I first saw this film over 40 years ago as a child, I have seen it many times since and I love it today as much as when I first saw it. The cast is bonkers, where else would you get MIchael Crawford, Charles Aznavour, Ryan O'Neal, Sam Elliott, Stanley Baker and Jeremy Kemp starring together? Only in a Michael Winner film of course! Michael Crawford is the young English milkman plucked off the streets by embittered ex-athletics star Bill Oliver (Stanley Baker) who tries desperately to achieve through Harry Hayes what was denied him due to a freak injury. Charles Aznavour is the tired Czech great Pavel Vendek who is tempted out of retirement to have a last crack at Olympic marathon glory. Ryan O'Neal is the all American hero Scott Reynolds who plays as hard as he runs, and then there is Sunny Pentubi an aboriginal runner initially exploited by the unscrupulous Jeremy Kemp but who just wants to run because he loves it.
The movie follows the four runners through their ups and downs as they head towards the Rome Olympics and their head to head clash for Olympic gold.
Yes the acting is often cheesy and the characters are very stereotypical, but there is a charm about this film that I have never lost. The marathon itself is well filmed, the commentary by the late Ron Pickering and Adrian Metcalfe really adds to the end drama, who will prevail? Well you need to watch it!
The movie follows the four runners through their ups and downs as they head towards the Rome Olympics and their head to head clash for Olympic gold.
Yes the acting is often cheesy and the characters are very stereotypical, but there is a charm about this film that I have never lost. The marathon itself is well filmed, the commentary by the late Ron Pickering and Adrian Metcalfe really adds to the end drama, who will prevail? Well you need to watch it!