The Wrestler (1974 film)
The Wrestler is a 1974 independent film directed by Jim Westman, produced by professional wrestler Verne Gagne and W.R. Frank, starring Ed Asner as Frank Bass, a wrestling promoter. Verne Gagne also stars in the film as Mike Bullard, the current wrestling champion of his "league". After a long reign as champion, Bullard is getting older and feeling pressure from all sides, including his wife and wrestling promoters, to pass the championship to Billy Taylor and retire. Bullard's resistance to their requests that he step aside is the central conflict in the film. The film presents professional wrestling as a truly competitive sport, always maintaining the illusion that matches are a result of athletic combat and not pre-determined outcomes decided before the matches.
| The Wrestler | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jim Westman |
| Produced by | W.R. Frank Verne Gagne |
| Written by | Eugene Gump |
| Starring | Ed Asner Elaine Giftos Verne Gagne Billy Robinson |
| Music by | William Loose |
| Cinematography | Gil Hubbs |
| Edited by | Neal Chastain |
Release date |
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Running time | 1 hr 35 min (95 min) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
At one point during the film, a number of wrestlers who had either died during a match or as a result of in-ring injuries are mentioned. That list of names was not fictional, but taken from the history of professional wrestling.
Plot
Professional wrestling promoter Frank Bass (Ed Asner) has to deal with the pressures of running a professional wrestling promotion, facing the pressures of constantly finding new wrestlers to pull in the crowds, keeping the wrestlers he has under contract under control and especially dealing with the fact that the top man, the champion of "the League" Mike Bullard (Verne Gagne) is getting old and there is pressure to replace him with a younger wrestler. One such possible replacement is the latest challenger Billy Taylor (Billy Robinson). At one point, Bass meets with a number of other wrestling promoters (played by real life wrestling promoters from the National Wrestling Alliance, including Vincent J. McMahon) to possibly create a "Super Bowl of Wrestling". Facing pressure, Frank Bass decides to back Bullard as he faces the challenger Billy Taylor in the climax of the movie.
Cast
The film features a number of actual wrestlers in the role of the various wrestlers throughout the movie, most of them worked for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association at the time The Wrestler was filmed. The Wrestler also mixed in footage from actual wrestling shows, creating the setting for the film while not being important to the actual plot of the film. Ric Flair stated that during filming he had several things disappear while shooting. Items like Headbands, later found in Ron Williams locker.
- Ed Asner as Frank Bass
- Elaine Giftos as Debbie
- Verne Gagne as Mike Bullard
- Billy Robinson as Billy Taylor
- Jerry Wade as himself (wrestler)
- Don Muraco as himself (wrestler)
- James Blears as himself (wrestler)
- Danny Hodge as Dan Hodge (wrestler)
- Joe Scarpello as himself (wrestler)
- Dick Afflis as The Bruiser (wrestler)
- Dan Gable as himself (wrestler)
- Vincent J. McMahon as himself (wrestling promoter)
- Reginald Lisowski as The Crusher (wrestler)
- Dusty Rhodes as himself (wrestler)
- Wahoo McDaniel as himself (wrestler)
- Mel Jass as himself (announcer)
- Bill Crouch as himself (wrestling promoter)
- Marty O'Neil as himself (announcer)
- Joe Dusek as himself (wrestler)
- Nick Bockwinkel as himself (wrestler)
- Superstar Billy Graham as himself (wrestler)
- Jay Hyon as himself (wrestler)
- Sarah Miller as Betty Bullard
- Ron Williams as himself/Bandana Thief (wrestler/arm)
- Hard Boiled Haggerty as The Bartender
- Ray Stevens (wrestler) as himself (wrestler)
- Lawrence Batson as himself (wrestler)
- Sam Menacker as The Mobster
- Ric Flair as himself (wrestler)
- Dick Murdoch as himself (wrestler)
- Greg Gagne as himself (wrestler)
- Eddie Graham as himself (wrestling promoter)
- Harold Sakata as Odd Job
- Joe Scarpello as Jack Cutter
- Larry Hennig as himself (wrestler)
- Wilbur Snyder as himself (wrestler)
- Rodger Kent as himself (announcer)
- Bobby Cox as himself (wrestler)
- Ken Patera as himself (wrestler)
- James Klobuchar as himself (sportswriter)
- Wally Karbo as himself (wrestling promoter)
- Rod Trongard as himself (wrestling promoter)
- Dennis Hilgart as himself (wrestler)
- James Brunzell as himself (wrestler)
- Horst Hoffman as himself (wrestler)
- Fred Marxen as himself (wrestler)
- Dave Goldson as himself (wrestler)
- Jack Cornall as himself (wrestler)
- Jack "Wildman" Armstrong as himself (wrestler)
- Dory Funk Jr. as himself (wrestler)
- Pedro Morales as himself (wrestler)
- Mike Graham as himself (wrestler)
Critical reception
Variety noted, "Technical credits are so-so, offering nothing out of the ordinary ... Box-office potential appears fair for this low budgeter because of the vast following pro wrestling enjoys, but hefty ballyhooing will be needed."[1] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film two stars out of four, calling it "as predictable as, well, a wrestling match ... All of the material outside the ring seems phony compared to the real phoniness inside the ropes."[2] Jill Forbes wrote in The Monthly Film Bulletin: "Designed to appeal mainly to the converted, The Wrestler is not without its attractions for non-enthusiasts of the sport," adding that "the comic set-pieces really carry the film."[3]
See also
References
- Film Reviews: The Wrestler". Variety. March 6, 1974. 26.
- Siskel, Gene (August 7, 1974). "Pinning 'The Wrestler'". Chicago Tribune. Section 2, p. 4.
- Forbes, Jill (June 1976). "The Wrestler". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 43 (509): 133.
External links
- The Wrestler on IMDb