The Main Event (1979)

My Review

“The Main Event” is a sports comedy about a bankrupt perfume executive who discovers her only remaining asset is a management contract for a washed up boxer. Desperate for cash, she forces him back into the ring leading to comedy and drama and romance. Director Howard Zieff (“House Calls” 1978) put together a formulaic romantic comedy with an acceptable amount of laughs qualifying as fair escapist entertainment. The acceptable screenplay was written by Gail Parent and Andrew Smith.

The stars of the show are Barbra Streisand as the bankrupt businesswoman and Ryan O’Neal as the retired boxer. They have the same comedic chemistry as they did in “What’s Up, Doc?” (1972). Co-stars include Paul Sand, Whitman Mayo, Patti D’Arbanville, Chu Chu Malave, Richard Lawson, James Gregory, and Rory Calhoun in a minor role as a fighter in the kid’s camp.

The watchable “The Main Event” was a success in theatrical release for producers Jon Peters and Barbra Streisand, First Artists, Barwood Films, and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was filmed throughout the greater Los Angeles area.