User Reviews

Tedious, occasionally absorbing drama chronicling the stories of four male runners from different parts of the globe preparing themselves for the Rome Olympics. Michael Crawford, as the British dairy-deliverer who is found to have an uncanny track time, is the central focus of the film and his early scenes wowing all the hardened experts are fresh and well done; Ryan O'Neal, as the American jock with the (uh oh!) heart condition, is engaging simply because he's so young and eager (he would re-team with screenwriter Erich Segal the same year for "Love Story"). British-made film from erratic director Michael Winner supposedly travels around the world, yet the various locations are not captured to any particular advantage (the look of the picture is stuck in a British rut). The relationship between Crawford and his demanding coach is the most intriguing part of the movie--yet the closer we get to the Olympics finale, the faster interest tends to wane in these characters. ** from ****

A more apt title might have been "The Marathon" since really this film deals more with that than the actual Olympic Games. In it, four runners, with disparate backgrounds, train and train in preparation for the big day when they will run 26 miles in just over two hours. Crawford plays a gawky and gangly milkman who, even in dress shoes, can outrun members of a local track team. Eventually, he is given a chance to improve himself under the direction of surly, obsessive coach Baker while girlfriend Taylor mopes. O'Neal is a cocky American who often doesn't push himself as far as he is capable of going and who drinks and cavorts regularly, activities which usually are an athlete's no-no. Compton is a simple Aborigine whose talents are being exploited for gambling profit by the thoughtless Kemp. Finally, Aznavour plays the world record holder - The Iron Man - who comes back into the fray to retain his title. To say that the editing is brisk on this film is an understatement. It's positively MTV-ish for the time it was made, though it occasionally verges on the choppy. The acting, for the most part, is fine. Crawford takes a while to seem realistic rather than comic, but eventually gets there. Baker digs deeply into his part and turns in a memorable performance. O'Neal was well cast for his role (and his then-wife Leigh Taylor-Young even pops up unbilled as a girl he wins in a drinking contest!) Compton is no actor, but manages to get by on an innate charm. Kemp has one of his most showy and prominent roles and enjoys himself fully. Aznavour has little to do (and is about the last thing one would expect to see as an Iron Man!), but he does all right. His child in the film has GOT to go down in history as one of the least attractive screen children EVER! There's a lot of great globe-trotting scenery, a nice trip into the world of 1970 and a cast that's peppered with decent British actors (not to mention an early appearance by handsome, baritone-voiced Elliott.) This isn't a spellbinding film, but it's a nice slice-of-life look at the backgrounds of these men and a glimpse into what it takes to attempt a marathon run. Until the big race, the stories rotate constantly, which helps with the pacing (though O'Neal is offscreen for a shockingly long time near the beginning.) Other interesting factors in the film include the politics of the Games and the depiction of racial relations in Australia. Widescreen viewing is recommended.

In 1970, between working with Oliver Reed in Swinging Sixties flicks and Charles Bronson in exploitation crime, a mainstream Michael Winner directed THE GAMES, centering on a group of worldwide runners training for the Rome Olympics... but the trainers are the most intriguing characters...

In particular Stanley Baker, at this point a British veteran actor (who always looked older than he actually was), as a former running champion with a limp so serious he never lets the viewer forget...

Which takes the kind of energy that's completely lacking in the extremely miscast Michael Crawford as a milkman turned record-breaking sprinter (randomly romancing ingenue Elaine Taylor), whose lightweight acting chops seems more befitting the quirky comedies he was used to...

Although his scenes with Baker are pretty good because the tough coach makes every scene count... As does the Australian Aborigine's own trainer, more of a promoter, in get-rich-quick-schemer (and kangaroo poacher) Jeremy Kemp, as offbeat-crooked as Baker is headstrong-intense...

Meanwhile Ryan O'Neal's American runner hardly has a coach at all... A pill-popping womanizer with a breezy (albeit also miscast) sex symbol appeal, he seems like part of another movie altogether....

In fact every participant's individual story from THE GAMES (including an aged Frenchman seeking a comeback) feels underdeveloped since director Winner, using a barrage of that era's zoom shots and choppy edits, has to stuff them all inside a single 100-minute sports programmer that passes the time decently...

But could have been better if Stanley Baker only had another runner/actor to train, and more time to do so.

An interesting sports film from the early-'70s, relating to the striving for Olympic glory in the context of the Marathon and which is colourfully filmed in diverse settings focussing on a quartet of runners. Welshman, Stanley Baker is professionally superb as the martinet coach of Michael Crawford's runner while Irish-American actor, Ryan O'Neal's confident sandyhaired US athlete is amusing. Baker instills stiff discipline and ultra-high standards. Michael Winner would go on to direct Brando in the gothic 'The Nightcomers' and the violent western,'Chato's Land' which starred Charles Bronson in 1972.

Michael Winner made a lot of rather variable films before he found his true vocation as a restaurant critic.This one is prime ham.It is rather difficult to take seriously for one minute.With scrawny Aznavour and Crawford looking like they couldn't go 100 yards. A athletics is not my sport and the same goes for Winner.

This Michael winner movie from 1970 is not that well known, probably because it was overshadowed by his 'revenge for hire ' films later in the 1970's and 80's. Its about the Olympic games in Rome with particular attention to the marathon. You can still enjoy this if you are not a avid track and field follower because it's got an interesting cast, however, if you are it's a real treat.

We are introduced to Scott Reynolds an American played by Ryan O'Neal a jock (a jock is a term in the USA for a male college student who is good at sports, and is popular with the women) who is boastful and likes to burn the candle at both ends. Over the other side of the Atlantic there is Harry Hayes a milkman by trade who likes to run and is encouraged to join an athletics club. Although he is slightly gawky and awkward (you can see traits of Frank Spencer a character Michael Crawford was to play in a BBC sitcom a few years later)also likes the ladies and a drink too is trained by his obsessive coach Bill Oliver played by Stanley Baker. Oliver is a former marathon star who is bitter that his running career came to a halt prematurely is an army man whose training methods are brutal and expectations so unrealistic that he actually comes across as a madman. Consequently, because of his intensity he steals the scenes when he is on camera.

Sunny is the Australian runner who likes to run in barefoot is encouraged by his mentor a bookie played by Jeremy Kemp. Lastly, there is Pavel Vendik the commie played by Charles Aznevour, a devoted family man and former world record holder whose best running days are probably behind him but is encouraged to come out of retirement to show whose political system is superior. Although this is a request from the party, you can't refuse unless you want to spend some time in a gulag.

One really interesting feature is that the main characters of the movie don't have much dialog or time with each other and although they do compete in other meetings,Vendik and Hayes once and Reynolds and Sunny once too,they only all come together in the movie finale in Rome. This provides two important factors. Firstly, its not too heavy on either character and quickly moves on to the other runners which keeps up the interest, secondly, it provides some great cinematography, from England, Australia, Czechoslovakia, Tokyo and the final country Italy where they all meet in the Marathon. The character development is good as it shows the cultural differences between each runner, their background and what motivates them to run and compete .

Also Michael winner was on to something with this depiction of an Olympic games. People often talk about "it's not the winning but the participation", and a get together of all nations in the world for peace and harmony, ---- diplomacy using sport. However,we all know that this is totally false, the reality is political and commercial interests ride roughshod over this conception. The marathon in this Olympics could not be moved to later on in the day when the temperature and humidity would not be so much of a problem for the athletes because it would conflict what was in the best interest of the US TV companies with their audience and advertising revenue. That's not hard to believe!

The importance of winning above anything else was paramount. Because the USSR and the USA used the Olympics to score political points both tried to get around the professional barrier to get the edge. To start with the Soviet Union and it's eastern bloc allies used the games as a way of competing with the west's capitalistic system. State run athletic programs, full time athletes and state sponsored drug taking, were part and parcel with the communist nations. Also in the USA, colleges provided athletic and sport scholarship programs for students which provided top notch facilities. However, many of them had very little academic reason for being there. This was a way for the US to get around professionalism too. Although performance enhancing drugs were not encouraged by the US administrators, according to Scot David Jenkins a former 400m Olympic contender who trained in the USA, he claimed that it was rife in American sports too. He should know, because not only did he use them but he spent time in a federal pen for illegally smuggling them and distributing them in the US after he retired from running. Providing you were not getting paid a salary or were not financially enriching yourself your were technically an amateur!

None of this was really in the spirit of amateur sports which the Olympics was meant to be. Contrast this with British runner Hayes who is a milkman and had to train after work in an athletics club, this truly typified the amateur spirit of athletics in the UK back then. Under the circumstances it's amazing that Great Britain was able to dominate middle distance running from the late 1970's through the late 1980's until it all really went professional. The British probably got good practice running after trains and buses, neither which ever ran on time!!

Also, the Olympics were the an opportunity for athletes and nations to make their petty political points. From the banning of South Africa from participation right up to the early 1990's the Olympics were riddled with political boycotts and demonstrations. Politics and sport don't mix who are you trying to kid! Michael winner was years ahead of his time with this and clearly saw what was coming!

Check this movie,it's great to see some of the support cast who went on to bigger and better things (particular attention to Ryan O'Neals former wife as the prize in the 'chug a lug' drinking contest!)

This movie has aged, of course it's going on for 40 years so that is understandable. Never the less it represents a time gone by, its politically incorrect, full of racially insensitive remarks and highlights the conflict with professionalism/amateurism, drugs and the political grandstanding that went on back in the 60's,70's and 80's in track and field. As an other reviewer says the Olympics was the ideal forum where sport was all about politics.

It's a movie really for track and field enthusiasts although it's interesting to see a very young Michael Crawford (who actually had top billing for this movie) and Ryan O'Neal in his love story glory (it had not been released) and a young Sam Elliot who you would never recognize today but sounds the same. If I hadn't known better I would have said his voice was dubbed, but no it actually was Elliot's voice which would become better known as his career progressed. Crawford never hit the big time in movies but would be better known in comedy and stage by the late 70's and 80's. O'Neal ironically became typecast in his love story role which he never really shook that off all but disappeared from the screen by 1980.

As for the political incorrectness, it starts almost at the beginning. Back in those days milk was the stable drink but nowadays because of the fear of heart disease and bad cholesterol gator aid or some ridiculously priced glucose based drink that is supposed to re-balance the fluids in the body would be the primary beverage, milk just won't cut it! In the second scene while at Yale University Reynolds gets into a "binge drinking" contest. Of course, that's really what it amounts to of but here it's innocently described as a 'Chug-a-lug' contest where the prize is a night with one of the (co-ed or sorority girl?) girl students. Both drinkers pass out and today Women's advocate groups and the college establishment would freak at this type of activity, you certainly can't make light of things like that today.

The aborigine Australian runner Sunny "who is used to the heat" and runs in bear foot learned to run because he chases kangaroos in the bush is also another politically incorrect stereotype that won't cut today either. Also portraying Harry Hayes coach Bill Oliver as a homosexual should not be overlooked. It was meant to be subtle but it didn't fool me at all, the aggression, the drooped moustache, the sexual tension with Hayes girlfriend as well as the jealous looks, it was just all too apparent.

It's obvious that a lot of the film was left on the cutting room floor, probably for time constraints, yet it is still allows for character development. In addition you can see at first hand the cultural differences and training methods each runner uses in the old days of "shamateurism ". I'd have to say that all of the athletes that were portrayed Harry Hayes, Vedick , Sunny Pintubi and Reynolds from the UK, Czechoslovakia, Australia and USA respectively were well cast and very believable as runners.

The climax of the movie is worth waiting for and the gut wrenching Jim Peters moment (Vancouver 1954) portrayed by Harry Hayes is a spectacle. Great commentary from both BBC broadcaster Ron Pickering and former US Olympian Rafer Johnson for NBC, it's well worth a watch for all of the above

It's amazing to me why this masterpiece is not played on cable more often! It has some unforgettable attributes: - Charles Aznavour has rarely been seen as anything but a singer. Here he is a truly fine dramatic actor. - Stanley Baker has seldom if ever given such a performance - Michael Crawford, better known for his "Phantom" gives an inspired performance as a long distance runner (his early training comes from rushing deliveries as a milkman) - Ryan O'Neal plays the perfect cocky American. Here is a carefully crafted tale of 3 runners who from different worlds, live, train and survive the Marathon event in the Rome 1960 Olympic Games. Any one of the three stories would do quite well standing alone. Together, they meld and intertwine beautifully. The final competition as well as the battles leading up to it are exciting indeed. Since this fine film has not found its way to videotape, I would be extremely interested to know the next time it is scheduled to play on cable on any carrier.

The Games is a great film for anyone who has run a marathon, interested in marathons, and knows their history. Just about every cliché and moment in marathon history is reflected in this film.

Michael Crawford is great as Harry Hayes whose coach Bill Oliver wants him to run 2 hours marathon in the heat! There are some great scenes which athletes will understand (the girlfriend is always to blame for loss of form) which just keep coming throughout the film.

The race is covered well and Michael Crawford's shuffle through the tunnel is priceless. The finish is a classic with elements of Dorando Pietri, Jim Peters, and the 1948 Olympic finish.

Well worth a watch.

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 Games 1970 - Michael Winner - four runners from across the globe compete in the Olympic Marathon,each with their own personal reason for running. It features every sporting movie cliche in the book. Starting Michael Crawford, Ryan O Neil and Charles Aznavour . It's dated racism does have its charm and I for one genuinely wanted to wait to see who won...8/10

bringing stories together in a movie is an art form and this is an excellent painting, micheal winner where did it all go wrong? crawford, baker and o neal are never better and charles aznavour? i have not seen this film for 20 years but long for the day to see it again does anyone know how?

A much overlooked film concerning Olympic marathon running. Loosely based on real events of the 1960 Rome Olympics. Follows the travails of four runners; American, Aussie, Check, and English all with different running styles and motivations. The ending is a bit predictable but quite interesting to see it get there. This film needs to put out on video!!

This is a pretty decent film on one of my favorite subjects, the Olympics. This film pretty much takes its inspration from several real figures in Olympic history (Abebe Bikila, Dorondo Pietri and Emil Zatopek) and uses their stories as the basis of this film. Its just too bad that this film is rarely, if ever, shown on television anymore because it does show what motivates someone to run in the marathon and what it takes to complete it.

In addition to all of the other major talent that appeared in this movie, Elton John provided one song for the soundtrack album of "The Games". The song was "From Denver To L.A.", but I think there was a misprint of his name and I it came out as Elton James or something like that. Since the album and the movie are no longer in print, "From Denver To L.A." is a much sought after gem among hardcore Elton John fans. We too hope that this movie is released soon on video so that we may at least hear the song for the first time!

I am amazed this movie is not available in video. I saw this movie many years ago and enjoyed it. I am training for a marathon and thought seeing this movie again would be motivational. I then find out it is not available. Is there anything an individual can do to get this movie to be released in video? It never seems to be on cable or t.v.