Résumé Wiki
Ce film raconte la vie de deux catcheuses*professionnelles, des salles miteuses au Championnat des USA.Derrière tout ceci ressort la réalité d'un sport, avec tous ses coups bas...
*Ce sont des lutteuses.La lutte -contrairement au catch- est un sport noble.
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Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Veteran action director Robert Aldrich's ("The Dirty Dozen"/"The Flight of the Phoenix"/"What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?") last film, curiously a blend of sports pic and sexual comedy, is at best an uneven film with a few funny moments to keep it from getting pinned by its tasteless storyline. Mel Frohman writes the surprisingly literate script, as a road movie that could have been made in the 1950's but for its 1970's raunchiness Peter Falk is the opera-loving, hustling wrestling manager of two female wrestlers, known as the California Dolls.
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They are endearingly played by the worldly Vicki Frederick and the naive Laurene Landon. Vicki once had an affair with Falk, but their relationship is now only work-related. Laurene has become addicted to pain killers and you can bet your house that she breaks her habit by the pic's end,or else this isn't a mainstream pic.The gals are a tag-team wrestling duo, who Falk brings from touring dumpy venues in small mill towns, in the midwest, in his beat-up car, to the big-time at the MGM Grand Hotel in Reno for a championship bout.
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How Falk does this trick is a neat trick, as Columbo does his usual wise guy scheming things (like getting the girls a mud wrestling match that turns ugly), while the girls struggle to hold their dignity and fight for success--they're going for all the marbles. Wrestling in this pic is oddly enough taken for a serious sport, as I guess Aldrich didn't get all the memos that say the bouts are all fixed (not just some) and the events are played just for entertainment purposes. Therefore the Rocky-like climax, of going from obscurity to fame, makes things a bit awkward if you're still believing this is a sports pic drama.
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But it's not bad, in fact it's entertaining, upbeat and pleasant. Just don't expect much more than a few body slams and a few wisecracks hitting home, otherwise you'll probably be disappointed. It's far from top-line Aldrich, but has enough of his motifs going down to at least keep it watchable. Burt Young as the oily wrestling promoter who resents Falk for his independence, has a nice turn in a supporting role to the three colorful zany stars. John Hancock gets a few laughs as the rival manager, while Richard Jaeckel is a hoot as the dishonest referee.
