The world of female wrestling is not one that has been explored much in movies. In fact, there have only been a handful of movies that centre on the sport in general such as The Wrestler and No Holds Barred. This is strange considering that it is such a unique brand of entertainment. You would think that there are a number of interesting stories could be told in this setting. I have known about All The Marbles for a long time and fondly remember the cover art featuring Peter Falk and two lovely ladies posing in a wrestling ring. As this has been long out of print and relatively hard to find, I forgot about it until it came up in a recent conversation. About a week later, I found the VHS tape in a thrift store without a cover. As it was only a dollar and had just recently resurfaced in my mind, I took it as a sign and picked it up. I am so glad I did because this is one of those flicks that works on every level and reminds me of the pleasure one can get from engaging characters and a good story.

Falk stars as Harry Sears, the small-time manager of a tag-team who call themselves The California Dolls. Not only are they two of the cutest female wrestlers I have seen but they also have likable personalities that had me rooting for them right away. The brunette is named Iris (Vicki Frederick) and although she has a tough exterior, she cares deeply about Harry and the future of the tag team. The blonde is named Molly (Laurene Landon) and while not as mentally tough and opinionated as Iris, she is also determined to make it in her chosen profession. The three of them seem very natural together and operate more like a family than business partners which makes it much easier to relate to them as they care so much about each other. On their quest for the championship, the Dolls establish a rivalry with another tag team called The Toledo Tigers, do a bit of mud wrestling, and find themselves at the mercy of some slimy promoters among other obstacles and personal struggles.

There are not a lot of times that I will say this but I wish this flick ran a little longer. I liked the characters of Iris and Molly so much that I didn't want the movie to end because I knew I wouldn't be able to hang out with these two anymore. They are both so appealing and not just because of their Wella Balsam hair or their looks that put all the GLOW girls to shame. It is the natural performances that both of them bring to the table that makes what could have been a formulaic sports movie into something more memorable. Falk plays off of both of them and gives his character some range by being tough on the girls but also showing a more nurturing side when necessary. The result is that this flick plays like a gritty drama about trying to make it in a tough career that is not appreciated by the mainstream public. I would compare the lives of the three leads to those of circus performers as they are trying to keep it together in a world that is very transient and full of offbeat and sleazy characters. It is not a glamorous life but they believe in chasing their dream which is inspiring in itself.

Those looking for an exploitation flick will need to look elsewhere. The wrestling scenes are well-staged and the lead actresses as well as all of their opponents clearly worked very hard at training to get their moves right. It looks as though the actresses did most of their own stunts and the presentation of these sequences is exciting and realistic. I did not have high expectations for this flick but the end result is now one of my favorite sport movies. It is a shame that Vicki Frederick did not have a more substantial career as she commanded this screen. I don't understand how her biggest movie aside from this was starring in the Lorenzo Lamas musical Body Rock. She should have been a bigger name. Laurene Landon fared slightly better with starring roles in the first two Maniac Cop movies, Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold, I The Jury, and Hundra. Still, I wish these girls had achieved more success as they certainly deserved it. Look for Burt Young (Rocky) as a sleazy promoter and football legend Mean Joe Greene as the ring announcer in the final match. You can also Angela Aames (H.O.T.S., Bachelor Party) as the topless girl in Harry's hotel room and character actor Richard Jaeckel as the referee in the final match. The costumes were done by legendary fashion designer Bob Mackie. (Josh Pasnak, 1/19/12)

Directed By: Robert Aldrich.
Written By: Mel Frohman.

Starring: Peter Falk, Vicki Frederick, Laurene Landon, Burt Young.