Born to Win is a 1971 crime thriller directed by Ivan Passer (his first American film)[1][2] and starring George Segal, Karen Black, Paula Prentiss, Hector Elizondo, Jay Fletcher and Robert De Niro.

The film follows J (George Segal), a former hair dresser who has broken up with his wife (Paula Prentiss) and since become an aimless drug addict frequenting Times Square.

J thinks his life is about love and peace yet he and his fellow friend and junkie Billy Dynamite (Jay Fletcher) try to steal a safe behind the back of a cashier.

They have to ditch the drugs, however, when, on their way out of the apartment, two dirty policemen (Ed Madsen and Robert De Niro) confront them and apprehend J.

Ivan Passer and David Scott Milton started interviewing ex-addicts at the Phoenix House, near where they were putting on a play together titled Duet for Solo Voice.

A devoted Stella Adler student, he did things to define his secondary character to draw attention from the leads.

When asked about this at the press screening at the New York Film Festival, Passer said that her agent demanded it, adding "After all, what difference does it make?"

Born to Win received mixed reviews but many critics praised parts of it, including Segal's performance and the film's uniqueness.

"[7] Roger Greenspun of The New York Times wrote, "...is only Passer's second movie, and it is a dreadful disappointment — but not without its reasons, and not, I think, without some honor.