How can you not enjoy Peter Falk carting around two very feisty lady wrestlers? Robert Aldrich directed this witty cross between ROCKY & THE KANSAS CITY BOMBER. Falk is the not very good but extremely enthusiastic manager of sexy wrestlers Vicki Frederick & Laurene Landon (aka The California Dolls). The three travel from one dingy arena to another as the Dolls try for the big time in Reno. Falk is hilarious, basically acting like Peter Falk. Landon, and especially Frederick are not only sexy, they're smart, funny and tough as nails, both in and out of the ring. They're never made to look anything but smarter than the rowdy audiences who come to see them. They're in on the joke! This is a very funny, very affectionate road film with very likable characters. Burt Young is a mean-spirited & ruthlessly stingy wrestling promoter. Lenny Montana (Luca Brasi from THE GODFATHER & a one-time wrestler himself) gets a lot of laughs as Young's morally superior bodyguard. The script by Mel Frohman and others is full of priceless one-liners.

I have always been a Burt Young fan and to see this film was definitely a treat. I always knew wrestling was a show and not a real sport although the athletes themselves are really taking the bumps and it does take a lot of ability to pull off the moves. I was extremely annoyed when wrestling became a "sports entertainment", because it is more bullshitting than wrestling now a days. I for one applaud movies like the original Wrestler with Ed Asner and Body Slam as they kept the secret of wrestling well hidden. The tongue and cheek way I watched it growing up illustrated the fact that no one could really do that 360 days a year and survive. I especially enjoyed this film because of its plot. A tag team wrestles their way to the top and will do almost anything to get a shot at the title. Burt Young plays a great heal in the film and you genuinely despise him as the film goes on. Peter Falk is his usual charming fatherly type and this film didn't feel staged. I am not familiar with either actress that played the California Dolls so for the first film I have seen them in they did an astounding job. I felt it was more realistic then 1974's The Wrestler which was more of a B rated film. I think that any wrestling fan that longs for the old days of pro wrestling will really enjoy this film. For the new agers who like all the sex and story lines that ruined the old school programs there is enough eye candy to keep you entertained....

My responses to some of the comments above QUOTE: A curious feature is also that we are asked to believe that pro tag wrestling is "for real."This is only half-true. There are a number of references to one team allowing the other a fall, etc. (or not, as the case may be, as when Rose effectively double-crosses one of the Tigers to gain an advantage); and QUOTE: a Japanese promoter offers to finance a championship run… QUOTE: We have here two very attractive cast members who, quite unusually, are also very competent actresses. All four main female wrestling characters were originally dancers. One or two of the contributors here actually refer to the ring action as QUOTE: choreography. I agree that all four were excellently trained and did a really good job.QUOTE: Different groups of viewers… A third group will be those who rate female wrestling as a significant spectator sport and who want to watch this film primarily for the ring sequences… This perceived group is narrow. Those who appreciate the finer points of men's grappling do not naturally translate to the female version, and are often against it. The "missing" group are those who like to see a female protagonist triumph over another woman or, often, over a male. These are not the same as the "T&A/catfight" brigade as – although some of these aficionados are often "leg" men – the need for a further display of flesh is not always paramount.QUOTE: It's hard to understand why Aldrich took on this project… QUOTE: you have to wonder which one of them… has the wrestling f*t*sh. I Think the latter comment perhaps answers the first QUOTE: wondering why such attractive girls did not try to get Uncle Hef to picture them… so that they could sign up with a Hollywood model agency and earn a few bucks by modelling (acting?)… Instead of through a life in the wrestling ring. For the said enthusiast, the girls' attraction (which is admittedly greater than that of most real-life exponents up to that point) underlines the appeal.QUOTE: I saw the U.K. version UK enthusiasts were generally starved of such entertainment, until one of the British promoters escalated his blonde wife to top of the bill during the 1980s.QUOTE: If you doubt the popularity of female grappling, go to Youtube.com and check out the tens of thousands of views… I think this is the same minority viewing over and over.QUOTE: Certainly it couldn't have been a star vehicle for Vicki Frederick (better known for her role in the "A Chorus Line" movie) I liked Frederick in both of these but agree that they evidently didn't really raise her profile; she ended up on 'Love Boat' and similar.QUOTE: The original release "......all the Marbles" was renamed "The California Dolls" for release in the U.K., and a second release in the U.S.A. also used this alternative title.This is a wimp-out by the distributor. From the original title, the prospective viewer would have little idea what the movie is about; they have elected instead for a populist, more "sledgehammer" approach and title.QUOTE: With the recent revival of pro wrestling… While lady wrestling is not currently mainstream, things are changing… These comments have run way out of date. Pro wrestling is currently on the ropes, with the ladies' game more or less non-existent.QUOTE: Jumping on the "mud wrestling" craze of the late 70s and early 80s (when this was supposed to be about in-ring "pro" wrestling Slightly unfair. This is used as an example of Falk "stitching the girls up" to gain revenue. The girls are aghast at his choice.QUOTE: My suggestion is therefore that MGM should consider issuing a double sided DVD, one side with a copy of ".... all the marbles" edited… and the other side with the alternate version "The California Dolls" edited to maximise its appeal… Great idea.Dave

This is overall an entertaining movie,but I have to admit...the real interest here for me is watching 2 very sexy women wrestling. I've always enjoyed catfighting,and this is one of the few mainstream movies that has that in it. I would someday like to see a racier version of this movie,but i know I'm probably just dreaming. Its been awhile since I've seen this,but i believe there was also a jello wrestling scene in it. One thing I had a little trouble believing was that the lead dark haired wrestler was sleeping with the Peter Falk character...ewwww....highly doubtful. I recommend watching this movie to see if you like it.