The One and Only 1978

Set in a midwestern college town in 1951, Mary Crawford, Kim Darby, is a bright if impressionable student who meets a supremely self-assured young man named Andy Schmidt, Henry Winkler. Mary is drawn to his confidence and daring, and, perhaps naively, agrees to marry him quickly before fame could slip away. The couple heads to Columbus, Ohio to meet her straitlaced parents, Mr. Crawford, William Daniels, and Mrs. Crawford, Polly Holliday. The visit quickly deteriorates as Andy hugs the parents, calls them “Tom and Mom,” and interrupts dinner to launch a string of impressions, turning a family meal into a public display and leaving everyone uneasy about the road ahead.

After their impulsive elopement, Mary and Andy move to New York City, where he remains convinced that Broadway or Hollywood is just around the corner and only a matter of time away. Half a year passes with no breakthrough, and yet his ego shows no sign of bruising. Mary takes an office job to keep them afloat, and she becomes pregnant, continuing to love her husband even as concern grows. Her parents bridge the distance with worry and, when money is tight, Mary must turn to them for support because Andy isn’t bringing in any income.

In the meantime, Andy forms a bond with Milton Miller, [Hervé Villechaize], a pint-sized actor with an outsized ego who tries to prove he’s a ladies’ man—an act even Mary’s mother is drawn into observing. Milton confesses that he sometimes wrestles to earn money, a tidbit that plants the seed for Andy’s next risky move. Encouraged by this new friendship, Andy tests a more physical path by entering professional wrestling. He improvises a ring persona, fashioning himself as “The Lover”—a flamboyant, showy character in the vein of a vaudeville star who captivates crowds with his bravado. Despite not having the traditional wrestler’s build, Andy throws himself into the role with relentless gusto, adopting look, manner, and swagger that enthrall a growing audience.

As the wrestling scene supplies a fresh stream of fans and excitement, the dynamic between Mary and Andy sharpens into a test of devotion against restless ambition. Mary, balancing the pull of family duty, pregnancy, and a steadfast love for Andy, watches as his pursuit of fame reshapes their life together. The story unfolds with a steady, observant tone that highlights the contrasts between a Midwest upbringing and the high-wwired hunger of a city that promises stardom, all while the couple negotiates money, pride, and the evolving lines of their relationship.

Across these events, the film sketches a portrait of ambition pressed against everyday reality—where the lure of fame can both propel and destabilize a partnership, and where personal charisma struggles to translate into lasting success. The colorful cast surrounding Mary and Andy—their well-meaning but cautious families, a few candid friends, and a circle that includes Milton Miller’s larger-than-life ambitions—serves to illuminate the central tension: can love endure when behind it all lies the constant chase for fame? The narrative remains balanced and contemplative, inviting the viewer to consider how far one might go to chase a dream and at what point that dream begins to redefine the people who chase it.