his girlfriend's pet chimpanzee, Raffles, can pick ratings winners. Suddenly he's well on his way up the corporate ladder and getting his network to No. 1. Keeping Raffles and his abilities a secret provide the perfect setting for wacky, wicked comedy. The truly funny cast of Joe Flynn, Harry Morgan, Wally Cox, John Ritter, and others make up the executives and their cohorts. Not wanting to be made fools of, the executives try to save their dignity as well as their jobs by relocating Raffles. There's lots of physical comedy and downright silliness. Talk about monkey business! Released in 1971, this film... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Kurt Russell - Joe Flynn Director(s): Robert Butler DVD Release Date: Released the 12 April 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Disney’s classic 1971 comedy about the goose that lay the golden eggs returns in digital format, retaining its old-style family-friendliness, slapstick silliness, and good-natured predictability. Dean Jones plays professor Albert Dooley, a lab worker down on his luck, who lives in suburbia with his earnest yet scatterbrained wife Katie (played deliciously by Sandy Duncan). When an under-performing lab duck’s life is in jeopardy, Dooley rescues him to become a family pet and soon discovers that some earlier exposure to radiation has turned the duck’s eggs into gold. The Dooley’s newfound wealth brings its share of pandemonium as they try to keep their proverbial "nest egg" under wraps, especially from nosy neighbor Finley Hooper (Joe Flynn), a government Treasury man.... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Dean Jones - Sandy Duncan - Joe Flynn Director(s): Vincent McEveety DVD Release Date: Released the 12 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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