Downhill Racer
| Downhill Racer | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michael Ritchie |
| Written by | James Salter |
| Based on | The Downhill Racers 1963 novel by Oakley Hall |
| Produced by | Richard Gregson |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Brian Probyn |
| Edited by | Richard A. Harris |
| Music by | Kenyon Hopkins |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.8 million |
| Box office | $1.9 million |
Downhill Racer is a 1969 American sports drama film starring Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, and Camilla Sparv; it was the directorial debut of Michael Ritchie. Written by James Salter, based on Oakley Hall's 1963 novel The Downhill Racers, the film is about talented American downhill racer David Chappellet, who joins the U.S. Ski Team in Europe to compete in international skiing competitions.
Downhill Racer was filmed on location in Kitzbühel and St. Anton, Austria; Wengen, Switzerland; Megève and Grenoble, France; and Boulder and Idaho Springs, Colorado, United States. The film received positive reviews upon its theatrical release; Roger Ebert called it "the best movie ever made about sports—without really being about sports at all".