For the second (and final) installment in my ‘Summer Olympic Movie Review,’ I decided to combined it with this Tuesday’s Overlooked film series, so graciously hosted by Todd Mason of Sweet Freedom.
(left, the DVD cover, right, the real Wilma Rudolph)
This pick is another TV film featuring a groundbreaking Olympian, this time in the form of Wilma Rudolph, who came overcame living in the segregated South and the crippling effects of polio, to collect three gold medals in the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
The film, Wilma (1977) was directed by sport documentarian Bud Greenspan and starred, Shirley Jo Finney as Rudolph with support from Cicely Tyson and in his professional acting debut, one Mr. Denzel Washington.
This is yet another title I remember seeing as a child. It is funny really, to think that this is the type of film programming we could expect from our major networks – it literally is a lifetime ago.
This title was previously available on Netflix, but it looks like it is unavailable at the moment. It is also available on DVD.
Patti Abbott says
August 14, 2012 at 8:06 amI have no memory of this one at all.
Todd Mason says
August 14, 2012 at 9:29 amI do…thought it’s a shame it came so long after the similar BABE, we were fortunate to have two such good efforts.
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Todd Mason says
August 14, 2012 at 9:31 amThen again, it wasn’t nearly as long after as I was thinking! I must’ve caught WILMA in much later repeat…
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iluvcinema says
August 14, 2012 at 10:26 amYeah I caught it much later myself. Seeing as it was 1977 and all and I would have had no memory whatsoever of it 🙂
ruth says
August 15, 2012 at 6:05 pmI had never heard of The Closing Ceremony before, I thought you were talking about the Olympics 🙂
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