Easy Living (1949)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur / Adam Keleman
Genres - Drama, Sports & Recreation |
Sub-Genres - Melodrama, Sports Drama |
Release Date - Oct 8, 1949 (USA - Unknown), Oct 8, 1949 (USA) |
Run Time - 77 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
No relation to the 1937 screwball comedy of the same name, Easy Living is a film about the world of professional sports. Victor Mature plays Pete Wilson, star halfback of the New York Chiefs. Well past his prime, Wilson would like to retire to a coaching job, but his rival Tim McCarr (Sonny Tufts) beats him to it. Financially, Wilson is really in no position to retire; unfortunately, he has learned that he suffers from a potentially deadly heart condition. To make matters worse, he's on the outs with his wife Liza (Lizabeth Scott), who has become disillusioned with the status of "team wife." A brief dalliance with team secretary Anne (an excellent performance from Lucille Ball) results in Anne's selfless efforts to help Wilson put his marriage -- and his life -- back together. Though he was ignored by contemporary reviewers, future talk-show host Jack Paar has an amusing supporting role. Most of the football players seen in Easy Living were drawn from the ranks of the real-life L.A. Rams. The film was based on a story by novelist Irwin Shaw.
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Themes
Keywords
sports, athlete, comeback, extramarital-affair, football, football-star, retirement