Players (1979)

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Players is a 1979 American romance drama film directed by Anthony Harvey and starring Ali MacGraw and Dean Paul Martin about a young tennis player who has an affair with an older woman.

Production

The film was a passion project of producer Robert Evans, who was an enthusiastic tennis player. He made it under his independent deal with Paramount, where he had been head of production. Evans hired Arnold Schulman to write a script. There were over 16 drafts. "I had a bitter dispute with the writer", said Evans.

I got in my contract all of the Dramatist Guild guarantees: I had approval of the director, not a word [of the script] could be changed without my consent, and so forth. Immediately after I finished the screenplay, Bob Evans sent me on a wild goose chase to Rome to cast a part he had already cast—I found out months later—with Max Schell.

It was known during production as Getting Off. Anthony Harvey and Robert Evans began scouting locations in Mexico in April 1978.

Evans wanted the male lead to be played by someone who was a top level tennis player and could act. In May 1978, Evans announced that the role would be played by Dean-Paul Martin, son of Dean Martin, who played at Wimbledon as well as professionally for the Phoenix Racquets of World Team Tennis. "He's the next Robert Redford", said Evans.

Evans signed Martin to a six-picture contract. He learned about camera technique over several weeks with actor Tony Franciosa.

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