California Dolls

Nice film with Peter Falk (RIP) ...I had seen it before, years ago, didn't remember it though...except the mud wrestling scene and that hot "Iris" aka Vicki Frederick - wow!

I wonder why Frederick didn't make it to a bigger star, she certainly had the looks and talent to be a real 80's sweetheart/hottie...

The movie is a sort of a mixed bag, divided between t&a of female wrestling scenes and story about them trying to make it...perhaps with too much wrestling/backstory depending on one's point of view... The last wrestling scene was something like 20 minutes long, a bit too much perhaps. But I have to say wrestling was well made and ladies were fit, so no big problem, entertaining fair nevertheless.

I liked the 70's feel of it, reminded me a bit about Rocky...well it did have "Paulie" in it. And Columbo, in quite a different role, pulling a fine performance as a sleazy manager. And of course according to this film, wrestling is all real, not a show. Ha! Wonderful find.

7.5/10

For a movie about lady wrestlers, this was fairly realistic. Aside from treating pro wrestling as real competition, the movie captures the life of wrestlers on the road quite well. Women's wrestling never had it's own territory, so the performers were always traveling to their next match. The promoters controlled the payoff and moving up the card often meant getting in good with the promoter. Performers worked through injuries and had no health benefits. It was a tough life, but most loved it.

The actors are great and the story has a good framework. Peter Falk is the definite standout, but the two ladies acquit themselves quite well. The wrestling sequences are well staged and blow away anything booked by the WWE. The most far-fetched idea is women's wrestling headlining a big card in Las Vegas, with tv coverage. Well, it is a movie. It's also the best movie ever made about pro wrestling, all though that's not saying much.

It's been said that this movie inspired the GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) promotion and tv show. If true, they should have watched the movie more closely, as it was better than anything they presented.

The movie has its flaws, but it's still entertaining, and the final match will have you on the edge of your seat.

This film will be dismissed by most viewers much like I dismiss hip hop music. With the recent revival of pro wrestling, it is a shame that this film stays buried in the MGM/UA film library. All the Marbles, is the story of the California Dolls, 2 very attractive lady wrestlers seeking wrestling work and fame in seedy blue collar cities and towns of Mid America. Their manager is Peter Falk. They hope to leverage their good looks and athletic talents into the major league of pro wrestling. This film had a first rate director, capable cast, and was well written. It was a shame that it failed at the box office. While lady wrestling is not currently mainstream, things are changing, women can be stronger and better trained and more and more people are watching wrestling. Weekly pro wrestling attracts more TV viewers than weekly baseball. Hey MGM, how 'bout putting All the Marbles back on TV.

A strange underrated film. brilliant acting and wonderful fight sequences. The film lives in a curious world of endless motel rooms, dislocation and transit (Harry's grubby car/opera soundtrack ...) A curious feature is also that we are asked to believe that pro tag wrestling is "for real." the photography throughout is excellent and the performances are very strong (Falk is superb!)another wonderful, tantalising element is the scant detail we are given of the central characters. Molly = "junkie" ex secretary, Iris = ex lover of Harry, and Harry himself = opera loving ex teacher. the tone of the film is of these (and other) exploited girls, literally fighting for a better life, on the "eternal road" both strong, but a million miles from "independent". occasional comic moments, and moments which bring enormous sympathy and empathy. a classic film. and sadly, I believe, Aldrich's last.

P Hancock. Kent, UK

All the Marbles is a movie about a wrestling team called California Dolls.There are two women in the team and a guy called Harry is the manager.Peter Falk, who is mostly remembered from the role of Columbo, plays Harry in All the Marbles, and he does a great job in it.Harry travels all around the country with the girls looking for fights.The girls even go mud wrestling once, but they don't like it that much.Then in the end the girls fight for the championship.That's great to watch. All the Marbles is great.