The World's Greatest Athlete facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The World's Greatest Athlete |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Robert Scheerer |
| Produced by | Bill Walsh |
| Written by | Dee Caruso Gerald Gardner |
| Starring | John Amos Roscoe Lee Browne Tim Conway Dayle Haddon Jan-Michael Vincent |
| Music by | Marvin Hamlisch |
| Cinematography | Frank V. Phillips |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
| Release date(s) | February 1, 1973 |
| Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $22,583,370 |
The World's Greatest Athlete is a fun American movie from 1973 made by Walt Disney Productions. It was directed by Robert Scheerer. The film stars John Amos, Roscoe Lee Browne, Tim Conway, Dayle Haddon, and Jan-Michael Vincent.
This movie is one of the few Hollywood sports films that focuses on track and field events. It tells the story of a super athlete named Nanu, played by Jan-Michael Vincent. Nanu tries to win every single event at the big NCAA Track & Field Championship. The story was written by Dee Caruso and Gerald Gardner.
Contents
Story of the Film
Coaches on a Mission
The movie begins with Sam Archer, played by John Amos, and his assistant Milo Jackson, played by Tim Conway. They are coaches at Merrivale College. Sadly, their teams haven't won any games in any sport. This makes the head of the Alumni Association quite worried!
With only one year left on their contract, Coach Archer decides they need a break. So, he and Milo head off to Zambia in Southern Africa for a vacation.
Discovering Nanu
While on a safari, the coaches and their guide, Morumba, see something amazing. They spot a young man named Nanu, played by Jan-Michael Vincent. Nanu is like a real-life Tarzan! He can even outrun a cheetah at full speed.
Seeing Nanu's incredible talent, the coaches quickly get out their papers to sign him up. But they soon meet Nanu's godfather, Gazenga, played by Roscoe Lee Browne. Gazenga is a wise spiritual leader.
A New Challenge for Nanu
Nanu is an orphan and has grown up simply in the bush. Gazenga worries that throwing Nanu into the world of competitive college athletics in the United States would be bad for his spiritual growth.
Even with Gazenga's concerns, the coaches are very determined. They convince Nanu to join the Merrivale College sports program. From this point, the story is full of funny moments and exciting suspense.
Rivals and Romance
Nanu's journey to become the World's Greatest Athlete causes trouble for some powerful people. These people are used to always getting their way.
The film shows Nanu's innocent nature, Archer's clever plans, Jackson's funny mistakes, and Gazenga's wise but upset reactions. There are also sneaky plots by the bad guys. All these things lead up to the final big track meet.
The competitive world of American sports does challenge Nanu. But he finds support and love from Jane Douglas, played by Dayle Haddon. Their growing friendship makes Nanu's rival, Leopold Maxwell, played by Danny Goldman, very angry. Leopold tries to mess things up for Nanu as the big competition gets closer.
The Big Competition
The exciting final track meet features commentary from real-life ABC-TV sportscaster Howard Cosell, playing himself. It's a thrilling end to Nanu's athletic journey.
The movie finishes with the coaches trying to find another amazing athlete, this time in China. It shows that they never give up on finding new talent!
Meet the Cast
The film features a talented group of actors who bring the characters to life:
- John Amos plays Coach Sam Archer, the determined coach.
- Tim Conway plays Milo Jackson, Coach Archer's funny assistant.
- Jan-Michael Vincent plays Nanu, the incredibly fast and strong athlete.
- Roscoe Lee Browne plays Gazenga, Nanu's wise godfather.
- Dayle Haddon plays Jane Douglas, Nanu's friend and love interest.
- Billy De Wolfe plays Dean Maxwell.
- Nancy Walker plays Mrs. Petersen.
- Danny Goldman plays Leopold Maxwell, Nanu's jealous rival.
- Don Pedro Colley plays Morumba, the safari guide.
- Vito Scotti plays a Games spectator.
- Liam Dunn plays Dr. Winslow.
- Ivor Francis plays Dean Bellamy.
- Leon Askin plays Dr. Gottlieb.
- Joe Kapp plays Announcer Buzzer Kozak.
- Clarence Muse plays Gazenga's Assistant.
- Virginia Capers plays a Native Woman.
- Philip Ahn plays an Old Chinaman.
- John Lupton plays the Race Starter.
- Sarah Selby plays a Woman on Safari.
- Russ Conway plays a Judge with Stopwatch.
- Al Checco plays Dr. Checco.
- Dick Wilson plays a Customer in a bar.
The movie also has many famous athletes and sports journalists appearing in small roles. These include Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Jim McKay, Bud Palmer, Joe Kapp, and Bill Toomey.
