…All the Marbles (reissued as The California Dolls) is a 1981 comedy-drama film about the trials and travails of a female wrestling tag team and their manager. It was directed by Robert Aldrich (his final film) and stars Peter Falk, Vicki Frederick and Laurene Landon. The Pittsburgh Steeler hall of famer "Mean" Joe Greene plays himself.
Among the young unknown actresses who auditioned, but did not receive a part, was Kathleen Turner.
The wrestlers were trained by the former women's world wrestling champion Mildred Burke.
According to Laurene Landon (who portrayed California Doll Molly), while the film did not perform well at the box office in the United States, it made a healthy profit in foreign markets, and producers were planning a sequel, to be set primarily in Japan, when Robert Aldrich's death put a halt to the project.
The film is known outside the USA as The California Dolls, because "all the marbles" is an American idiom that makes little sense in most other countries.
Plot
Harry is the manager of a tag team of gorgeous lady wrestlers. On the road, they endure a number of indignities, including bad motels, small-time crooks and a mud-wrestling match, while trying to reach Reno for a big event at the MGM Grand.
Cast
- Peter Falk as Harry
- Vicki Frederick as Iris
- Laurene Landon as Molly
- Richard Jaeckel as Dudley
- Burt Young as Eddie Cisco
- John Hancock as Big John
- Faith Minton as Big Mama
Production
Second unit photography began 5 November 1980. Principal photography took place 14 November to 24 February 1981 on location in Youngstown and Akron, Ohio; Chicago; Las Vegas; Reno; and Los Angeles.
Reception
In his October 16, 1981, review in The New York Times, the film critic Vincent Canby singled out Falk for "one of his best performances".
References
External links
- …All the Marbles on IMDb
- Movie stills
