The Grand Olympics

"The most colorful pageant of sports in film!"

1961 2h 22m IT

😐

6.0

MID

⭐

6.8

IMDB

★6.0TMDB · 8★6.8IMDB · 157

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Events and athletes that characterized the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. From the absolute protagonist Wilma Rudolph, called the black gazelle, to Livio Berruti, the first white to win the 200 meters, to the deeds of Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who won the marathon racing barefoot.

“The most colorful pageant of sports in film!”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Jesse Owens
Himself
Bing Crosby
Himself
Rafer Johnson
Himself
John XXIII.
Himself
Ralph Boston
Himself
Wilma Rudolph
Self (uncredited)
Constantine II of Greece
Self (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Romolo Marcellini
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Part of the "100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Romolo Marcellini, shot by Mario Fioretti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Armando Trovajoli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Mario Serandrei shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jesse Owens and Bing Crosby and Rafer Johnson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The most colorful pageant of sports in film!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0054940 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Romolo Marcellini directs. Mario Fioretti behind the camera. Armando Trovajoli scores. Mario Serandrei cuts. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

165 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Romolo Marcellini, shot by Mario Fioretti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Armando Trovajoli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mario Serandrei shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jesse Owens and Bing Crosby and Rafer Johnson carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The most colorful pageant of sports in film!".
8IMDB entry: tt0054940 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Mario Fioretti
Original score: Armando Trovajoli
Editing: Mario Serandrei
Runtime: 142 min · 2h 22m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Grand Olympics (1961)
IMDB rating: 6.8/10 · 157 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 nomination total

Part of

100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012

Spanning fifty-three movies and forty-one editions of the Olympic Games, 100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012 is the culmination of a monumental, award-winning archival project encompassing dozens of new restorations by the International Olympic Committee. The documentaries collected here cast a cinematic eye on some of the most iconic moments in the history of modern sports, spotlighting athletes who embody the Olympic motto of “Faster, Higher, Stronger”: Jesse Owens shattering world records on the track in 1936 Berlin, Jean-Claude Killy dominating the Grenoble slopes in 1968, Joan Benoit breaking away to win the Games’ first women’s marathon in Los Angeles in 1984.