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IMDb > Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)

Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   2,350 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
John D. Hancock
Writers:
Mark Harris (novel)
Mark Harris (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Bang the Drum Slowly on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 May 1978 (Finland) more
Genre:
Drama | Sport more
Plot:
The story of the friendship between a star pitcher, wise to the world, and a half-wit catcher, as they... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win more
User Comments:
Two justifications about this little seen gem more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Michael Moriarty ... Henry 'Author' Wiggen

Robert De Niro ... Bruce Pearson
Vincent Gardenia ... Dutch Schnell
Phil Foster ... Joe Jaros
Ann Wedgeworth ... Katie
Patrick McVey ... Bruce's Father

Heather MacRae ... Holly Wiggen
Selma Diamond ... Tootsie, Hotel switchboard operator
Barbara Babcock ... Team Owner
Maurice Rosenfield ... Team Owner

Tom Ligon ... Piney Woods

Andy Jarrell ... Ugly

Marshall Efron ... Bradley
Danny Burks ... Perry
Tom Signorelli ... Goose Williams
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Additional Details

Runtime:
96 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Filming Locations:
Clearwater, Florida, USA more
Company:
ANJS more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The stadium used for the fictional NY Mammoths home games was Shea Stadium which from 1964 to 2008 was the home of the New York Mets. Shea was demolished after the 2008 baseball season. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Paul shoots the light in the hotel room using a single action revolver, which requires manually cocking the hammer. However, the hammer is clearly in the down position and his finger is not even on the trigger. more
Quotes:
Henry Wiggen: These are Fifth and Two. Fifth and Queen.
Joe Jaros: Red Rooster.
[long pause, then Tegawar Player lays a 3. Joe slams down his cards]
Joe Jaros: BANJO! Ha-HAAAA! That's the first natural Banjo since the days of Joe Dimaggio in St. Petersburg.
Henry Wiggen: Hey, wait a minute. Fifteen and Fifteen's Thirty-One.
Tegwar Player: Hey, what's the name of this game?
Joe Jaros: Fifteen and Fifteen is Thirty-TWO!
Henry Wiggen: Thirry-T... oh, that's right.
[to Tegwar player]
Henry Wiggen: That's a Double Honeybees.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Bang the Drum, Ashley (#1.2)" (1990) more
Soundtrack:
Home On The Range more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful:-
Two justifications about this little seen gem, 30 April 2005
9/10
Author: reesekaplan from United States

The novel on which "Bang the Drum Slowly" was based preceded the real-life docudrama "Brian's Song" by more than 10 years. It was not a copy-cat production and in fact was virtually word-for-word the way the novel read.

The second problem suffered by this great film was that it was released during a New York area newspaper strike and didn't get the attention it deserved.

Robert De Niro, like many intense actors, often is at his best when playing a subdued, controlled type of character. You see this type of performance again years later in "Awakenings". Sean Penn is a similar type who was at his best in "I Am Sam" rather than as the violent, raging characters he more often plays.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Excellent Ending homerj208
One of Al Pacino's Favorite Movies moviefiend-1
Randy Hickey = Bruce Pearson PeterV
Henery Wiggen Books FibberMcGee18
Region 2 dvd? ga41
Thee Mammoth Quartet Song........ veepie58
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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
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