Today in Philly Sports History: The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, 1979

Apparently, the turn-of-the-decade period between the 70s and 80s was the first golden age of NBA stars hitting the big screen. You had Kareem in Airplane!, Wilt in Conan the Destroyer and Sixers immortal Dr. J in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh--the disco-era, astrology-fixated pro-ball comedy released on November 6th, 1979. It's utterly impossible to piece together what this movie is about from the title and poster alone--some sort of lucky magic fish that helps a team of ragtags and misfits to cheat their way to a championship, maybe, like The Sixth Man with a sturgeon replacing Kadeem Hardison--and after reading plot summaries from about a half-dozen sources, I still don't really have a clue. What I know is this:

1. It's based around the idea of organizing a basketball team based on having the same astrological sign (Pisces, the fish of the title), thus adding to team chemistry. One one level, this idea sounds too absurd to base even a ridiculous cameo-fest of a movie around, but on another level, it also seems oddly ahead of its time.

2. Julius Erving's character in the movie is named "Moses Guthrie," a designation that would seem to be a playful jab at Dr. J's teammate Moses Malone--except that Big Mo didn't join up with Moses on the Sixers for another four years. Of course, I wasn't born until years later, so it's always possible that in 1979 one out of five American males was named Moses or something.

3. One of the actors' names is James Bond III. Not a character. The actual name of the actor.

It's sort of a shame that the Kobes and LeBrons of today seem too busy doing boring things like focusing on winning championships to film ridiculous vanity projects with Philly Soul-stacked soundtracks. In the meantime, though, I think we have our first flick for the inaugural meeting of the 700 Level Film Preservation Society.

Comments

[Hans Gruber]

Andrew, just wanted to add that this is Donovan McNabb's all-time favorite movie. Maybe I'll stop by Blockbuster this weekend for some of that cheesy 1970's goodness prior to a little Cowboys ass-whuppin'.

[Johnny Goodtimes]

You guys HAVE to see this movie. I don't mean should, I mean, have to. This movie could not have come out at any other time in world history than the late 1970s. It is the Xanadu of sports movies.

[Pete D]

Yo this is the most REDICULOUS life coincidence related to this post.

I was just on the horn with a buddy from Pittsburgh at work, and I brought this movie up when he said Pittsburgh wasn't a 4-sport town. I said yes you are, you guys have the Pittsburgh Pisces. He says what? And I say you haven't seen the Fish that Saved Pittsburgh? Come on man!

I go into the story as I remembered it from seeing it as a kid, show him the IMDB entry, etc...and then a few minutes later I do one of my multiple-daily 700 level checks and WHAT DO I SEE??

You've got to be kidding me.

Great flick from what I remember...apparently only available on DVD from VHS-to-DVD bootlegs. Would love to watch it again.

[jd]

tell bootsy collins makes a cameo in this as some form of deity, and i'll call it the best movie ever.

[Kevin McGuire]

Also on this day in Philly sports history, Eagles special teams stun the Dallas Cowboys in 1966.

[Sean]

If this film is the first movie to make into The 700 Level Film Preservation Society, will "The Garbage Picking, Field Goal Kicking Philadephia Phenomena" be next!?