The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Hal Barwood (writer)
William Brashler (novel)

Release Date:

17 November 1976 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

They put the ball in baseball.

Plot:

Tired of the slave-like treatment of his team's owner, charismatic star Negro League pitcher Bingo Long...

Plot Keywords:

1930s | Negro League Baseball | Baseball | African American | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Billy Dee Williams	...	Bingo Long (P)
James Earl Jones	...	Leon Carter, All-Star (C)
Richard Pryor	...	Charlie Snow / Carlos Nevada / Chief Takahoma, All-Star (RF)
Rico Dawson	...	Willie Lee Shively, All-Star (RF)
Sam 'Birmingham' Brison	...	Louis Keystone, All-Star (SS)
Jophery C. Brown	...	Emory 'Champ' Chambers, All-Star (3B)
Otis Day	...	Rainbow, All-Star (bat boy)
Leon Wagner	...	Fat Sam Popper, All-Star (1B)
Tony Burton	...	Issac, All-Star (CF)(C)
John McCurry	...	Walter Murchman, All-Star (LF)
Stan Shaw	...	Esquire Joe Callaway, All-Star (CF)
Ted Ross	...	Sallison 'Sallie' Potter, Owner of Ebony Aces
Mabel King	...	Bertha Dewitt, Owner of Charcoal Kings
Sam Laws	...	Henry Dunbar, Owner of Baltimore Elite Giants
Alvin Childress	...	Horace Quigley, Owner of Atlanta Black Crackers

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:12 | France:U | USA:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Macon, Georgia, USA

Company:

Motown Productions

Trivia:

Steven Spielberg was initially very interesting in directing, but the massive success of Jaws (1975) meant that he was able to get any project of his own off the ground, and decided to make Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)instead.

Quotes:

Leon Carter, All-Star: [after Esquire Joe bowls him over with a slide at the plate] Say, boy - does you do this constantly?
Esquire Joe Callaway, All-Star: No, suh. I does it all the time.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Afro Promo (1997)

Bad News Bears??? Are you kidding???

Sorry, Charlie, but comparing "Bad News Bears" with "Bingo Long Traveling Allstars and Motor Kings" is like comparing "Hogans Heroes" and "Stalag 17"!! One is STRICTLY a bit of fun, and the other, while there are some laughs, explores a much more serious matter, albeit with the tongue planted firmly in cheek. Sure, you probably had a "Bad News Bears" lunch box, and Walter Matthau, Jodie Foster, and Jackie Earle Haley were just great in BNB, and there were some funny bits, but Bingo Long had much of its basis in fact, and it was one of the first films to explore a much too ignored historical fact, namely the Negro Leagues. James Earl Jones, as usual, is wonderful, and Richard Pryor didn't have to totally play his role for laughs as much as he was required to at this time in his career. Billy Dee Williams, who I feel didn't get nearly as many good roles as he deserved, was just great as Bingo Long. He was much better than in the terminally overrated "Lady Sings The Blues", also with Richard Pryor, but unfortunately up against Diana Ross' massive ego. I especially enjoyed spotting DeWayne Jessie(aka "Otis Day" of Animal House) as Rainbow. "Bingo Long" made me want to learn more about the Negro Leagues and barnstorming teams of the '30's like the House Of David.