Film Snail

5.3

The World's Greatest Athlete

G·1973·106m

Comedy

Family

Comedy

Family

Summary

Stuck with a feeble sports department, college coach Sam Archer (John Amos) faces the ax unless he can reverse the school's athletic fortunes. An African vacation with his assistant (Tim Conway) answers Archer's prayers when he spots the athletically gifted Nanu (Jan-Michael Vincent). Sam counts on Nanu's remarkable abilities to put the team back on the winning track. This upbeat farce boasts an impressive cast of comedians.

Cast

Jan-Michael Vincent

Nanu

Tim Conway

Milo Jackson

John Amos

Coach Sam Archer

Roscoe Lee Browne

Gazenga

Dayle Haddon

Jane

Billy De Wolfe

Dean Maxwell

Nancy Walker

Mrs. Petersen

Vito Scotti

Games spectator

Howard Cosell

Himself - Announcer

Frank Gifford

Himself - Announcer

Jim McKay

Himself - Announcer

Dorothy Shay

Liam Dunn

Dr. Winslow

Clarence Muse

Gazenga's Assistant

Al Checco

Dr. Checco

Danny Goldman

Leopold Maxwell

Don Pedro Colley

Morumba

Leon Askin

Dr. Gottlieb

Joe Kapp

Buzzer Kozak

Leigh Christian

Virginia Capers

Native Woman

Philip Ahn

Old Chinaman

John Lupton

Race Starter

Sarah Selby

Woman on Safari

Russ Conway

Judge with Stopwatch

Dick Wilson

Drunk in Bar

Jack Griffin

David Mooney

Don Ames

Party Guest (uncredited)

David Armstrong

Judge (uncredited)

Pete Carroll

Running Back (uncredited)

Spencer Chan

Commuter (uncredited)

Edward Coch Jr.

Spectator (uncredited)

Robert Cole

Judge (uncredited)

Peter Eastman

Party Guest (uncredited)

Bob Harks

Party Guest (uncredited)

Eugene Jackson

Party Guest (uncredited)

Marlene Kisker

Clerk (uncredited)

Hans Moebus

Party Guest (uncredited)

John Pedrini

Party Guest (uncredited)

Al Roberts

Coach (uncredited)

Hank Robinson

Reporter (uncredited)

Owen Song

Spectator (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Robert Scheerer

Screenplay

Gerald Gardner

Screenplay

Dee Caruso

Reviews

r96sk

August 8, 2020

Bang average.

<em>'The World’s Greatest Athlete'</em> feels like a mixture of stuff we've seen before in this era of Disney. It doesn't do enough to make an impact on me, not helped by silliness of the story and meh casting.

John Amos is the best part of this, I enjoyed what he brings to the table here. Away from him I'm struggling to remember any others already, Roscoe Lee Browne - who is in one of my favourite films, <em>'Treasure Planet'</em> - is alright but I found his character boring.

I think there's actually potential there with the overall premise, but as usual with this studio's early decades they choose to make it dumb and silly rather than meaningful - it would take a load of tweaking, but I reckon this would make a better coming-of-age/underdog story with a more proper tone. That would make it a completely different film, admittedly.

Lastly, the score is surprisingly solid while the end scene is its most amusing moment. Those two things and Amos aside, this is a bland one.