The World's Greatest Athlete
From the JUNGLE to the GYM...He's the Greatest!
1973 | 106m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Robert Scheerer |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Gerald Gardner, Dee Caruso |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Feb 14, 1973 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Robert Scheerer |
| Writer: | Gerald Gardner, Dee Caruso |
| Genres: | Family, Comedy |
| Keywords | sports |
| Production Companies | Walt Disney Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 03, 2024 Entered: Apr 26, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| 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) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Marvin Hamlisch | Original Music Composer |
| Dick Warlock | Stunts, Stunt Double |
| Robert Scheerer | Director |
| Gerald Gardner | Screenplay |
| Dee Caruso | Screenplay |
| Frank V. Phillips | Director of Photography |
| Cotton Warburton | Editor |
| John B. Mansbridge | Art Direction |
| Walter H. Tyler | Art Direction |
| Hal Gausman | Set Decoration |
| Chuck Keehne | Costume Design |
| Emily Sundby | Costume Design |
| La Rue Matheron | Hairstylist |
| Robert J. Schiffer | Makeup Artist |
| Michael J. Dmytryk | Assistant Director |
| Arthur J. Vitarelli | Second Unit Director |
| Herb Taylor | Sound |
| Art Cruickshank | Special Effects |
| Danny Lee | Special Effects |
| Eustace Lycett | Special Effects |
| Hans Metz | Special Effects |
| Alan Maley | Matte Painter |
| John R. Shannon | Still Photographer |
| Evelyn Kennedy | Music Editor |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Bill Walsh | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| 2024 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 3 |
| 2024 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 3 |
| 2024 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| 2024 | 10 | 9 | 20 | 3 |
| 2024 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Trending Position
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 t ... able 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.