The Prize Fighter
| The Prize Fighter | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Preece |
| Produced by |
Lang Elliott Wanda Dell |
| Written by |
Tim Conway John Myhers |
| Story by | Tim Conway |
| Starring |
Tim Conway Don Knotts David Wayne |
| Music by | Peter Matz |
| Cinematography | Jacques Haitkin |
| Edited by | Fabien Tordjmann |
Production company |
Tri Star Pictures |
| Distributed by | New World Pictures |
Release dates | November 1979 |
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million[1] |
| Box office | $6.5 million[1] |
The Prize Fighter is an American comedy film starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts. Directed by Michael Preece, it was written by Tim Conway and John Myhers, based on a story by Conway. It was released by New World Pictures in November 1979.[2]
Plot
Set in the 1930s, Tim Conway is Bags, an underdog boxer and Don Knotts as his dim-witted sidekick/manager Shake are out to save a gym and become stooges for a gangster (Robin Clarke) who decides to take advantage of the two losers: he sets Bags up for a big championship match against a bruiser nicknamed "The Butcher" (Michael LaGuardia). At stake is more than the one-sided match, the duo's friend Pop Morgan (David Wayne) has bet all he has on Bags; he needs money to save his gym from the clutches of the gangster.[3]
Main cast
- Tim Conway as Bags
- Don Knotts as Shake
- Robin Clarke as Mike
- David Wayne as Pop Morgan
- Irwin Keyes as Flower
- Mary Ellen O'Neill as Mama
- Michael LaGuardia as The Butcher
- Cisse Cameron as Polly
- George Nutting as Timmy
- John Myhers as Doyle
Background
The two comedic actors Conway and Knotts achieved success onscreen when they were paired in several family-friendly feature films for Disney: The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975), Gus (1976), and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979).[4] As boxing and wrestling movies were popular in the 1970s and '80s, choosing the subject for a slapstick comedy seemed like a good idea. Knotts and Conway would team up yet again in 1981 for The Private Eyes.[4]
Reception
The film was a box office hit, earning $6.5 million during its initial release, and was one of the most financially successful films ever released by New World Pictures.
Notes
- 1 2 Koetting, Christopher T. (2009), Mind Warp!: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures, Hemlock Books, p. 172
- ↑ "The Prize Fighter (1979) Release Info". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
- ↑ "The-Prize-Fighter". NYTimes.com. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- 1 2 Tillisch, Rob (29 June 2005). "The Prize Fighter (1979)". KOPictureShow.com. Retrieved 17 August 2015.