The One and Only
1951: Andy Schmidt is in his last year of college. Taking life easy and always a saucy joke on his lips, he manages to win fellow student Mary's heart, although she's already otherwise engaged. But getting a job after college turns out much harder than expected; most directors take offense at his free interpretation of his roles. Desperate, he tries in wrestling. To avoid getting beaten up he stages the fights - and incidentally invents show-wrestling.
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- Cast:
- Henry Winkler , Kim Darby , Gene Saks , William Daniels , Harold Gould , Polly Holliday , Hervé Villechaize
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Reviews
Touches You
Overrated
Great Film overall
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Despite the wacky promise of its earlier scenes (Winkler disrupting the amateur play) and Saks' breezily crude performance, plus the presence of the dwarf from James Bond, the script soon reverts to the usual domestic misunderstandings, underscored by Carl Reiner's stiflingly uninventive close-up after close-up direction. Even the climax is disappointing, forcing Winkler to eke out a weak script by gross overacting. And why is the movie set in 1951? To show off the producer's old TV set? There's certainly no other sense of period involved. True, the movie does garner a few laughs here and there, but it would undoubtedly be twice as funny with careful trimming.
FOLLOWING HIS SUCCESS as show stealing character, "the Fonz" in the hit ABC Television Series HAPPY DAYS, Henry Winkler embarked on a series of starring motion vehicles. Taking a break from the more dramatic, Henry chose to do this Carl Reiner directed affectionate look at the early video days of guys with names like Gorgeous George, Count Billy Varga and Lou Thesz.DURING THIS PERIOD and for some years to follow, the mere mention of the Pro Wrestling game would never fail to bring a smile to the face of whomever one was conversing. The appeal of the medium where sport & athleticism intersected the dramatic & theatrical had a very wide degree of aficionados from the blue collar to professional, from the laborer to the MD.SO JUST WHO are these guys who get into the "business"? As in most rackets, there is no one single answer. There is not one single slot in which the "typical" grappler fits. Any attempt to pigeon hole the pro wrestler will find himself unhappily frustrated.THE STORY LOOKS at how guys with disparate backgrounds are united in their interest and pursuit of success as a performer. Some are athletic, some are not. Some were football players, others dancers. Bodybuilders and the physically unusual all join with some who have no obvious outstanding bodily attributes. Some were even the products of a solid background in Amateur Wrestling! OUR MOVIE UNITES Henry Winkler (Andy Schmidt) with Miss Kim Darby (Mary Crawford). The two do indeed make for an interesting couple; and it is a pleasure to see Kim Darby in any film; as she has done precious few ever since TRUE GRIT (1969).IN THE PARTICULAR case of the Winkler character, he's an out of work actor and not much of an athlete. He is certainly not a subject who fits the 'ruffian' mode that so many exponents of the pro game.ULTIMATELY, AT FILM'S end, we are all smiling-if not belly laughing; for in spite of some great and truly funny situations & gags tailored to the storyline, it is a call for inclusion o everyone in the family of man.AND, MY DEAR friend, Schultz, that includes even people who wrestle for a living!
Possible Spoilers:I saw One and Only when it first came out; I am a fan of Henry Winkler but this film almost turned me into an ex-fan; Winkler plays an obnoxious, self-absorbed acting student about to graduate with no job prospects. He does things like ruin his college play so his minor character can get a standing ovation, and try to rewrite scripts at auditions. Winkler tries to play the character as "brash", but it comes across as overbearing and obnoxious in the extreme. This movie came early in his career, and I don't think he would make the same acting choices now. He can't seem to get a job acting, and falls into professional wrestling as a way to fame. This is not developed to be as much fun as it sounds. His personality seems to fit the field, but success does not mellow out his character; towards the end he makes a charming statement to his fiance (who he stole with his winning personality from a pipe-smoking "nice guy" - big surprise): "If you don't stop thinking like that you're going to wind up an old single woman with a picture of JESUS on the wall!" said in absolute disgust. Even to an athiest this was an offensive moment in the film; it made one want to pour a bucket of water over this girl's head for being with this ass; and this is supposed to be a love story, with Winkler at the "hero". Creeps like this don't change; and girls keeping falling for them; though that's not the point of the film. If you can find the point, good luck. But there are 99.9% better films at Blockbuster, and all of Winkler's other films are better. Avoid - unless you like watching Herve Vellachez humping furniture. (Don't ask.)Three out of ten stars.
The One and only was a great film. I had just finished viewing it on EncoreW on DirecTV. I am an independent professional wrestler, and I thought this was a good portray of what life is like as a professional wrestler. Now this film was made 4 years before I was born, but I don't think the rigors of professional wrestling traveling has changed all that much. Sad, funny, and all around GREAT!!! **** 10+