The Bad News Bears (1976)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Bill Lancaster (written by)

Release Date:

7 April 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Sport

Tagline:

...together they make it happen!

Plot:

An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Little League | California | Coach | Pool Cleaner

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win

Cast

Walter Matthau	...	Coach Morris Buttermaker
Chris Barnes	...	Tanner Boyle
Tatum O'Neal	...	Amanda Whurlitzer
Ben Piazza	...	Councilman Whitewood
Vic Morrow	...	Coach Roy Turner
Erin Blunt	...	Ahmad Abdul Rahim
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Kelly Leak
Gary Lee Cavagnaro	...	Engelberg
Joyce Van Patten	...	Cleveland
Jaime Escobedo	...	Jose Agilar
Scott Firestone	...	Regi Tower
George Gonzales	...	Miguel Agilar
Alfred Lutter III	...	Ogilvie (as Alfred W. Lutter)
Brett Marx	...	Jimmy Feldman
David Pollock	...	Rudi Stein
Quinn Smith	...	Timmy Lupus
David Stambaugh	...	Toby Whitewood
Brandon Cruz	...	Joey Turner
Timothy Blake	...	Mrs. Lupus
Bill Sorrells	...	Mr. Tower
Shari Summers	...	Mrs. Turner
Joe Brooks	...	Umpire
George Wyner	...	White Sox Manager
David Lazarus	...	Yankee
Charles Matthau	...	Athletic
Maurice Marks	...	Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Howard Culver	...	Newscaster (uncredited)
Maggie Munro	...	Kid (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Ritchie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bill Lancaster		written by

Produced by
Stanley R. Jaffe	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo

Film Editing by
Richard A. Harris

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Polly Platt

Set Decoration by
Cheryal Kearney

Makeup Department
Caryl Codon-Tharp	....	hair stylist (as Caryl Codon)
Jack Obringer	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jack Roe	....	unit production manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Blair Robertson	....	second assistant director
Jack Roe	....	assistant director

Art Department
Pat O'Connor	....	property master

Sound Department
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	sound mixer
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Chris Schwiebert	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thomas S. Dawson	....	costumer: men (as Tommy Dawson)
Nancy Martinelli	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
John Wright	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jerry Fielding	....	conductor
Jerry Fielding	....	music adapted by
Lennie Niehaus	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Frank Khoury	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Portia Adams	....	welfare worker
Phil Epstein	....	production assistant
Monica Lauer	....	secretary to the director
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Susan Shonnard	....	assistant to producer
Dominic Jack Pizzo Sr.	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1978) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Cinema International Corp. (1976) (UK) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Denny's Inc.  promotional consideration
• Glen Glenn Sound  sound by
• Westheimer Company  titles and opticals

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Glen Glenn Sound)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | West Germany:6 | UK:PG | Finland:S | USA:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of the actresses who tried out for the role of Amanda was Sarah Jessica Parker.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the Dugout, during the final game against the Yankees, Coach Buttermaker's beer alternates between a 16 ounce can of Coors to a small Red Stripe-like bottle between shots.

Quotes:

Coach Morris Buttermaker: [after team takes vote to quit the league] Do you want to quit, Tanner?
Tanner Boyle: Crud, No! I want to play ball!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Bold and the Beautiful: (#1.5248)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Carmen

Required viewing for parents with kids in little league

The Bad News Bears should be required viewing for parents with kids currently in little league.

This is a movie mainly about cheering for the underdog, which we all like to do. But this film gets more than it bargains for. It is by far the most true to life movies about baseball on the little league level. The emotions of the kids and parents on and off the field, the vulgarities, and especially the way the parents take the fun out of playing baseball by putting enormous pressure on their kids, are all wonderfully portrayed here. Not to brag, but I was a little leaguer myself for several years, and I feel like an authority on the subject. I'm here to tell you that this movie nails it. My favorite aspect of the film, is how it deals with teamwork. You might not have the most skilled players, but if a team sticks together, they can work wonders.

And let's not forget the great performances by Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal and Vic Morrow. My favorite character in this movie though, was Tanner Boyle, the shortstop. He could practically be every kid I ever played on a little league team with. The next film where they play in the Astrodome was almost as good as the original, but don't waste your time with the one where they go to Japan.