The Main Event (1979 film)

Plot

Hillary Kramer (Streisand), a successful perfume magnate awakes one morning to find that her accountant has robbed her blind and left for South America. Going through all of her remaining assets she finds a boxer, purchased as a tax write off. She decides to take Eddie "Kid Natural" Scanlon (Ryan O'Neal) who is much more at home giving driving lessons, into the ring and use him as her key to riches. Eddie thinks this will only get him killed and resists.

Eventually, Hillary wears Eddie down and she gets funding (mainly from friends, associates, and colleagues) for his first fights, all of which go awry, either through Hillary's lack of knowledge about boxing or Eddie's out-of-shape condition (and general fear of being hit). All the while, Hillary and Eddie continue sparring on their own, thanks to their different personalities. But, as time (and fights) go on, they develop an increasingly personal relationship, which ultimately leads them to have to decide what they really want.

Main cast

Production

The film was originally offered to Ryan O'Neal when Goldie Hawn was going to star. Then the producers proposed Diana Ross to appear in the lead, but O'Neal refused.

Box office

Although critically panned, The Main Event was a box office success. The film grossed $42.8 million on a budget of $8 million. It was the 16th highest-grossing film of 1979.

Awards and honors

Soundtrack

In June 1979, a soundtrack was released on vinyl, cassette and 8-track tape. In October 1993, it was released on CD. The soundtrack contains an extended version of "The Main Event/Fight", containing a version which runs 11:39, an edited and slightly altered version at 4:54 (released as the single that hit number three on the pop charts in both the U.S. and Canada), and a ballad version titled simply "The Main Event" as it omits the "Fight" parts. A bootleg of the recording sessions for the title song exists with Streisand commenting on the vocal challenges the song contains. A DJ-only promo 12" single was released for "The Main Event/Fight" as well as a 7" promo that featured a unique shorter 3:59 version backed with the single release.

Track listing

1. "The Main Event/Fight" – Barbra Streisand
2. "The Body Shop" – Michalski and Ooversteen
3. "The Main Event/Fight" (short version) – Barbra Streisand
4. "Copeland Meets the Coasters/Get a Job" – Michael Melvoin
5. "Big Girls Don't Cry" – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
6. "It's Your Foot Again" – Michael Melvoin
7. "Angry Eyes" – Loggins and Messina
8. "I'd Clean a Fish for You" – Michael Melvoin
9. "The Main Event" (ballad) – Barbra Streisand