Was, du willst nicht?

Exceptionally brassy, brawling comedy set mostly in the boxing ring. Barbra Streisand is a perfume executive with the #1 nose for business ("It's the kind of scent a man can give to a woman, a woman can give to a man, a man can give to a man, a woman can give to a woman, have I left anybody out?"). Unfortunately, she's been embezzled against and has lost all her finances, except the contract to a boxer who no longer boxes (he just spends her money). Streisand and Ryan O'Neal eke out some laughs from the groaning dialogue (a really bad joke regarding Patti D'Arbanville's threat to meddling Streisand is the most offensive). The plot coasts along on the amiable chemistry between the leads, though all they seem to do here is argue. It bottoms out in the final stretch, ending with an extremely weak climax which got boos from the theater audience I saw this with in 1979. Barbra looks pretty sexy though and--braless in T-shirts and showing lots o' leg in her short-shorts--don't think she doesn't want us to notice. *1/2 from ****

Hillary Kramer (Barbra Streisand) is a successful Perfume magnate . She awakes one morning to find that her accountant has robbed her and left for South America. The bankrupt entrepreneur attempts to recoup some of her losses by getting a hapless boxer (Ryan O'Neal) she picked up as a tax loss back into the ring and she goads him into resuming his career , an idea her protégé isn't fond of . Desperate and more than a little smitten , she badgers and bullies him back into the ring .Going through all of her remaining assets she attempts to train the old boxer, purchased as a tax write off. She unfortunately decides to take the veteran boxer , but things go wrong . A Glove Story !

Lame , silly and derivative screwball comedy desperate to suggest chemistry that both of them : Streisand and O'Neal got in the really successful ¨What 's up Doc ?¨ by Peter Bogdanovich . Being second of two star collaborations of actors Ryan O'Neal and Barbra Streisand who previously had a publicized romance . The picture attempted to reunite unsucessfully the famous stars , getting gross enough at the box office , but far from the hit What's up Doc ? . Lots of fruitless romantic yearning and Barbra Streisand usually screaming and yelling. Barbra Streisand gives a sympathetic acting as a wacky and bankrupt cosmetic executive who must depend on on the career of washed-up boxer to rebuild her fortune. Streisand sings the catching title song that went on the top-of-the-pops charts , the tune was also nominated for the Best Original Song Motion Picture at the Golden Globe Awards . While Ryan O'Neal comes off slightly better than Barbra at times , but only because his shouting is not as abrasive as hers . They are very well accompanied by a good cast , such as : Paul Sand, Whitman Mayo , Patti D'Arbanville , Richard Lawson , Ernie Hudson , Art Evans and the ordinary secondary James Gregory .

The motion picture was regularly directed by Howard Zieff . Before going into the movies, he was responsible for many memorable advertising campaigns. Noted for their innovative casting , he used to cast young unknowns with decidedly ethnic, un-Hollywood features, including Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Richard Dreyfuss. Zieff was a notorious director and producer, a comedy expert , specially known for Slither (1973) , Hearts of the West (1975) ,House Calls (1978); Private Benjamin (1980) , My Girl (1991) , My Girl 2 (1994) , Unfaithfully Yours (1984) , The Dream Team (1989) and this Main Event (1979). Rating : 5.5/10 , mediocre but passable .This movie will put to sleep the hard way. Only for Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal fans .

I have to ask how do you get a job like Ryan O'Neal had. Imagine a promising fighter who injures his hand and doesn't box for four years. But he and trainer Whitman Mayo live on the arm and just show up and hang out at a gym for with all their living expenses paid and are on salary. It's all because perfume tycoon Barbra Streisand is using this as one of many tax dodges set up by her manager.

But said manager has up and fled the country taking his clients assets except for O'Neal. So now O'Neal has to fight in earnest because Barbra is broke and the gravy train is over. Barbra having nothing else to do becomes O'Neal's manager.

Like that old line about 'Ginger Rogers running the Brooklyn Dodgers' from Hollywood Hotel that sums up the comedy in The Main Event which is what Streisand and O'Neal are striving for. She's just a fish out of water. But dare I say it because Barbra hates him, but her character shows a Trump like ability to garner free publicity. And ballyhoo is an integral part of boxing.

Taking up where they left off from What's Up Doc, Streisand and O'Neal have a well meshed chemistry. Have to also give big kudos to James Gregory as the Mike Jacobs like fight promoter who knows box office when he sees it.

Funniest scenes in the film are at O'Neal's training camp where Barbra is trying very hard to fit into this most masculine of worlds. Not an easy fit by any means.

The Main Event is a fun film, the only comedy I can recall about boxing.

This film was a major hit upon release in the summer of '79. With a budget seven-million-dollars, the film took in over $40 million at the domestic box office and became one of the top-ten grossers of the year. Unfortunately, it has since been written off by many fans and critics alike as one of Streisand's weakest film efforts. As for myself, I believe THE MAIN EVENT manages to be likable, funny, and entertaining. Even though we've seen the same story a thousand times before, THE MAIN EVENT is very enjoyable while it's playing.

The scenes are all set up very well, the one-liners are funny ("I said celebrate, not fornicate "), and Streisand and O'Neal give off a strong sexual charge between them on screen. The film also features a very strong supporting cast, with Paul Sand, Whitman Mayo, and Patti D'Arbanville turning in terrific performances. Unfairly mangled by most critics and many viewers (many of whom need to learn how to loosen up), the film is complete fun from start to finish. Ignore all of the naysayers, THE MAIN EVENT stands one of my favorite romantic comedies.

I don't know why but I thoroughly enjoyed this watching it as a child. Now looking at it as an adult I liked it a little less. The humor still stands up but the action parts look sloppy and unreal. Plot was great I just felt characters weren't built up enough and needed more fight scenes to see how the fighter develops skill wise. It's just too bad because it could have been a great film.