Product Details

• Actors: Paula Prenitiss, Maria Perschy, Charlene Holt Rock Hudson
• Directors: Howard Hawks
• Format: VHS, HiFi Sound, Color, Original recording, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MCA / Universal
• Run Time: 121 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000MMAHH2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,430 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Howard Hawks excelled within a regimented Hollywood system leaving his mark on every film he made regardless of studio, stars, or genre. Hawks hoped to make this comedy with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, and that might have been a classic, but MAN'S FAVORITE SPORT? still gets by nicely. Rock Hudson stars as a San Francisco Abercrombie & Fitch salesman who has written a best-selling book on fishing, without ever having fished a day in his life. His boss enters him in a competition, and wacky dame Paula Prentiss is on hand to dish out as much trouble as possible. Hawks moves a little slower than previous works, cribbing some of his own early jokes, but is still dead funny.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A TALL FISH TALE, April 9, 2004

By 

Crabby Apple Mick Lee (INDIANAPOLIS, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man's Favorite Sport? (DVD)

A sort of throwback to the screwball comedies of the 1930's. It reminds one of the pairings of Cary Grant and Kate Hepburn such as Bringing Up Baby or The Philadelphia Story. By that as it may, I have watched this film several times over the years and I am repeatedly impressed with the level of comic intensity throughout the narrative. The plot line is simple enough: a fairly solid looking man has great success built on a secret. Rock Hudson has written a well-regarded book on fishing. The secret is Hudson has never been fishing in his life. Along comes Paula Prentiss who corners Hudson into participating in a fishing tournament at her outdoors resort. Of course, in the end Hudson wins the tournament and is exposed for the fraud he is. In spite of being proved to be a fake, Hudson comes out on top and falls for Prentiss as well.

As a story none of this is believable but that is never the point. What we have is a story in which silliness is the point. How we get from beginning to end is where the art is. There is no serious message here which is why this film is as light and appealing now as it was forty years ago. It is also startlingly clean as sex comedies go. There is no foul language and the most "flesh" one sees is a smidgen of panty from an unzipped dress.

We tend to think ourselves as a bit superior about these old movies in that we know Hudson was gay in real life. "Ha Ha Ha. People back then really believed that Hudson would have fallen for Prentiss. .Ha Ha Ha" Well stuff it. Hudson was an actor who wanted to make us laugh. It would be a real tragedy if all we do is laugh at him.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Freshness, fun, and fish, October 27, 2000

By 

Sean Orlosky (Yorktown, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man's Favorite Sport [VHS] (VHS Tape)

One of Howard Hawks' wonderful slapstick feel-good comedies, "Man's Favorite Sport?" is a great show that can be enjoyed by everyone... especially "expert" fishermen.

Rock Hudson is Roger Willoughby, a renowned fishing expert, who, unbeknownst to his friends, co-workers, or boss, has never cast a line in his life. One day, he crosses paths with Abigail Paige (Paula Prentiss), a sweetly annoying girl who has just badgered his boss into signing Roger up for an annual fishing tournament. Panicked, Hudson confesses his, uh, inadequate experience to the ever-resourceful Abigail. Abby decides to take Roger up to Lake Waccapugi where the tournament will take place and get him broken in. Along the way, Roger learns other things: how to start a motor boat without falling into a lake, how to hold a fish without cringing, and how to discover the girl of his life... with her driving him absolutely crazy!

An excellent supporting cast, a brilliant screenplay, and marvelous cinematography make "Man's Favorite Sport?" a great laugh-out-loud comedy for the whole family.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Man's Favorite Sport, March 19, 2008

By 

Kelly "Reviewer for The Sinfully Sensuous" (Littleton, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man's Favorite Sport? (DVD)

This is a classic example of the old saying "those that can't do - teach". Rock Hudson plays Roger Willoughby a writer portrayed to be an expert at fishing that has never been in his life. When he is entered in a fishing tournament as the resident expert, he is in a pickle. Paula Prentiss plays Abigail Page the unsuspecting one that got him into the tournament. As Roger learns to follow his own advice, it is laugh out loud funny.