A look at the events leading up to the 1973 tennis match between retired men's champ Bobby Riggs and the current women's Wimbledon winner Billie Jean King.A look at the events leading up to the 1973 tennis match between retired men's champ Bobby Riggs and the current women's Wimbledon winner Billie Jean King.A look at the events leading up to the 1973 tennis match between retired men's champ Bobby Riggs and the current women's Wimbledon winner Billie Jean King.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Photos
Bobby Wilson
- Self
- (archive footage)
Rosemary Casals
- Self
- (as Rosie Casals)
Gloria Steinem
- Self
- (voice)
Larry King
- Self
- (archive footage)
- (as Mr. King)
Walter Cronkite
- Self
- (archive footage)
Martin Luther King
- Self
- (archive footage)
John Lennon
- Self
- (archive footage)
Bobby Riggs
- Self
- (archive footage)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe dramatic feature film covering the same story and subject matter was made and released about four years after this feature-length documentary debuted and the movie almost had the same title except for the definite article [See: Battle of the Sexes (2017)].
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Battle of the Sexes: Extended Interview with Billie Jean King (2013)
Featured review
Instructive Documentary
BATTLE OF THE SEXES sketches in the background to what is still the most-watched tennis match of all time - the 1973 clash between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. Staged at the Houston Astrodome, it was prompted by Riggs' boasts that he could beat any of the leading female tennis players of the time, and thereby prove that men were 'naturally' superior to women. The documentary includes extensive footage of Riggs' interviews before the match took place; his views on women now seem incongruously out of date. By contrast Billie Jean King maintained her dignity, by refusing to become involved in the verbal debates either before or after the match. James Erskine's film makes some inflated claims - that the match provided inspiration for the feminist movement of the early Seventies - but covers far stronger ground in its analysis of the revolution in women's tennis taking place at that time. We have to admire King and her fellow-players for setting up a rebel tennis tour, in opposition to the US Tennis Association, as they demanded equal pay with their male counterparts. Despite numerous setbacks, their initiative proved so successful that it led to the formation of the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) in 1973. King herself comes across as both dedicated yet relentless - for her, the Riggs match was not just about vanquishing a buffoon-like male, but rather an opportunity to prove the strength of women's tennis as a whole. On the other hand, we feel sorry for her fellow-tennis player Margaret Court, who was patently not ready for the publicity ballyhoo surrounding her clash with Riggs, and lost her match badly. BATTLE OF THE SEXES is certainly an historical document, but one can't help feeling that, while Riggs' views are not overtly expressed these days in the media, there are plenty of men who share his opinions, despite four decades of feminist reform.
helpful•132
- l_rawjalaurence
- Feb 1, 2014
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Battle of the Sexes
- Filming locations
- Detroit, Michigan, USA(archive footage)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 23 minutes
- Color
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Top Gap
By what name was The Battle of the Sexes (2013) officially released in Canada in English?
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