The One and Only (1978 film)
Encyclopedia
The One and Only is a 1978 film
comedy starring Henry Winkler
, directed by Carl Reiner
and written by Steve Gordon
.
Gordon went on to write and direct the movie Arthur
.
Andy is so obnoxious, he wants Mary to marry him fast before he becomes too famous to give her a second look. She can't resist him, try as she might.
Mary takes her new boyfriend home to Columbus, Ohio, to meet her strait-laced parents. Andy proceeds to annoy them in every possible way, hugging them, calling them "Tom and Mom," interrupting dinner to do a series of impressions, thoroughly ruining the visit.
"Oh, God, why him?" Mary rhetorically asks. Nevertheless, she elopes to a justice of the peace, marries Andy and moves with him to New York City, where he is certain Broadway or the movies will beckon within a matter of weeks.
Half a year passes and Andy gets nowhere. His ego isn't bruised and he remains his same insufferable self. Mary takes an office job to support them. She gets pregnant and still loves her husband, but her parents are terribly worried for Mary and she has to ask them for money because Andy isn't making any.
Andy does manage to make a friend, Milton Miller, a little person with a big ego. Milton might not look like a ladies' man, but he definitely is, as he tries to prove to everybody, even Mary's mom. Milton is a struggling actor himself. He points out to Andy a way to make a few bucks: "I wrestle sometimes."
Out of inspiration or desperation, Andy tries his hand at a new occupation—professional wrestling. He doesn't have the build for it, but by behaving and dressing in the manner of a Gorgeous George
, he creates a character known as "The Lover" who drives both opponents and audiences crazy. Andy has thousands of fans at last, even if they're not the kind he had in mind.
of The New York Times
did not enjoy the film much although he appreciated earlier works by Reiner:
Roger Ebert
of Chicago Sun-Times
gave it 2 out of 4 stars.
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
comedy starring Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
, directed by Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
and written by Steve Gordon
Steve Gordon (director)
Steve Gordon was an American film director who is best known for writing and directing the 1981 comedy Arthur, starring Dudley Moore. Gordon died on November 27, 1982 from a heart attack in New York City, one year after the film came out. He was 44 years old.- External links :* by Ken Levine...
.
Gordon went on to write and direct the movie Arthur
Arthur
Arthur is a common masculine given name. Its etymology is disputed, but its popularity derives from its being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur....
.
Plot
At a midwestern college, student Mary Crawford has the combined good and bad fortune to meet Andy Schmidt, a remarkably conceited young man who is convinced that he is tremendously talented and has every intention of becoming a star.Andy is so obnoxious, he wants Mary to marry him fast before he becomes too famous to give her a second look. She can't resist him, try as she might.
Mary takes her new boyfriend home to Columbus, Ohio, to meet her strait-laced parents. Andy proceeds to annoy them in every possible way, hugging them, calling them "Tom and Mom," interrupting dinner to do a series of impressions, thoroughly ruining the visit.
"Oh, God, why him?" Mary rhetorically asks. Nevertheless, she elopes to a justice of the peace, marries Andy and moves with him to New York City, where he is certain Broadway or the movies will beckon within a matter of weeks.
Half a year passes and Andy gets nowhere. His ego isn't bruised and he remains his same insufferable self. Mary takes an office job to support them. She gets pregnant and still loves her husband, but her parents are terribly worried for Mary and she has to ask them for money because Andy isn't making any.
Andy does manage to make a friend, Milton Miller, a little person with a big ego. Milton might not look like a ladies' man, but he definitely is, as he tries to prove to everybody, even Mary's mom. Milton is a struggling actor himself. He points out to Andy a way to make a few bucks: "I wrestle sometimes."
Out of inspiration or desperation, Andy tries his hand at a new occupation—professional wrestling. He doesn't have the build for it, but by behaving and dressing in the manner of a Gorgeous George
Gorgeous George
Gorgeous George, the stage name of George Wagner , American professional wrestler*Robert Kellum, a professional wrestler who wrestled as Gorgeous George III, after his great uncle, George Wagner...
, he creates a character known as "The Lover" who drives both opponents and audiences crazy. Andy has thousands of fans at last, even if they're not the kind he had in mind.
Principal cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Henry Winkler Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days... |
Andy Schmidt |
| Kim Darby Kim Darby Kim Darby is an American actress perhaps best known for co-starring with John Wayne and country singer/actor Glen Campbell in the 1969 western True Grit.-Early life and film career:... |
Mary Crawford |
| Gene Saks Gene Saks Gene Saks is an American stage and film director.-Life and career:Saks was born in New York City, the son of Beatrix and Morris J. Saks... |
Sidney Seltzer |
| William Daniels William Daniels William David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in... |
Mr. Crawford |
| Hervé Villechaize Hervé Villechaize Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize was a French actor who achieved worldwide recognition for his role as Mr. Roarke's assistant, Tattoo, in the television series Fantasy Island... |
Milton Miller |
| Ed Begley Jr. | Arnold - The King |
| Warren Stevens Warren Stevens Warren Stevens is an American stage, screen, and television actor.Born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Stevens began his acting career after serving in the U.S. Army Air Force as a pilot during World War II. He trained at The Actor's Studio in New York, received notice on Broadway, and thereafter... |
Hector Moses |
| H.B. Haggerty | Captain Nemo |
| Dennis James Dennis James Dennis James was an American television personality, actor, and announcer. He is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry in 1946... |
cameo |
Critical response
Vincent CanbyVincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
did not enjoy the film much although he appreciated earlier works by Reiner:
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave it 2 out of 4 stars.