Sports cinema 100 movies: the best of Hollywood's athletic heroes, losers, myths, and misfits

Abstract

Williams (freelance sports writer) identifies his top 100 sports movies, films "centered on sports-oriented stories, characters, events, or backdrops."Coverage ranges from 1926 (Battling Butler) to 2004 (Million Dollar Baby).While primarily made up of feature films, the list includes some documentaries (e.g., Hoop Dreams).Coverage goes beyond expected sports to, for example, bowling, karate, surfing, and even gladiators.Some might argue that films such as The Love Bug and the author's number one pick, The Hustler, are not true sports films, but Williams means to entertain, not demarcate a genre.Two-to seven-page entries (arranged from No. 100 to No. 1) provide cast, character, and crew names; studio and release date; plot summary; analysis; trivia; interview excerpts; "best scenes"; and VHS/DVD availability.Over 300 black-and-white stills enhance the entries.Concluding extras include a list of Oscar winners and a selected bibliography but no index.Although this is an entertaining companion, Williams's work is not essential for academic libraries.Yet Harvey Zucker and Lawrence Babich's Sports Films (CH, Oct'87), which provides a more complete and scholarly approach to the field, is missing 20 years of coverage--an update would be welcome.Summing

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