''Mister Universe'' is a 1951 American comedy film. It was produced by Eagle Lion Pictures and directed by Joseph Lerner.

Plot

Honest "Mr. Universe" winner Tommy Tompkins struggles when he is told to lose a wrestling match.

Partial cast

* Jack Carson as Jeff Clayton * Janis Paige as Lorraine *

Vince Edwards Vince Edwards (born Vincent Edward Zoine; July 9, 1928 – March 11, 1996) was an American actor and director. He was best known for his TV role as doctor Ben Casey and as Major Cliff Bricker in the 1968 war film '' The Devil's Brigade''. Ear ...

as Tommy Tompkins * Bert Lahr as Joe Pulaski *

Robert Alda Robert Alda (born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo; February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) was an Italian-American theatrical and film actor, a singer, and a dancer. He was the father of actors Alan and Antony Alda. Alda was featured in a ...

as Fingers Maroni * Maxie Rosenbloom as Big Ears, the trainer *

Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...

as teenage girl in audience (uncredited)

Production

''Mister Universe'' was filmed in New York.

Reception

''Variety'' found the dialogue "weak" but the film "quite funny" with good performances. ''Variety'' noted that the film did not treat the wrestling business "with its phoney grapplers and decisions, and crooked promoters" lightly, but that it probably took it more seriously than the press and sports communities. '' Picturegoer'' wrote "True, much of the fun springs from the mauling of stooges, but the humour is no less effective for being elementary, or rather primitive." The cast was praised by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''.

Trivia

appears in an uncredited role. ''Mister Universe'' marked the film debut of Vince Edwards. A comic adaptation of the film was published by

Eastern Color The Eastern Color Printing Company was a company that published comic books, beginning in 1933. At first, it was only newspaper comic strip reprints, but later on, original material was published. Eastern Color Printing was incorporated in 19 ...

in the December 1950 issue of the anthology comic book ''Movie Love'', only a month before the film's release.

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0043823, Mister Universe

References

1951 films American comedy films Wrestling films Eagle-Lion Films films 1951 comedy films American black-and-white films 1950s American films