The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973): Cast & Plot
The World’s Greatest Athlete is a 1973 family comedy directed by Robert Scheerer, starring John Amos as Coach Sam Archer, Tim Conway and Jan-Michael Vincent. It runs 1 hour 46 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 46m (106 min)
- Director
- Robert Scheerer
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Walt Disney Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The World’s Greatest Athlete About?
The premise of The World’s Greatest Athlete without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
College coach Sam Archer (John Amos) is on the brink of losing his job because the sports program is failing. On a trip to Africa with his quirky assistant (Tim Conway), he discovers the extraordinarily athletic Nanu (Jan‑Michael Vincent). Archer hopes Nanu’s talent will revive the team’s fortunes in this upbeat farce featuring a strong comedic cast.
The World’s Greatest Athlete Themes & Keywords
· 48 tags- bare chested male
- barefoot male
- tank top
- male with long hair
- man wears a tank top
- basketball sport
- coach
- jungle
- athlete
- africa
- missionary
- tutor
+36 more Show fewer
- man tiger relationship
- bengal tiger
- male female relationship
- pounding one's chest like tarzan
- reference to tarzan and jane
- tarzan costume
- reference to tarzan
- tarzan spoof
- reference to jim thorpe
- jim thorpe
- horse
- falling in love
- love
- death of parents
- voodoo
- quicksand
- pole vault
- panther
- marching band
- javelin toss
- hippopotamus
- high jump
- discus
- cheetah
- zambia
- witch doctor
- voodoo doll
- track and field
- tiger
- great wall of china
- basketball
- baseball
- american football
- track meet
- miniaturization
- title spoken by character
The World’s Greatest Athlete Cast & Characters
John Amos leads the cast as Coach Sam Archer, with Tim Conway as Milo Jackson and Jan-Michael Vincent as Nanu. Directed by Robert Scheerer; 43 actors are credited in all.
- Director Robert Scheerer
-
John Amos as Coach Sam Archer - Tim Conway as Milo Jackson
- Jan-Michael Vincent as Nanu
- Danny Goldman as Leopold Maxwell
Also Starring in The World’s Greatest Athlete
· 39 more- Billy De Wolfe Dean Maxwell
- Don Pedro Colley Morumba
- Roscoe Lee Browne Gazenga
- Dayle Haddon Jane
- Howard Cosell Themselves
- Clarence Muse Gazenga's Assistant
- Philip Ahn Old Chinaman
- Hans Moebus Party Guest (uncredited)
- Bob Harks Party Guest (uncredited)
- Russ Conway Judge with Stopwatch
- Vito Scotti Games spectator
- Leon Askin Dr. Gottlieb
- Spencer Chan Commuter (uncredited)
- John Lupton Race Starter
- Sarah Selby Woman on Safari
- Eugene Jackson Party Guest (uncredited)
Show all 43 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Don Ames Party Guest (uncredited)
- Virginia Capers Native Woman
- Liam Dunn Dr. Winslow
- David Armstrong Judge (uncredited)
- Hank Robinson Reporter (uncredited)
- Robert Cole Judge (uncredited)
- Al Roberts Coach (uncredited)
- Nancy Walker Mrs. Petersen
- John Pedrini Party Guest (uncredited)
- Al Checco Dr. Checco
- Jim McKay Themselves
- Frank Gifford Themselves
- Dick Wilson Drunk in Bar
- Owen Song Spectator (uncredited)
- Peter Eastman Party Guest (uncredited)
- Joe Kapp Buzzer Kozak
- Jack Griffin
- Leigh Christian
- Pete Carroll Running Back (uncredited)
- Marlene Kisker Clerk (uncredited)
- Edward Coch Jr. Spectator (uncredited)
- Dorothy Shay
- David Mooney
The World’s Greatest Athlete Plot Summary
What happens in The World’s Greatest Athlete from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Sam Archer [John Amos] and his assistant Milo Jackson [Tim Conway] are coaches at Merrivale College. They have lost every game in every sport they’ve coached, which raises the concern of Dean Maxwell [Billy De Wolfe], the head of the Alumni Association. With only one year left on his contract, Archer decides he needs a vacation, and the pair heads to Zambia in Southern Africa to unwind and clear their heads.
Full summary
The whole story of The World’s Greatest Athlete, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The World’s Greatest Athlete?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrays the head coach Sam Archer?
Cars in The World’s Greatest Athlete
20 cars on screen, including the 1972 Ford Gran Torino and the Harley-Davidson.
-
1972 Ford Gran Torino Important role -
Harley-Davidson Minor role -
Land-Rover 86'' Series I Minor role -
1963 Buick Riviera Background role
Seen The World’s Greatest Athlete?
Movies Like The World’s Greatest Athlete
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Air Up There, The Athlete and World's Greatest Dad.
The World’s Greatest Athlete FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The World’s Greatest Athlete, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The World’s Greatest Athlete?
The World’s Greatest Athlete runs 1 hour 46 minutes (106 minutes).
When was The World’s Greatest Athlete released?
The World’s Greatest Athlete was released on February 14, 1973.
Who directed The World’s Greatest Athlete?
The World’s Greatest Athlete was directed by Robert Scheerer.
More films by Robert Scheerer Who is in the cast of The World’s Greatest Athlete?
The World’s Greatest Athlete stars John Amos as Coach Sam Archer, Tim Conway as Milo Jackson and Jan-Michael Vincent as Nanu, among 43 credited actors.
Does The World’s Greatest Athlete have a post-credit scene?
No. The World’s Greatest Athlete has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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