The Main Event (1979 film)

Last updated
The Main Event
Main eventposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Howard Zieff
Written by Gail Parent
Andrew Smith
Produced by Jon Peters
Barbra Streisand
StarringBarbra Streisand
Ryan O'Neal
Cinematography Mario Tosi
Edited byEdward Warschilka
Music by Michael Melvoin
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • June 22, 1979 (1979-06-22)
Running time
112 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million [1]
Box office$42.8 million [2]

The Main Event is a 1979 American sports romantic comedy film starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal, written by Gail Parent, directed by Howard Zieff, and produced by Jon Peters and Streisand.

Contents

The film received negative reviews from critics, but was among the top 20 highest grossing films of the year at the box office. It was also the impetus for Streisand's first foray into disco singing the Golden Globe-nominated theme song written by Paul Jabara and Bruce Roberts.

Plot

Perfume magnate Hillary Kramer (Streisand) loses her company and is financially ruined when her accountant embezzles from her and flees to South America. Among her few remaining assets, she finds a management contract with an inactive boxer, purchased as a tax write-off. She decides to force Eddie "Kid Natural" Scanlon (Ryan O'Neal), who is now a driving instructor, back into the ring to recover her losses. Eddie thinks this will only get him killed, so he resists but relents. As Eddie's unconventional comeback progresses, he finds himself drawn into conflict and romance with his unlikely manager.

Hillary attempts to train the Kid herself, although she displays a total ignorance of his sport. She reads a ‘how to’ book on boxing to Kid Natural while he practices in the ring. Finding a passage referring to footwork, she says, “I think that means kick him.”

Hillary schemes to make a fortune by staging "the match that never was" with Hector Mantilla. Hector and Kid Natural were both disqualified years before at the Pan Am Games for misconduct before their match. Hector has since become a successful professional boxer. In the final scene, the Kid takes on Hector and is defeating him when Hillary suddenly realizes that if the Kid wins, their partnership will end and she will not see him again. Shockingly, she ends the match by throwing in the towel, runs into the ring, declares her love for the Kid and kisses him as the credits begin to roll.

Main cast

Production

Renee Missell wanted to do a film about a woman who "owned" a boxer. Missell and partner Howard Rosenman set up a deal at MGM under Daniel Melnick and hired Gail Parent and Andrew Smith to write a script. Initially the proposed stars were Nick Nolte and Susan Blakely from Rich Man, Poor Man. Melnick was replaced as head of production by Richard Shepherd who had the script rewritten by Bob Kaufman as a vehicle for Diana Ross and Burt Reynolds. [3]

The film was offered to Ryan O'Neal when Goldie Hawn was going to star. The producers then proposed Diana Ross to appear in the lead, but O'Neal refused. [4] It later was learned that O'Neal and Ross had been in a brief relationship and had an acrimonious split. [5]

Eventually the film was offered to Barbra Streisand. More writers worked on it, including the team of Charles Shyer and Alan Mandal, and original writer Gail Patrick. The project went from MGM to First Artists. [6]

Other titles for the film were Knockout and The Woman And The Boxer.

Filming started in October 1978 with a budget of $7 million.

Reception

Box office

The Main Event was a box-office success. It opened with $6.6 million grossed from 853 theaters in three days. [7] It grossed a total of $42.8 million against a budget of $8 million. [2] It was the 16th highest-grossing film of 1979.

Critical

Roger Ebert gave the film 2 stars out of 4 and called it "a meet cute from beginning to end, forced smiles, smarmy dialog and all. Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal act so cute, indeed, that I was squirming." [8] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote "This sort of situation could only be funny if it's out of character, and it is out of character for Mr. O'Neal. The pushy cosmetics executive, however, seems to be an extension of the role played in real-life by Miss Streisand, who coproduced the movie, stars in it and seems to have ordered every close-up and line-reading. Miss Streisand has become a contradiction: she's too much without being enough." [9] Dale Pollock of Variety called it "a film whose sum is way less than its parts," adding "Putting aside all of the ridiculous aspects of 'Main Event' (Streisand's glamorous wardrobe on a nickel-and-dime budget, the complete disregard for boxing rules and tradition, and the highly improbable ending), major disappointment is Streisand's apparent contentment to stay with a character she has now exhausted on the screen." [10] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4 and wrote that Streisand "walks away with this film, and turns it into a romantic comedy acting lesson. She is as delightful here as she ever has been, and that includes Funny Girl and a personal favorite, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever ." [11] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote of Streisand: "It is her first movie since A Star Is Born and it is all hers. Every entrance, exit, composition and quip favors her, somewhat to the concealment of a suave and ingratiating performance by O'Neal, who really has become an amusing and debonair light comedy actor in a tradition not much honored in 'The Main Event.'" [12] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote "This premise looks remarkably unappealing on paper, and doesn't improve in the playing. New romantic comedies seem to be degenerating at the moment, and 'The Main Event' is nothing to rave about." [13] David Ansen of Newsweek wrote "The stage is set for a knockabout romantic comedy, a sort of rolereversed Pat and Mike . What develops, however, is only fitfully amusing — and sometimes downright annoying". [14]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 40% of 10 critics' reviews are positive. [15]

Accolades

Golden Globe Awards
People's Choice Awards, U.S.

Soundtrack

The Main Event
Soundtrack album by
Barbra Streisand / various artists
ReleasedJune 1979
Genre
Label Columbia
Barbra Streisand chronology
Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Volume 2
(1978)
The Main Event
(1979)
Wet
(1979)

In June 1979, a soundtrack was released on vinyl, cassette and 8-track tape. It peaked at #20 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart and was certified gold. In October 1993, it was released on CD. The soundtrack contains an extended version of "The Main Event/Fight", containing a version which runs 11:39, an edited and slightly altered version at 4:54 (released as the single that hit number three on the U.S. pop charts and certified gold and number five in Canada [16] ), and a ballad version titled simply "The Main Event" as it omits the "Fight" parts. A bootleg of the recording sessions for the title song exists with Streisand commenting on the vocal challenges the song contains. A DJ-only promo 12" single was released for "The Main Event/Fight" as well as a 7" promo that featured a unique shorter 3:59 version backed with the single release.

Track listing
  1. "The Main Event/Fight" – Barbra Streisand
  2. "The Body Shop" – Michalski and Ooversteen
  3. "The Main Event/Fight" (short version) – Barbra Streisand
  4. "Copeland Meets the Coasters/Get a Job" – Michael Melvoin
  5. "Big Girls Don't Cry" – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
  6. "It's Your Foot Again" – Michael Melvoin
  7. "Angry Eyes" – Loggins and Messina
  8. "I'd Clean a Fish for You" – Michael Melvoin
  9. "The Main Event" (ballad) – Barbra Streisand

Charts

Chart (1979)Position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [17] 48
US Billboard 200 [18] 20

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [19] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbra Streisand</span> American singer and actress (born 1942)

Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is an American singer, actress, songwriter, film and television producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment and is among the few performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan O'Neal</span> American actor (1941–2023)

Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal was an American actor. Born in Los Angeles, he trained as an amateur boxer before beginning a career in acting in 1960.

<i>The Way We Were</i> 1973 film by Sydney Pollack

The Way We Were is a 1973 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Arthur Laurents adapted the screenplay from his own 1972 novel of the same name, which was based on his college days at Cornell University and his experiences with the House Un-American Activities Committee.

<i>Whats Up, Doc?</i> (1972 film) 1972 film by Peter Bogdanovich

What's Up, Doc? is a 1972 American screwball comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. It was intended to pay homage to comedy films of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, especially Bringing Up Baby and Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny cartoons. The film was loosely based on the 1971 novel A Glimpse of Tiger by Herman Raucher.

Main Event or The Main Event may refer to:

<i>Thank God Its Friday</i> (film) 1978 film by Robert Klane

Thank God It's Friday is a 1978 American musical-comedy film directed by Robert Klane and produced by Motown Productions and Casablanca FilmWorks for Columbia Pictures. Produced at the height of the disco craze, the film features The Commodores performing "Too Hot ta Trot", and Donna Summer performing "Last Dance", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1978. The film features an early performance by Jeff Goldblum and the first major screen appearance by Debra Winger. The film also features Terri Nunn, who later achieved fame in the 1980s new wave group Berlin. This was one of several Columbia Pictures films in which the studio's "Torch Lady" came to life in the opening credits, showing off her moves for a few seconds before the start of the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Jabara</span> American songwriter

Paul Frederick Jabara, was an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He was born to a Lebanese family in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning "Last Dance" from Thank God It's Friday (1978), as well as "No More Tears ", Summer's international hit duet with Barbra Streisand. He also co-wrote the Weather Girls' iconic hit "It's Raining Men" with Paul Shaffer.

<i>The Movie Album</i> (Barbra Streisand album) 2003 studio album by Barbra Streisand

The Movie Album is the thirtieth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on October 14, 2003, by Columbia Records. Overall, her sixtieth release with her record label, it was executively produced by Streisand and her manager, Jay Landers. A concept album, it contains twelve songs from the singer's favorite films ranging in release from 1935 to 1988. While curating the album, Streisand was inspired by her marriage to actor James Brolin to record songs about love and relationships. To better fit her needs, songwriting duo Alan and Marilyn Bergman were commissioned to add lyrics to several of the songs Streisand had chosen to record.

<i>The Owl and the Pussycat</i> (film) 1970 film by Herbert Ross

The Owl and the Pussycat is a 1970 American romantic comedy film directed by Herbert Ross from a screenplay by Buck Henry, based on the 1964 play of the same name by Bill Manhoff. The film follows Doris, a somewhat uneducated actress, model, and part-time prostitute who moves in temporarily with her neighbor Felix, an intellectual aspiring writer. Despite their many obvious differences, the two begin to admire each other over time. Comedian and actor Robert Klein appears in a supporting role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Finally Found Someone</span> 1996 single by Bryan Adams and Barbra Streisand

"I Finally Found Someone" is a song by American singer Barbra Streisand and Canadian singer Bryan Adams. The power ballad was part of the soundtrack of Streisand's 1996 self-directed movie The Mirror Has Two Faces and was nominated for an Oscar. Several versions of a CD single were issued on its initial release. One contains a rare Spanish-language version of her 1976 song "Evergreen", as well as Adams' previous single "Let's Make a Night to Remember". Another version includes three solo recordings by Adams from his most recent album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)</span> 1979 song

"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" is a 1979 song recorded by American singers Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. It was written by Paul Jabara and Bruce Roberts, and produced by Giorgio Moroder and Gary Klein. The song was recorded for Streisand's Wet album and also as a new track for Summer's compilation double album On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II. The full-length version was found on Streisand's album, while a longer 11-minute edit (the 12" version) was featured on Summer's album. The longer 12" version features additional production by frequent collaborator Harold Faltermeyer, and incorporates a harder rock edge.

<i>Superman</i> (Barbra Streisand album) 1977 studio album by Barbra Streisand

Superman (1977) is the nineteenth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. The lead single "My Heart Belongs to Me" became a hit in 1977, peaking at #4 on the US pop chart. The title track was released as a follow-up but did not chart as highly as its predecessor. The album peaked at number 3 on the Top 200 LP Billboard album chart and on the UK Albums Chart at number 32. It has sold 2 million copies in United States and was certified 2× Platinum. Streisand co-wrote two songs on the album - "Don't Believe What You Read" and "Answer Me". The latter is also featured on her 2023 compilation album Evergreens: Celebrating Six Decades.

Gail Parent is an American television screenwriter, producer, and author.

<i>Funny Girl</i> (film) 1968 film by William Wyler

Funny Girl is a 1968 American biographical-musical film directed by William Wyler and written by Isobel Lennart, adapted from her book for the stage musical of the same title. It is loosely based on the life and career of comedienne Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)</span> 1966 single by Four Tops

"Shake Me, Wake Me " is a song recorded by the American quartet Four Tops for their third studio album, On Top (1966). It was released in February 1966 as a 7" vinyl single through Motown records. It was written and produced by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland. A gospel rock track, its lyrics detail a relationship that has ended. It has since been regarded as one of Four Tops' most successful singles ever. It charted moderately well in both the United States and Canada, and became the group's fifth consecutive entry to chart within the top five of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Four Tops has performed "Shake Me, Wake Me " on various occasions throughout their careers and have included it on several greatest hits albums, including on The Four Tops Greatest Hits (1967) and The Ultimate Collection (1997).

<i>Timeless: Live in Concert</i> 2000 live album by Barbra Streisand

Timeless: Live in Concert is a live album released by Barbra Streisand on September 19, 2000. It was her fifth live album and was released on Columbia Records. The album was issued a week before what were said to be her final concerts in September 2000 and would reach platinum certification.

Bruce Roberts is an American singer and songwriter. His songs have been recorded by such artists as The Pointer Sisters, Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Jeffrey Osborne, Whitney Houston and Laura Branigan. He has released three albums as a solo artist including Intimacy (1995), which featured musical and vocal contributions by many notable artists; Elton John and Kristine W contributed to the single "When the Money's Gone".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Main Event/Fight</span> 1979 single by Barbra Streisand

"The Main Event/Fight" is a 1979 medley recorded by Barbra Streisand. The song is the title track and only single issued from the LP, The Main Event. The album is the soundtrack for the movie, The Main Event starring Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. The song became the first of two major disco-styled hits for Streisand, the other being "No More Tears ," a duet with Donna Summer later the same year.

<i>Funny Lady</i> (soundtrack) 1975 soundtrack album by Barbra Streisand

Funny Lady is the soundtrack album of the 1975 musical film of the same title, starring Barbra Streisand. Released by Arista Records on March 15, 1975, arranged, conducted, and coordinated by Peter Matz, the album's fifteen tracks are performed by Streisand, James Caan, and Ben Vereen. A sequel to the 1968 musical comedy-drama Funny Girl, the songs extend the semi-biographical account of the life of American performer Fanny Brice. Funny Lady also included songs written by Brice's third husband Billy Rose. New music by Kander and Ebb included "How Lucky Can You Get", the album's only single, released in April 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)</span>

"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" is a song written by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) for the 1965 Broadway musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. It was subsequently performed by American actress and vocalist Barbra Streisand in the 1970 film adaptation of the musical.

References

  1. "The Main Event". AFI.com. American Film Institute.
  2. 1 2 "Box Office Information for The Main Event". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  3. The Main Event at Barbra Archives
  4. Flatley, Guy (19 Aug 1979). "Ryan O'Neal meaner but far from macho". Chicago Tribune. p. e8.
  5. "RYAN O'NEAL'S CRUEL TREATMENT TOWARDS DIANA ROSS". YouTube.
  6. Finke, Nikki (16 October 2011). "R.I.P. Sue Mengers". Deadline.
  7. Hannan, Brian (2018). In Theaters Everywhere: A History of the Hollywood Wide Release, 1913-2017. McFarland & Company. p. 202. ISBN   978-1-4766-3391-6.
  8. Ebert, Roger (June 26, 1979). "The Main Event". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  9. Canby, Vincent (22 June 1979). "Film: Streisand Stars in 'Main Event':A Reluctant Warrior". The New York Times: C14. ISSN   0362-4331.
  10. Pollock, Dale (June 20, 1979). "Film Reviews: The Main Event". Variety. 19.
  11. Siskel, Gene (June 25, 1979). "The main event in 'Main Event' is Streisand". Chicago Tribune . Section 2, p. 9.
  12. Champlin, Charles (June 22, 1979). "If at First You Succeed..." Los Angeles Times. Part IV, p. 1.
  13. Arnold, Gary (26 June 1979). "Down for the Count". The Washington Post. p. B1. ISSN   0190-8286.
  14. Ansen, David (June 25, 1979). "Love on the Ropes". Newsweek. 81.
  15. "The Main Event". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  16. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1979-09-15. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  17. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 282. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  18. "Barbra Streisand Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  19. "American album certifications – Barbra Streisand – The Main Event (Soundtrack)". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved July 18, 2021.
Awards
Preceded by Stinker Award for Worst Picture

(replaced Nightwing )
1979 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards

Succeeded by