The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978)

User Rating:

2.9/10   

Director:

John Berry

Writer:

Bill Lancaster (written by)

Release Date:

30 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

They never met an adult they couldn't drive crazy.

Plot:

In this third film version of the Bad News Bears series, Tony Curtis plays a small time promotor/hustler...

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Japan | Sequel | Sports Team

Cast

Tony Curtis	...	Marvin Lazar
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Kelly Leak
Tomisaburo Wakayama	...	Coach Shimizu
Antonio Inoki	...	Himself
Hatsune Ishihara	...	Arika
George Wyner	...	the Network Director
Lonny Chapman	...	Louis the Gambler
Matthew Anton	...	E.R.W. Tillyard III (as Matthew Douglas Anton)
Erin Blunt	...	Ahmad Rahim
George Gonzales	...	Miguel Agilar
Brett Marx	...	Jimmy Feldman
David Pollock	...	Rudy Stein
David Stambaugh	...	Toby Whitewood
Jeffrey Louis Starr	...	Mike Engleberg
Scoody Thornton	...	Mustapha Rahim
Abraham Unger	...	Abe Bernstein
Dick Button	...	Himself
Regis Philbin	...	Harry Hahn
Kinichi Hagimoto	...	Game Show Host
Hugh Gillin	...	Pennywall
Robert Sorrells	...	Locke
Clarence Barnes	...	Mean Bones Beaudine
Michael Yama	...	Usher
James Staley	...	Network Man #4
Dick McGarvin	...	Network Man #3
Tak Kubota	...	Referee
Jerry Ziesmer	...	Eddie of Network
Gene LeBell	...	Mean Bones' Manager
Bin Amatsu	...	Arika's Father
Dean A. Okinaka	...	Manager
Victor Toyota	...	Interpreter
Yangi Kitadani	...	Fight Announcer
Marjorie Jackson	...	Waitress
Jerry Maren	...	Page Boy
Tim P. Sullivan	...	Network Man #2
Bob Kino	...	Moderator
Dennis Freeman	...	Network Man #5
Kyôko Fuji	...	Madam (as Kyoko Fuji)
Ginger Martin	...	Director's Aide
Daniel Sasaki	...	Band Leader
Don Watters	...	Network Man #1
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Julie Hampton	...	Dancing woman (uncredited)
Shô Kosugi	...	Man doing a Kata demonstration (uncredited)
Akira Oizumi	...	(uncredited)
Ari Taub	...	Left fielder (uncredited)

Directed by
John Berry

Writing credits
Bill Lancaster		(written by)

Produced by
Terry Carr	....	associate producer
Bill Lancaster	....	co-producer
Michael Ritchie	....	producer
Hisashi Yabe	....	associate producer: Japan

Original Music by
Paul Chihara		(music scored by)

Film Editing by
Richard A. Harris
Dennis Virkler

Production Design by
Walter Scott Herndon

Set Decoration by
Cheryal Kearney

Makeup Department
Hisako Hanazawi	....	hair stylist: Japanese Crew (as Hisako Hanazawa)
Bob Mills	....	makeup artist (as Robert Mills)

Production Management
Terry Carr	....	unit production manager
Asatomo Kyokawa	....	unit manager: Japan
William Ross	....	unit manager: Japan (as Bill Ross)
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Abe	....	assistant director: Japan
Alan Brimfeld	....	second assistant director (as Alan Brimfield)
Jerry Ziesmer	....	assistant director

Art Department
Hiroshi Kitagawa	....	art director: Japan
Mike Miner	....	property master

Sound Department
William Andrews	....	sound effects editor (as Bill Andrews)
Bub Asman	....	sound effects editor (as Henry Asman)
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	sound mixer (as Gene Cantamesa)
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John K. Wilkinson)
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Hector Guerrero	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Marlin Hall	....	key grip
Kozo Okazaki	....	director of photography: Japan
Gene Polito	....	director of photography: USA
Richard Walden	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy Martinelli	....	wardrobe
Thomas Welsh	....	wardrobe (as Tommy Welsh)

Editorial Department
Carolyn H. Abe	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Paul Chihara	....	music adaptor
Robert Krüger	....	music editor (as Robert Krueger)
Michael Melvoin	....	music arranger: songs (as Mike Melvoin)

Other crew
Takashi Arakawa	....	baseball advisor: Japanese Crew
Charlotte Dreiman	....	location liaison: Japan
Michie Ross	....	interpreter: Japanese Crew
Shinichirô Sawai	....	dialogue coach: Japanese Crew (as Shinichiro Sawai)
Naofumi Okamoto	....	production coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Michael Ritchie Productions
• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Toei Company (uncredited)

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Pictures

Other Companies

• Champion Spark Plugs  promotional material furnished by
• Denny's Inc.  promotional material furnished by (as Denny's)
• Group TAC (I)  animation by
• Japan Airlines  promotional material furnished by (as Japan Air Lines)
• Keio Plaza Hotel  promotional material furnished by
• Pacific Title  end title by
• Rawlings  promotional material furnished by
• Sony  promotional material furnished by
• Toei Company  production services in Japan by: Japanese Crew (as Toei Company, Ltd.)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Michael Ritchie Productions

Quotes:

Abe Bernstein: Marvin I can't take off my shoes, I'll get athletes foot!
Marvin Lazar: Well then that'll be the only part of you that is an athlete.

Movie Connections:

References Rocky (1976)

Soundtrack:

MEAN BONES

Breaking Chop Sticks.

Sleazy hustler/promoter Tony Curtis (looking old and tired here) talks our pint-sized heroes into going to Japan to play an international little league game with the best team in the Orient. Sleep-inducing third installment lacks the wit and charm of the original and even lacks the minimum credibility that the first sequel had. Jackie Earle Haley and the rest of the ballplayers seem like little more than spoiled adolescent performers that are just going through the motions. Curtis' one-liners and used car dealer-styled part wears thin before we are even settled in. More proof that sequels rarely work, particularly in the 1970s. Turkey (0 stars out of 5).