Although "Stay Hungry" feels like the filmmakers made it up as they went along, it still gets you in mainly because of its overall quirkiness and interesting stars early in their careers.

The story centres on Jeff Bridges' character, Craig Blake, and his attempts to buy a gym in Alabama in order to redevelop the site. However he is drawn into the lives of the people he meets including gym receptionist, Mary Tate Farnsworth, played by Sally Field, and Joe Santo, played by Arnold Schwarzeneger, who is training for the Mr. Universe contest.

The story meanders all over the place with many sub plots and characters while everyone goes to town on their Southern accents - all except The Austrian Oak of course.

It's hard to place "Stay Hungry" in a genre; it's a comedy of sorts, but the humour is in the odd situations rather than in funny lines. To be honest, it needed editing; some scenes are interminable. For anyone watching it 40 years later, the appeal must surely be in seeing the stars before their careers really took off.

Arnie is arresting. This was his first speaking part; he looks big chested and powerful, but plays it low key; he's a sensitive guy, no "Hasta la vista baby" or "I'll be back" in this movie. His best scene is when he joins a group in the backwoods and indulges his passion for fiddle playing. Apparently he practiced the violin for months to look convincing.

Sally Field was 29 when she made this (a few years older than Jeff Bridges), but looks as though she would have needed proof of age to get into a nightclub - it actually makes her brief nude scene slightly disturbing. Even now she still looks way younger than her real age; check out 2015's "My Name is Doris" for confirmation.

These days Jeff Bridges looks his years, but like a bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild, he simply improves with age. He has some good scenes in "Stay Hungry", including one where he does a little Appalachian flatfooting.

With memories of Vietnam and Watergate still fresh, filmmakers seemed affected by the mood of disillusionment and mistrust of the 1970's. They came up with some off-the-wall movies, and the chaotic style of "Stay Hungry" fits perfectly into the era.

I'm wondering based upon Arnold Schwartznegger's 1976 win of a Golden Globe for best film debut just who else made their film debut that year. Other than Jessica Lange in the critically maligned remake of "King Kong", I can't think of anyone. It isn't that the future "governator" is bad; he just does nothing other than play himself. Long Before he said, "I'll be back" (and apparently now says, "Oh, my back!"), he came off as a humble Austrian with a basic good nature, working with Jeff Bridges and Sally Field in a public gym which is the subject of an attempted buyout from some ruthless roughnecks. But that's a shell of the story, only dealt with as the film winds down it's second half. Field, America's TV sweetheart, gets to show off her assets in a few nude scenes, which doesn't besmerch her reputation or make me look at her any less, but considering her meteoric rise to film immortality just a few years later, this isn't a great switch for her from the to the big screen.

Such familiar faces as Ed Begley Jr., Scatman Crothers and Fannie Flagg appear in smaller parts, but it's mainly about Fields and Bridges, with "slice of life" views of life in a small southern community. Really, nothing happens to move the plot along. Talkie moments seem to try to manipulate the audience into thinking that something is happening, but that's rarely the case here. Crothers comes out of nowhere to tell Bridges that he's quitting (threatening to take an iron suit with him), and Fields and Bridges get into fights at Flagg's elaborate get-together. One of the gym's female instructors teaches women karate as self defense and later uses it on the thugs who break in. Eventually, this gets boring and dismal, seriously pointless, making me wonder if the film was just horribly edited. The display of a Confederate flag is also eye raising, especially since the gym employees young blacks. Frankly, after an hour, I just didn't care anymore yet suffered through the remainder of it, but even the presence of Sally and Jeff couldn't get me into it.

An interesting tale of "bodybuilding in the New South", "Stay Hungry" was scripted by Charles Gaines and director Bob Rafelson, based on Gaines' novel. Jeff Bridges stars as Craig Blake, product of a rich, upper class Southern family who's gotten mixed up with shady businessmen (among them, guys played by Joe Spinell and Richard Gilliland) in a real estate racket. As part of their latest plan, Craig goes to an old gym to try to convince the owner (R. G. Armstrong) to sell. Instead, Craig finds himself enjoying the company of the regulars. He falls in love with sweet gymnast Mary Tate Farnsworth (Sally Field), and makes friends with fiddle-playing Mr. Universe hopeful Joe Santo (a winning Arnold Schwarzenegger, who gets an official "introducing" credit).

Although the films' second half is less compelling than the first half, this is still an endearing, eclectic mix of comedy and drama. It works largely due to its time-honoured premise of introducing a character to a world he never knew existed. The camaraderie and atmosphere of this world is well realized by director Rafelson, who helped to really bring the sport of bodybuilding to the mainstream (followed by the documentary "Pumping Iron" the following year). There are some decent laughs to be had, and some fairly affecting moments as well.

The music by Bruce Langhorne & Byron Berline is first rate, and the on-location shooting in Birmingham helps a lot. But the principal value of "Stay Hungry" is its talented ensemble. Bridges is ingratiating as usual, Field is simply adorable (and even does a brief nude scene), and Schwarzenegger shows off an easygoing charm; it's no surprise that Arnold would be as good as he is here, since he more or less just has to play himself. I'm sure people who caught this on its first run in 1976 could sense a solid career in the making. This was also a pivotal film for Field, since up to this point she was basically known for her TV roles. Lots of familiar faces in the supporting cast, too: Robert Englund, Roger E. Mosley, Woodrow Parfrey, Scatman Crothers, Fannie Flagg, Joanna Cassidy, Ed Begley Jr., Dennis Fimple, and Dennis Burkley.

"Stay Hungry" is largely cheerful, breezy entertainment, with a refreshingly quirky, character-driven plot and some pretty good dialogue. Good fun, with a priceless climax involving bodybuilders taking to the street and then agreeing to pose for a bevy of amused onlookers.

Seven out of 10.