Mister Universe (film)

Last updated
Mister Universe
Mister Universe (film).jpg
Directed byJoseph Lerner
Written bySearle Kramer
Produced byRex Carlton
Joseph Lerner
Starring Jack Carson
Janis Paige
Vince Edwards
Cinematography Gerald Hirschfeld
Edited byGeraldine Lerner
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Production
company
Laurel Films
Distributed by Eagle-Lion Classics
Release dates
  • March 22, 1951 (1951-03-22)(New York) [1]
  • April 18, 1951 (1951-04-18)(Los Angeles) [2]
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Mister Universe is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Joseph Lerner and starring Jack Carson, Janis Paige and Vince Edwards. It was produced independently and distributed by Eagle-Lion Films. A number of professional wrestlers of the era appear as themselves, and Joan Rivers can be briefly seen as a teenage girl in the audience. [3]

Contents

Plot

Honest "Mister Universe" winner Tommy Tompkins is recruited by a dishonest wrestling promoter and wins a series of matches. Tommy is horrified when he is told to throw a match and proves that he is unable to do it because of his natural honesty. [4]

Cast

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Howard Thompson called the film "a transparent, soft-pedaled little spoof" and wrote: "[T]he actors scamper around with offhand raucousness, and the restrictions of Searle Kramer's script and Mr. Lerner's own direction, while original, make the picture seem a lot breezier than it actually is. Whether intentional or not, however, it's the good-natured air of the cast that pulls the picture along." [1]

Picturegoer wrote: "True, much of the fun springs from the mauling of stooges, but the humour is no less effective for being elementary, or rather primitive." [5]

Comic-book adaption

A comic-book adaptation of the film was published by Eastern Color in the December 1950 issue of the anthology comic book Movie Love.[ citation needed ]

References

  1. 1 2 Thompson, Howard (1951-03-23). "The Screen: Little Spoof on Wrestling". The New York Times . p. 16.
  2. ↑ Scheuer, Philip K. (1951-04-19). "'I Can Get It for You Wholesale' Bitter but Entertaining Film Play". Los Angeles Times . p. 11, Part III.
  3. ↑ Langer, Emily (2014-09-04). "Joan Rivers, comedian who skewered everyone, including herself, dies". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  4. ↑ "Mr. Universe". Variety . 1951-01-17. p. 11.
  5. ↑ "Mr. Universe" . Picturegoer . 1951-07-28. p. 16. Retrieved 2019-12-27– via Proquest Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive.
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