''The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' is a 1979 American sports/fantasy comedy film directed by Gilbert Moses and coproduced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by

Lorimar Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Televisi ...

and distributed by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

. The film was shot on location in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

and at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena, as well as in suburban

Moon Township, Pennsylvania Moon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Moon is a part of the Greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 27,261 at the 2020 census. History ...

. The film has attracted a cult following, most notably for its disco-inspired setting and soundtrack, as well as the appearances of many NBA stars (including lead actor Julius Erving) and early roles for

Debbie Allen Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an ...

Stockard Channing Stockard Channing (born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard; February 13, 1944) is an American actress. She is known for playing Betty Rizzo in the film '' Grease'' (1978) and First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series '' The West Wing'' ...

and

Harry Shearer Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, writer, musician, radio host, director and producer. Born in Los Angeles, California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member ...

. The film also contains a cameo by longtime Pittsburgh mayor

Richard Caliguiri Richard S. Caliguiri (October 20, 1931 – May 6, 1988) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1977 until his death in 1988. Early career Caliguiri was of Italian Arbëresh ancestry, and grew up i ...

Plot

The

Pythons are a struggling professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team whose continuous losing streak and lack of talent has made them the laughing stock of the city. Several players ask to be traded to other teams because of the bad publicity and the presence of difficult but highly paid star player Moses Guthrie. Believing that the team needs a miracle, ballboy Tyrone Millman turns to astrology to improve the team's fortunes. He brings his idea to astrologer Mona Mondieu, and they devise the perfect concept: a team composed entirely of players born under Guthrie's astrological sign of

Pisces Pisces may refer to: * Pisces, an obsolete (because of land vertebrates) taxonomic superclass including all fish *Pisces (astrology), an astrological sign *Pisces (constellation), a constellation ** Pisces Overdensity, an overdensity of stars in t ...

. The team is reborn as the Pittsburgh Pisces. Although Tyrone's sister and Guthrie think that the idea is absurd, they ultimately embrace the concept. The plan succeeds because of the new team's eccentric skills, teamwork and Mona's astrological readings, culminating in a championship opportunity.

Production

Singer/actress

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

was originally cast as Mona Mondieu, but she withdrew at the last minute. Singer/actress

Dee Dee Bridgewater Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National ...

, who plays Brandy, previously won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

for her role as Glinda in ''

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...

'' on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

also under the direction of Gilbert Moses, whom she later married. The Spinners recorded two songs for the film. Actress/choreographer

and athlete

Norm Nixon Norman Ellard Nixon (born October 11, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played with Scav ...

, who married in 1984, both appear in the film. Despite popular belief, Julius Erving's character's name of Moses was not chosen in reference to teammate

Moses Malone Moses Eugene Malone (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A cen ...

, as Erving and Malone would not become teammates until four years later.

Novelization

novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...

written by

Richard Woodley Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...

, based upon an early draft of the screenplay by Jaison Starkes and Edmond Stevens, was released in 1979. The novel differs in several respects from the film. In the film, the Pisces win every game, but in the novel, the team loses twice. The novel describes a group of people in wheelchairs causing havoc at a Pisces game, a scene that appears in the film's preview trailer but not in the final release.

Home video

In 2010, Warner Bros. Home Video released the film on DVD and digital download as part of its

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inten ...

."The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh"
(Warner Archive Collection)

Cast

* Julius Erving - Moses Guthrie * Jonathan Winters - H.S. and Harvey Tilson *

Meadowlark Lemon Meadow Lemon III (April 25, 1932 – December 27, 2015),"Meadowlark Lemo ...

- Rev. Grady Jackson *

Jack Kehoe Jack Kehoe (November 21, 1934 – January 14, 2020) was an American film actor appearing in a wide variety of films, including the crime dramas ''Serpico'' (1973), '' The Pope of Greenwich Village'' (1984) and Brian De Palma's ''The Untouchables' ...

- Setshot *

Margaret Avery Margaret Avery (born April 15, 1944) is an American actress and singer. She began her career appearing on stage and later had starring roles in films including '' Cool Breeze'' (1972), '' Which Way Is Up?'' (1977), ''Scott Joplin'' (1977), and '' ...

- Toby Millman *James Bond III - Tyrone Millman * Michael V. Gazzo - Harry the Trainer *Peter Isacksen - Driftwood *Dwayne Mooney - Benny Rae *Daryl Mooney - Kenny Rae *

Nicholas Pryor Nicholas Pryor (born Nicholas David Probst; January 28, 1935) is an American actor. He has appeared in various television series, films, and stage productions. Life and career Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in Baltimore, Maryland, the son ...

- George Brockington *

M. Emmet Walsh Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including small but important supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in '' B ...

- Wally Cantrell *

- Mona Mondieu *

Flip Wilson Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American comedian and actor best known for his television appearances during the late 1960s and 1970s. From 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series ''The F ...

- Coach 'Jock' Delaney *

- Ola *

- Brandy *

Julius Carry Julius John Carry III (March 12, 1952 – August 19, 2008) was an American actor. He made his acting debut in the 1979 film '' Disco Godfather'' starring Rudy Ray Moore. He played Sho'Nuff in the martial arts film ''The Last Dragon''. He also act ...

- Malik Jamal Truth * Jerry Chambers - Lucian Tucker *

Jessie Lawrence Ferguson Jessie Lawrence Ferguson (June 8, 1941 – April 26, 2019) was an American actor. He was best known for playing the self-hating racist police officer in John Singleton's Academy Award-nominated film '' Boyz n the Hood'' (1991). Biography Ferguso ...

- Jackhammer Washington *Malek Abdul Mansour - Bullet Haines *

Richard Foronjy Richard Foronjy (born August 3, 1937) is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the mobster Tony Darvo in the 1988 film ''Midnight Run''. Partial filmography *'' Serpico'' (1973) - Corsaro *'' The Gambler ...

- Mike * Clayton Hill - Security Guard * Eric Mercury - Rudy and League Commissioner *

Branscombe Richmond Branscombe Richmond is an American character actor and stuntman. He is known for his starring role of Bobby Sixkiller on the American syndicated drama series, ''Renegade'' (1992–1997), and for his starring roles on the television series, ''Haw ...

- Winston Running Hawk * Joe Seneca - Mr. Sweets *

- Murray Sports

As themselves

Marv Albert Marv Albert (born Marvin Philip Aufrichtig; June 12, 1941) is an American retired sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball". From 1967 to 2004, he wa ...

Chick Hearn Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn (November 27, 1916 – August 5, 2002) was an American sportscaster who was the play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association for 41 years. Hearn is remembered for his rapi ...

The Sylvers The Sylvers were an American R&B family vocal group from Watts, Los Angeles, California. The Sylvers were a popular act during the 1970s, recording the hit singles "Fool's Paradise", " Boogie Fever", and " Hot Line". Prior to becoming the Syl ...

* The Spinners (As Deacon Smith and featured Singers)

Basketball teams

Los Angeles: *

Jerry Tarkanian Jerry Tarkanian (August 8, 1930 – February 11, 2015) was an American basketball coach. He coached college basketball for 31 seasons over five decades at three schools. He spent the majority of his career coaching with the UNLV Runnin' Rebe ...

- coach (also the film's consultant) *

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...

* Connie Hawkins *

Lou Hudson Louis Clyde Hudson ("Sweet Lou") (July 11, 1944 – April 11, 2014) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player, who was an All-American at the University of Minnesota and a six-time NBA All-Star, scoring 17,940 total points in 1 ...

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

* Luther Rackley *

New York: * Alfred Beard Jr. * Luther "Ticky" Burden *

Spencer Haywood Spencer Haywood (born April 22, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player and Olympic gold medalist. Haywood is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2015. High school career In 1964, Hayw ...

Lonnie Shelton Lonnie Jewel Shelton (October 19, 1955 – July 8, 2018) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player who played from 1976 to 1985. Early years Shelton played college basketball for Oregon State University. He was drafted by the ...

Mychal Thompson Mychal George Thompson (born January 30, 1955) is a Bahamian-American former basketball player. The top overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, Thompson played the center position for the University of Minnesota and center and forward for the Na ...

Boston: * John Williamson * Donald Chaney * Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell * Kevin Stacom * Curtis Rowe Detroit: *

Leon Douglas Leon Douglas (born August 26, 1954) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before transitioning to an extensive professional career overseas in Europe. ...

* Christopher J. Ford *

Bob Lanier Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who was a center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lanier was inducted in ...

John Shumate John Henry Shumate (born April 6, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Shumate grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and played high school basketball at Thomas Jefferson High School. A 6'9" forward/ center from th ...

Eric Money Eric Money (born February 6, 1955) is a retired American professional basketball player. Amateur career A 6'0" guard out of Kettering High School in Detroit, Michigan, Money played alongside fellow future NBA players Lindsay Hairston and Conie ...

* Kevin Porter

References

External links

* * *
Frank Deford review for Sports Illustrated

Unofficial Website - TheFishThatSavedPittsburgh.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fish That Saved Pittsburgh 1979 films 1970s sports comedy films 1970s fantasy comedy films American basketball films American sports comedy films Films set in Pittsburgh Films shot in Pennsylvania Sports in Pittsburgh United Artists films American fantasy comedy films 1979 comedy films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films Films about astrology