Mister Universe (film)

Mister Universe is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Joseph Lerner and starring Jack Carson, Janis Paige and Vince Edwards. It was produced independently and distributed by Eagle-Lion Films. A number of professional wrestlers of the era appeared as themselves.

Plot
Honest "Mister Universe" winner Tommy Tompkins is recruited by a con-man wrestling promoter and wins match after match. However he is horrified when he is told to lose a wrestling match and proves simply unable to do so due to his natural honesty.

Cast

 * Jack Carson as Jeff Clayton
 * Janis Paige as Lorraine
 * Vince Edwards as Tommy Tompkins
 * Bert Lahr as Joe Pulaski
 * Robert Alda as Fingers Maroni
 * Maxie Rosenbloom as Big Ears, the trainer
 * Joyce Mathews as Maroni's Moll
 * Harry Landers as Henchman
 * Donald Novis as Singer
 * Murray Rothenberg as Reporter
 * Dennis James as Self - Announcer
 * Joan Rivers as Teenage girl in audience (uncredited)

Mister Universe marked the film debut of Vince Edwards.

Production
Mister Universe was filmed in New York.

Reception
Variety found the dialogue "weak" but the film "quite funny" with good performances. Variety noted that the film did not treat the wrestling business "with its phoney grapplers and decisions, and crooked promoters" lightly, but that it probably took it more seriously than the press and sports communities.

Picturegoer wrote "True, much of the fun springs from the mauling of stooges, but the humour is no less effective for being elementary, or rather primitive."

The cast was praised by The New York Times.

Comic book adaption
A comic adaptation of the film was published by Eastern Color in the December 1950 issue of the anthology comic book Movie Love, only a month before the film's release.