Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos

"The untold story of the team that had America at its feet."

2006 1h 37m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 14

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the 1970s the North American Soccer League marked the first attempt to introduce soccer to American sports fans. While most teams had only limited success at best, one managed to break through to genuine mainstream popularity - the New York Cosmos. The brainchild of Steve Ross (Major executive at Warner Communications) and the Ertegun brothers (Founders of Atlantic Records), the Cosmos got off to a rocky start in 1971, but things changed in 1975 when the world's most celebrated soccer star, the Brazilian champion Pele, signed with the Cosmos for a five-million-dollar payday. With the arrival of Pele, the Cosmos became a hit and the players became the toast of the town, earning their own private table at Studio 54. A number of other international soccer stars were soon lured to the Cosmos, including Franz Beckenbauer, Rodney Marsh, and Carlos Alberto, but with the turn of the decade, the team began losing favor with fans and folded in 1985.

“The untold story of the team that had America at its feet.”

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Cast

Franz Beckenbauer
Self
Raphael de la Sierra
Self
Phil Woosnam
Self
Jay Emmett
Self
Werner Roth
Self
Peppe Pinton
Self
Giorgio Chinaglia
Self
Shep Messing
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Dower
Writers: John Dower, Mark Monroe, Mark Monroe
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

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

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Dower, shot by Peter Badel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Benjamin Murray 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

Franz Beckenbauer and Raphael de la Sierra and Phil Woosnam carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The untold story of the team that had America at its feet.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0489247 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Dower directs. Peter Badel behind the camera. Benjamin Murray cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Released 20 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by John Dower, shot by Peter Badel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Benjamin Murray shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Franz Beckenbauer and Raphael de la Sierra and Phil Woosnam carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The untold story of the team that had America at its feet.".
8IMDB entry: tt0489247 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Badel
Editing: Benjamin Murray
Makeup / hair: Susanne Kasper
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Status: Released
Budget: $1,000,000
Original language: EN
IMDB: Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (2006)