Robert Fields

Nicolas Coster

Margaret Blye

Jack Warden

Richard Dysart

James Noble

Ralph Waite

Jo Ann Harris

Linda Blair

Anne Ramsey

Helen Craig

Lois Markle

John Seymour

Logan Ramsey

Leon B. Stevens

Ralph Purdom

William Roerick

Larry Peerce

Thomas Laughridge

Danny Lee

Joel Schiller

Sandy Dvore

Phil Abramson

Lee Rich

Jack Courtland

Thomas McGuane

Lorenzo Semple Jr.

Michael Small

Lawrence Silk

Lynn Stalmaster

Ron Talsky

Comedy

The Sporting Club

Lorimar Motion Pictures

United States of America

THE SPORTING CLUB (1971) - Businessman James Quinn (Nicolas Coster) sets out for a peaceful getaway of hunting, fishing, and drinking at the Centennial Club, a backwoods retreat whose wealthy members all value insularity and tradition. All, that is, except for Vernur Stanton (Robert Fields), a simmering provocateur and anarchist whose favorite pastime is engaging in Alexander Hamilton/Aaron Burr-style gun duels. When Earl Olive (Jack Warden), the Club's new manager, is injured in one of these wax-bullet showdowns, the perpetually stoned Olive - with assistance from his rowdy biker buddies - declares literal class warfare on the Club and its members. Since its satiric concerns revolve around issues which are so prevalent in American politics today - namely hyper-partisanship and the privileged versus the proletariat - you would think that this would resonate more powerfully today than when initially released by a clueless AVCO Embassy (who actually promoted this in some markets as a MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932)-style human-hunting tale). Unfortunately, the story starts to gradually lose focus; the approach becomes heavy-handed and obvious; and interest starts to wane before the big orgy finale. (Yes, you read that right.) With an interesting, folksy score by Michael Small; a source novel by Thomas McGuane; and a cast full of fine character players who would become familiar faces on television over the next decade, this is one instance where the whole is quite a bit less than the sum of its parts.

English

The Sporting Club | 1971 - AVCO Embassy