Bruce Says:
Racquet - one of
the worst movies ever made, directed by David Winters (with whom I'd worked on
Donny and Marie), starring Bert Convey, Bjorn Borg, Edie Adams, Phil Silvers and
me. Opposite me was a newcomer named Tanya Roberts. Also, Monti Rock III. I
knew it would be bad, and I turned it down twice - they kept calling and finally
said, "What will it take to get you to do it?" I asked for a silly amount of
money and star billing on my own card. And they gave it to me, and so I'm in
the damn thing.
"Racquet" was possibly the only movie in Bert's career in which he was given top billing. Badly reviewed as a "Shampoo" clone, Bert took on the role as a hunky tennis star, and did a believable job. "Racquet" also starred Edie Adams, Björn Borg, Lynda Day George, Bruce Kimmel, Dorothy Konrad , Bobby Riggs, Tanya Roberts, Monti Rock III, Kitty Ruth, Phil Silvers and Susan Tyrrell.
Bruce portrays Arnold Moss, the moral compass... Hmmm... a moral agent! in Racquet (1979).
Bruce & Tanya Roberts (in her first film role) on their way to the futuristic laser disco floor! I
FROM SGT. BILKO'S BARRACKS http://members.aol.com/anthel/phileps.htm
Bruce wrote about his experience working on the film on Phil Silvers site about Racquet
I loved Phil and I loved Bilko. I went to school with Mike Lembeck and was quite close with Harvey and Co. And I remember that as a teen, I was on one of my first dates, trying to find a party in Beverly Hills (walking, of course) and being quite hopelessly lost, and seeing a man in front of his house. I went up to ask him directions, and it was Phil Silvers! He gave them to me with kindness and humor.
Years later we appeared in a horrible, horrible film together (although we didn't share any scenes). It was quite sad that he had to take part in that debacle, but there were several oldies but goodies in the film. He and Jack Benny were my faves. The film was the God-awful Racquet. It had the dubious distinction of being the first film of Tanya Roberts. Bert Convey was in it, and Bjorn Borg and Linda Day George and Edie Adams (her scenes were with Phil if I'm remembering correctly - I've only seen it once). I did it as a favor to the director, with whom I'd worked before, David Winters.
The Phil giving directions really was funny to me. I approached him (I think I was all of fourteen) on Palm Dr. and he turned around and I realized immediately who it was (how could you not!) and I just gawked like an idiot and said "I know who you are" and he said that was great but that info wouldn't help me find the address I was looking for. I laughed and laughed and he just did his Phil looks and was wonderful.