THURSDAY’S GAME (1972, 1974) – Completed in 1972 and intended for theaters, this film sat on the shelf and was ultimately reedited as a made for tv movie complete with those fades to black going into commercial breaks. Thursday’s Game isn’t bad, but it will work best for viewers of a certain age or young trivia buffs who will appreciate all the incredible tv stars from the time period.
James Brooks, producer and co-creator of The Mary Tyler Moore Show wrote the screenplay, which is not meant for belly laughs but for broad smiles, occasional out-loud laughter and introspective humor regarding marriages and careerism in 1970s New York. Think of this telefilm as a combination of a typical James Brooks sitcom and a half-baked imitation of Neil Simon plays from back then.
Gene Wilder and Bob Newhart star as Harry Evers and Marvin Ellison, respectively. Harry is the producer of a poorly rated daytime gameshow, while Marvin is a clothier needing a hot new fashion idea to save his company.
When the Thursday Night poker game they’ve been attending for a few years falls apart over welching on debts, Harry and Marvin decide to keep getting together every Thursday, just the two of them, but they tell their wives they’re still going out to the poker game. Continue reading
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