‘The World’s Greatest Athlete ‘starts and finishes the race, despite some huffing and puffing along the way. At times the script seems to jog through the emotions of humor with unenthusiastic acting. But the gags are so good and the characters are likable enough, that at times the poor performance on the field and the screen doesn’t kill the film but only makes it jumpy.
Couch Sam Archer (John Amos)and his assistant Milo (Tim Conway) after a series of losing streaks with baseball, football, and basketball teams, decides to head to Africa to wallow in pity and shame for having turned out so many loser sports teams. The pity stops and the enthusiasm floods back in when they discover that a citizen of the village where they are staying, Nanu (Jan-Michael Vincent) can run as fast as a Cheetah and can also do a number of other wonderful sports related things. On a side note, Nanu is the orphaned son of missionaries who have died.
Archer tries unsuccessfully to convince Nanu to come back to the states with him. When he refuses the rigors life of an athlete for the care-free life of Tarzan jungle living, Archer finds what he sees as a clever way to make him come back to the states with him. If Nanu saves his life, he will be indebted by tribal law to going wherever his rescued man goes. This clever plan is not cleverly carried out cinematically, but is merely a way of having the fish out of water jump to the outside of the pond.
Nanu naturally winds up back in the states training for various sporting events which if you have seen enough ‘Golden Age’ Disney comedy films involves lots of wacky gags. Some of the funnier ones include Tim Conway getting thrown back and fourth as Archer grabs a voodoo doll away from Nanu telling him not to put such faith in silly superstation. Tim Conway ends up getting thrown out the window. The silly superstition is visited upon Tim Conway again as Nanu’s Witch Doctor Foster Father shrinks him down to a few inches tall. He gets stuck in a woman’s purse and desperately tries to make his way out to place a phone call warning archer of the Witch Doctor’s arrival in the states.
One of the most startling sights in the beginning of the film was to see a tiger wandering the African jungle. This Tiger named Harry turns out to be a gift from Nanu’s parents from when they went to India. The tiger naturally follows Nanu and the coaches back to the US. The landlady doesn’t allow pets but is blind and dim-witted enough to be fooled when the tiger is dressed up to look like a man and is stood and carried on his hind legs. The tiger manages to scare off other athletes and the films antagonist whose name I forget, but who was so underused in the film, he barley raises enough screen presence to really be noticed.
The other bright light (at least in Nanu’s life) is a girl named Jane (Dayle Haddon) who is hired to tutor Nanu in the ways of college life. She instructs Nanu in biology and she comes in handy when Nanu wants to learn what kissing is all about.
‘The World’s Greatest Athlete’ , is not the best of the comedic events in the magical land of Disney Track and Field, but it does have a great sequence of sporting events when Nanu goes through one Olympic event after another, (High Jump to 100 yard dash to poll volt, ect) in rapid succession. So to finish up the race, its is funny enough to enjoy and amusing enough to cheer for.
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