Players ** (1979, Ali MacGraw, Dean Paul Martin, Maximilian Schell) – Classic Movie Review 10,520

Director Anthony Harvey’s 1979 film Players is an old-hat, ultra-soapy romantic drama about crossed hearts and tennis racquets.

It is smoothly enough done, though, with the athletic Dean Paul Martin convincing looking and giving an adequate turn as Chris, a rising young tennis champ romancing sexy, sultry, older sculptor Nicole (Ali MacGraw), lovelessly engaged to a rich man.

Their affair is interwoven with scenes from the 1978 Wimbledon championships, climaxing at Wimbledon Centre Court, which should have nostalgic tennis fans hooked.

Dean Paul Martin (1951–1987).

Martin was the son of Dean Martin. He was Golden Globe nominated as New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture – Male in 1980. He had a singing career and was also a talented tennis player. He was killed aged 35 when his F-4 Phantom military jet fighter crashed into the San Bernadino Mountains, California, in a snowstorm during a routine flight on 21 March 1987. He was on active duty with the California Air National Guard.

The late Dan Maskell appears as himself, Wimbledon BBC Tennis Commentator, and his inimitable voice is heard once more (‘Ooh, I say!’). Plus a bunch of famous names: Pancho González, John McEnroe, Ilie Nastase, John Lloyd, Dennis Ralston, Vijay Amritraj, Guillermo Vilas, Ion Tiriac, Tom Gullikson.

Also in the cast are Maximilian Schell, Steve Guttenberg, and Melissa Prophet.

It runs an over-long 120 minutes and ABC cut 25 minutes for its 1984 US network TV premiere.

Players is directed by Anthony Harvey, runs 120 minutes, is made by Paramount Pictures, is released by Paramount, is written by Arnold Schulman and Tommy Cook, is shot by James Crabe, is produced by Robert Evans, is scored by Jerry Goldsmith and is designed by Richard Sylbert.

MacGraw and Evans were married from 24 October 1969 to 7 June 1973 (divorced, one child). She divorced her third husband Steve McQueen in 1978.

The idea was re-visited in Wimbledon (2004).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,520

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