"Why the Hell isn't this on DVD/Blu Yet?" -- Number 104 LADIES' DAY (1943 RKO Radio Pictures) Starring Lupe Velez, Eddie Albert, Max Baer Sr., Patsy Kelly, Iris Adrian, Cliff Clark, Jerome Cowan, Joan Barclay, Tom Kennedy, Eddie Dew. Screenplay by Charles E. Roberts and Dane Lussier. Directed by Leslie Goodwins.
Sox pitching ace Eddie Albert has unparalleled stuff on the field but an Achilles' heel off it--women. Yep, when his, uh, libido goes up, his ERA rises with it. Enter War Bond selling film star Velez, who successfully raises $300 from Albert alone. Albert predictably gets shellacked in his start, but Sox owner Cowan sees a great publicity opportunity in the Albert/Velez relationship and arranges for Velez to accompany the team on a road trip.
While Cowan is thrilled, the wives of Albert's teammates (Barclay, Adrian, Kelly) are not. Baer's wife Kelly plots to keep the celebrity couple apart for the sake of the team's on-field success--after all, the wives all want that World Series share at season's end. The separation is to no avail, as Albert and Velez elope, initiating a horrific losing streak for the ace that puts postseason hopes in jeopardy. Velez accepts a starring role and Albert rebounds in her absence, rallying to lead the Sox to the pennant. Alas, the production wraps just before the World Series, and the united Sox wives resort to kidnapping Velez for the duration of the Fall Classic.
Ostensibly a baseball film, the title of LADIES' DAY tells the true tale: on-field action is infrequent, and the Sox players take a backseat to their bonus-hungry spouses. As you might expect from the cast list, Adrian and Kelly are the sauciest and sassiest of the group. Both talk tough, but I'd give the edge to Kelly, since she's keeping the burly Baer in check on and off the diamond. As Albert's catcher, the former heavyweight champ is a surprisingly intimidated hubby. In a film needing a few sparks, casting Baer against type helps.
Albert smiles a lot in a role obviously inspired by Jerome "Dizzy" Dean (he's called "Wacky" Waters, so no one in 1943 would have missed it). Unlike Dean, his great talent can't overcome his antics. Albert becomes a Wild Thing on the field once he's doing the wild thing off it. Manager Clark is joined in his irritation by the hard-boiled wives of Wacky's teammates, another welcome play on our expectations.
Such fleeting inspiration occasionally gives hope that LADIES' DAY might be that forerunner to BULL DURHAM: a chick flick that also works as a baseball movie. Alas, the action on the field is very cheap looking, and Albert's chemistry with Velez is lacking. He excelled at exasperation but the ladies don't leave any for him, and the "love at first sight" bromide is the only explanation for the immediate attraction with his spouse-to-be.
But, really, we're watching this one for Lupe, and while she has her moments, this just isn't as good a vehicle as HONOLULU LU despite that film's shortcomings. She was onscreen virtually the entire time in that fun flick, but she's offscreen for several stretches of LADIES' DAY and plays a sympathetic, but naive starlet here. The role keeps the Velez we know and love under wraps for two-thirds of its runtime. Until then, Iris Adrian and Patsy Kelly overshadow Velez--by the time she outmaneuvers her captors, LADIES' DAY is almost over.
Lupe's complete lack of baseball knowledge coupled with rapid interest in her husband's sport is good for a few laughs, as is her interaction with the much tougher mates of Albert's teammates. But in the end, LADIES' DAY is just an agreeable time waster with a screen legend who admittedly is always a fine choice to waste that time with.
SO....WHY ISN'T THIS ON DVD/BLU?
Should be, since Warner Archive has put out many RKO features from the period including Velez' MEXICAN SPITFIRE series' box set. This obscurity flies under the radar.
WHY IT SHOULD BE:
See above. One of Lupe Velez' final films before her untimely death. While not one of her best, it is worth seeing for her, Adrian and Kelly. And Max Baer's intermittent antics. LADIES' DAY airs occasionally on TCM.
JOHNNY BE GOOD (1988 Orion Pictures) Starring Anthony Michael Hall, Uma Thurman, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Downey Sr., Paul Gleason, Jennifer Tilly, Steve James, Seymour Cassel, Marshall Bell, Deborah May, Michael Greene. Directed by Bud Smith.
Hall is a hot-shot high school quarterback fresh off his second state championship in a row, and the major colleges have come a-callin' before he signs his letter of intent. Best bud Downey Jr. recommends the highest bidder. Girlfriend Thurman wants him to join her at State, but State coach James isn't offering the perks that boosters Cassel and Greene dangle from larger schools. The former is willing to offer high school coach Gleason (whom Hall can't stand) the job if Hall comes along for the ride. All the while, mysterious Downey Sr. observes the entire process and records notes to self.
Unsavory recruiting practices for college athletics is a surefire topic for a movie with teen appeal; it's astonishing that only two came down the pike during the decade of the Brat Pack (the other being 1983's ALL THE RIGHT MOVES). While that Tom Cruise film went the dramatic route (a la BLUE CHIPS, ONE ON ONE), JOHNNY BE GOOD takes the comedic route previously mined by 1979's FAST BREAK. JOHNNY BE GOOD can't touch the underrated Gabe Kaplan vehicle for laughs, and is far less realistic to boot--no easy feat.
Any hope of genuine audience engagement in the situation is obliterated during the opening scenes depicting the State Championship Game. Hall is Coach Gleason's ticket to a top college job, yet the coach stupidly risks having his star quarterback returning kickoffs, punting, and facing frustrated pass rushers with a 52-0 lead! Numerous coaches and recruiters are in the stands, yet Hall blatantly fakes an injury in front of all the folks crucial to his future. He does it to get backup Downey Jr. into the game, and the opponent--supposedly the second best team in the state--can't even keep this fifth stringer from a touchdown run after he starts by running at least thirty yards the wrong way! One can only imagine the quality of the teams that didn't get to the final.
After the game, the absurdity continues, with a post-game call from Howard Cosell (sadly showing symptoms of Parkinson's during his cameo) urging Hall to choose that widely known destination for future pros, Yale University (Why? Cosell wasn't even an alum!). Cheerleaders join the football team under the showerheads (both still in uniform, PG-13, folks) and numerous recruiters wearing jackets from the closet of Rudy Russo bombard the nation's hottest prospect with loud offers of money, cars and girls (or if he prefers, boys) en route to his car outside the stadium. All of this within the first five minutes.
The once great champ, now a study in mopishness.....
No doubt, Hall wanted to break out of the "nerd" stereotype with this role (and OUT OF BOUNDS) and the 6'2" actor manages to look the part. His passing looks far better on film than Charlton Heston's or Adam Sandler's. But he's given no help from the weak script (by REVENGE OF THE NERDS alumni Steve Zacharis and Jeff Buhai) or from the unremarkable direction by first timer Bud S. Smith. Twice nominated for an Oscar as a film editor (THE EXORCIST, FLASHDANCE), Smith returned to his area of expertise after JOHNNY BE GOOD and has yet to helm another feature. He never brings the proceedings any closer to planet Earth after that opening sequence, and the tone is all over the place, shifting abruptly from ZAZ gags (such as the "chip tray" at Tex's house) to somber moments (Johnny's conversation with a former hot-shot recruit turned gas station attendant by an injury).
Three of Smith's credits as editor were directed by Robert Downey, Sr., a connection that no doubt helped bring the cult filmmaker to the supporting cast. In a rare bright moment, their collaboration PUTNEY SWOPE plays at the drive-in, while Downey Sr. comments on the movie being "shit". Great in-joke for us film buffs, but how many among JOHNNY BE GOOD's target demographic got this joke in 1988? (There is one other moment of amusement along these lines, but it wouldn't become one for
another decade: Downey Sr.'s NCAA investigator is named Lloyd Gondoli, which PUTNEY SWOPE fan Paul Thomas Anderson would use in BOOGIE NIGHTS for Philip Baker Hall's character).
Despite Hall's best efforts, filmgoing football fanatics are unlikely to suspend disbelief through the opening and an equally absurd pickup game between the two high school QB's and cops led by Thurman's father Bell. The promised raunch on the recruiting trail never really materializes, and the ridiculous finale features a wild fistfight between dozens of recruiters on national television, which undercuts the intended impact of Hall's mature decision.
JOHNNY BE GOOD has some appeal to those wanting to check out the future stars in the supporting cast, but even this attraction is limited. Consistently manic Downey Jr. is essentially playing BACK TO SCHOOL's Derick Lutz again, only after ten energy drinks: a Razzie nomination would not have been out of place. To be fair, Downey Jr. appears to be improvising a lot, which is understandable given the script's quality. Uma Thurman makes a charming debut, but is given little to do other in her predictable character arc (she loves Johnny, then thinks he's a jerk, finally forgives him after he comes to his senses). As for the adults, Seymour Cassel and Paul Gleason supply the assholishness and its nice to see the late Steve James playing against type in a key role.
Among genre camp classics from its era, JOHNNY BE GOOD is more rewatchable than COOL AS ICE, but never funny enough to touch the level of insanity reached by LISTEN TO ME. Hall, who turned down FULL METAL JACKET and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF prior to accepting this misfire, ended up back in supporting roles after its box office disappointment. His performance can't really be faulted--just his taste in screenplays.
DVD?
Yes, both standalone and in combination with other Brat Pack films, but unless you're a completist of one of the actors, don't bother. Wait for the next showing on Encore Classic.
Hold it! I think you're gonna like this picture....
LOVE THAT BOB: "Bob Gets Out-Uncled"
(Original Air Date: 5/30/57) Starring Bob Cummings as Bob Collins, Ann
B. Davis as Schultzy, Rosemary DeCamp as Margaret MacDonald, Dwayne Hickman as Chuck MacDonald, Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch as Himself, Merry Anders as Sally McClain, Elvia Allman as Mrs. Montague, Tony Montanaro Jr. as Pancho Gonzalez. Written by Paul Henning,
Shirl Gordon, Phil Shuken and Dick Wesson. Directed by Bob Cummings. Series overview of LOVE THAT BOBa.k.a. THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW previously published here for the one hundredth anniversary of the star's birth atthis link.
After a night of his usual carousing, Bob Collins is in no shape to meet his 7 A.M. wake up call to play tennis with his nephew Chuck. In itself, this isn't such a big deal, since Chuck has also been burning the midnight oil on the dance floor and is equally sleepy. But Margaret is in no mood to let either her brother (Bob) or her son (Chuck) off the hook. While Margaret is particularly infuriated with Bob, there's a greater concern on her mind: Chuck's emulation of his uncle's playboy ways.
Margaret's solution is to find a more suitable hero for Chuck to look up to: star Los Angeles Rams WR Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, who is working with local youth groups. With Mrs. Montague as the go-between, Hirsch is pursuaded to pose as "Uncle Roy", visiting from Wisconsin. Chuck's heretofore unseen Uncle is introduced by Margaret as a product of living healthy: "Early to bed and early to rise." "And your girl goes out with the other guys", Bob retorts. But will "Uncle Roy" have the last laugh and show the former Drury College standout and his nephew that "clean living" is best via athletic competition? Or will the photographer stay on top of Chuck's list of role models? Bob does have an ace in the hole: his tennis prowess, demonstrated most recently against Pancho Gonzalez, who Bob says he bestedin love sets! Or was it love seats?
Okay, it's almost impossible to fathom today, but in 1957, college football still eclipsed the NFL in popularity and the baseball was the national pastime, reigning over both by a wide margin. But still--how on earth could avid sports fans like Chuck and Bob not recognize the high-profile star flanker for the local Los Angeles Rams? Schultzy, Margaret and Mrs. Montague were allinstantlyfamiliar with Hirsch and that very colorful Rams team featured the high scoring "three end" offense (Norm Van Brocklin's 554 passing yards in a single game still stands as a record!). The Rams were popular enough locally to be the first NFL team to have all of its games televised (pre-blackout rule, that is).
To be fair, those Rams (1951 NFL Champions) had faded out of contention by 1957, with the ensuing season bringing Hirsch's Hall of Fame career to a close. Hirsch's appearance on LOVE THAT BOB (which aired three months before the season opener) was part of the charismatic player's plan to transition into an acting career. He had already played himself in an eponymous autobiographical film (1953's CRAZYLEGS) and a few months after this episode would co-star as the pilot in ZERO HOUR! on the big screen (if that one sounds familar, it's the samefilm that inspired AIRPLANE!).
So the premise of Bob Gets Out-Uncled requires a leap of faith. It's still amusing to see Bob's outrageous claims about his athletic abilities being punctured one by one. Division II Drury College, now Drury University, is just a tad smaller than the Big Ten powerhouse Roy played for. Speaking of which: Margaret identifies him as a Michigan alumni, while "Uncle Roy" says he played for Wisconsin, but neither Chuck nor Bob catches the discrepancy. In reality, Elroy Hirsch actually played for both!
Perhaps fatigue was a factor in these inconsistencies: Bob Gets Out-Uncled was the 34th and final episode of LOVE THAT BOB's third season. Nevertheless, this installment still provides a healthy quantity and quality of laughs. The jokes cover familiar territory (Bob's tomcatting, Schultzy's tomboyishness, Chuck attempting to horn in on Bob's action) but the lines are even sharper than usual, with Bob's slight revision of Benjamin Franklin's wisdom probably being the best remembered quote from the entire series. With Winston secured as sponsor for two more years, Paul Henning's creative team was set for the duration. Cummings would remain the show's primary director and would be responsible for all but one of thirty-six episodes for the ensuing 1957-58 season.
In the end, "Uncle" Roy's advice ("live clean, and get plenty of rest") has Chuck deciding to take a bath and go to bed immediately at the end of the day. But fear not: "Uncle Roy" never returned, and Chuck would be back to emulating his real uncle in subsequent episodes. And why shouldn't he? Chuck is studying to be a doctor, not aspiring to be a professional athlete. While Uncle Bob might be a windbag who gets cut down to size in sporting competition, at the end of the day our playboy shutterbug is still the one actually making time with the lovely Ms. McClain.
WHO WAS "BLOCKING"?
Chuck tried to, but was easily dispatched by Uncle Bob. So skillfully in fact that Sally McClain told him she was impressed, without a hint of irony.
DID BOB SCORE?
Bob has quite a suggestive opening line in this one ("7 A.M.? Oh, honey, I've got to get home!"), but I'd still say he struck out the night before--after all, he IS home, and fully clothed in last night's tux. However, I put his chances at eventually making hey-hey with Sally at well over 50%. She not only said she was impressed, she looked it too:
Showing her how it's done--or Chuck?
In The Great TV Sitcom Book (1980), Rick Mitz spotlighted Bob Gets Out-Uncled as a "typical" episode. It isn't a quintessential installment IMO, since we're missing Joi Lansing and lacking action at the photography studio. But on the plus side, deadpan, earnest Hirsch makes a good foil and lovely Merry Anders makes her only LOVE THAT BOB appearance, getting her share of terrific lines. The attention to detail could be a lot better, but Bob Gets Out-Uncled is nevertheless pretty funny. Of considerable historical interest too. (*** out of four)
Curiously, this well-known outing was one of 17 episodes completely missing from the imdb.com database. (I've corrected that error myself--you're welcome.) It is available, along with 39 other episodes (4 per DVD) at Shokus Home Video, under the alternate title Bob Meets His Match.
"Why the Hell isn't this on DVD yet?" -- Number 98
NUMBER ONE (1969 United Artists) Starring Charlton Heston, Jessica Walter, Bruce Dern, John Randolph, Diana Muldaur, Richard Elkins, Bobby Troup, Mike Henry, Stephen Franken, G.D. Spradlin, Roy Jenson, Ernie Barnes. Directed by Tom Gries.
Forty year old New Orleans Saints quarterback Heston is a former Super Bowl champion, but he's playing poorly in the preseason and has talented rookie Elkins breathing down his neck. While pondering the end of his career, Heston has plenty of problems outside the chalk lines as well. Despite his past accomplishments, Heston gets constant reminders that his future away from football is far from assured. It doesn't help that his marriage is on increasingly shaky ground, with wife Walter finding herself in a career of her own.
Heston and Gries collaborated on three films in the late Sixties. The first, WILL PENNY (1968), is cited by many as a true sleeper and Heston himself deemed it his favorite work in his biography In the Arena. The star's warm feelings did not extend to the followup, NUMBER ONE, which Heston cited as his worst in the same book. I think he's being too hard on NUMBER ONE, but the film has its share of problems, beginning with the star's failure to make a convincing NFL quarterback.
Then-Saints quarterback Billy Kilmer was on hand to give Charlton Heston passing pointers, but while Kilmer was a gritty winner, he didn't exactly remind you of Dan Marino with his mechanics--which Heston was directed to emulate (in order to match the stock footage). Despite his 6'3" height and the larger than life aura he brought to so many prestigious historical and sci-fi projects, Heston never looks any more like a professional signal caller on the field than Alan Alda (as George Plimpton) did in PAPER LION the year before.
Forty-six at the time, Heston is also too old for the part, something further complicated by the character being an ancient (for a QB) 40 in the script. How many 40 year old quarterbacks even now have "three good years left" (as coach Randolph claims Heston does), much less in 1969? The star gives his customary all on and off the field (he sustained three broken ribs absorbing one tackle) as the prickly Ron "Cat" Catlan, but comes across as stiffer and less charismatic than usual. Stilted dialogue by screenwriter David Moessinger (later executive producer of QUINCY, M.E. during much of The Hilarious Years) hinders him away from the stadium as well.
This isn't to say that NUMBER ONE isn't a film of some interest. Retired offensive lineman Jenson is reduced to asking Heston for a $200 handout, something sobering in light of the financial and personal problems faced by many former players (including star linemen of the day Jim Tyrer and Mike Webster) during post-NFL life in the years since. Few football films had explored this at the time. We're told several times that Heston will have a difficult time adjusting to life after football financially, but the point of the prescient dialogue with Jenson is unfortunately undermined elsewhere. Heston's problems are shown to be more emotional than monetary (in conversation with wife Walter), with no shortage of potentially lucrative opportunities in retirement. Former teammates Troup and Dern are wildly successful in their respective business ventures, and both offer him a job, with Dern wanting Heston badly enough to blatantly root for his old quarterback's failure on opening day.
Would YOU buy a car from this man?
In another progressive move for a 1969 film that isn't undercut, African-American Elkins is the quarterback of the near future for the Saints, with the media and many fans anxious to see him take over for Heston. Just three weeks after NUMBER ONE was released, James Harris became the first black signal caller to start on opening day for the AFL Bills, and at the time college stars at the position (i.e. Marlon Briscoe) were usually asked to change positions in that league and the pre-merger NFL. The situation would sadly continue for many years (i.e. Warren Moon's undrafted status). The matter-of-fact approach taken by Gries is especially refreshing given this real-life context, as only Elkins' talent matters and no reference is made to his race. Unfortunately, Stephen Franken's stereotypically gay designer is presented in a less enlightened manner.
Ernie Barnes
Just as the aforementioned PAPER LION was made with the cooperation of the NFL and the Detroit Lions, NUMBER ONE had the same support, with real-life Saints players Monty Stickles, Danny Abromowicz and Hall of Famer Doug Atkins (entering his own final season in '69) playing themselves. Retired NFL'er turned painter Ernie Barnes, the teammate closest to Heston, would later become well known for providing the highly visible artwork for TV's GOOD TIMES (1974-79). Off the gridiron, New Orleans jazz icon Al Hirt appears at himself, and both Dern and future NORTH DALLAS FORTY coach Spradlin also co-starred with Heston in Gries' WILL PENNY.
Underappreciated as a director, Gries (BREAKHEART PASS) chose an appropriately jazzy score, filmed on location in Louisiana, and didn't shy away from ending the movie on the downbeat note that seemed inevitable throughout. Too bad that the missteps elsewhere kept NUMBER ONE from coming anywhere close to the status suggested by its title. While it's no pigskin classic, it doesn't deserve its present obscurity either.
So....why isn't this on DVD yet?
There's some effort made to show the physical effects of the sport in scenes between Heston and team doctor Spradlin, but the frankness of NORTH DALLAS FORTY was still a decade away in 1969. Still, it was coming, and NUMBER ONE became dated quickly. This, more than Heston's on-field miscasting, seems to be the reason that NUMBER ONE is largely forgotten. PAPER LION (1968) (also not on DVD) suffers from the same problem, but, being a comedy at heart, it wasn't affected nearly as adversely as the more serious subject matter tackled here.
Why it should be on DVD:
On the plus side of the era discussion, you do get authentic Browns, Saints and Cowboy uniforms, something that the NFL wouldn't allow in the years to come for those films more critical of the league (FORTY, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY).
The "snapshot of a bygone era" angle: NUMBER ONE would seem to be a must for Saints fans, particularly those old enough to remember when the team played its home games the old Tulane Stadium, a.k.a. "The Sugar Bowl" (which it hosted for 40 years). The stadium stood from 1926 to 1980 and hosted the Saints until the Superdome opened in 1975. That long demolished venue is on full display here.
While it doesn't quite fit in with WILL PENNY (which doesn't need a partner, really; it is superb), NUMBER ONE would make a nice Heston-Gries twofer with THE HAWAIIANS, which seems a little overpriced on its own. Dern and Atkins are among those still with us who would be available for extras. NUMBER ONE recently aired on the MGM HD channel, so watch for a possible repeat showing there.
The following is The Horn Section's contribution to the Big League Blogathon, hosted by Forgotten Films! Yes, it's blogathon time again, and I am honored that Todd has invited me to contribute. Be sure to visit Forgotten Films to check out all the other contributions: after all, that's what the Looper would want, if he could be here with us today at the Astrodome. A personal note: I attended my very first Major League Baseball game on July 8, 1977, the same day that the following film was released. The Rangers, behind legendary Dock Ellis, defeated the Angels and some guy named Nolan Ryan 9-5 at Arlington Stadium. The lure of MLB in person kept me from seeing this film until the Sunday afternoon matinee on the 10th.
THE BAD NEWS BEARS IN BREAKING TRAINING (1977 Paramount) Starring Jackie Earle Haley as Kelly Leak, William Devane as Mike Leak, Clifton James as Sy Orlansky, Jimmy Baio as Carmen Ronzoni, Chris Barnes as Tanner Boyle, Erin Blunt as Ahmad Abdul-Rahim, Jeffrey Louis Starr as Mike Engelberg, Dolph Sweet as Coach Manning, Lane Smith as Officer Mackey, Fred Stuthman as Lester Eastland. Directed by Michael Pressman. Written by Paul Brickman.
One year after their near miss as an expansion team, the Bears are back sans Coach Buttermaker and female pitching prodigy Amanda Wurlitzer. After the team pulls a mutiny against their militaristic new coach, a proposed trip to Houston for a game in the Astrodome is in jeopardy. Of course, it's Haley's Kelly Leak who has a solution to everything: New York transplant (Baio) as the new pitcher, a "borrowed" van as a ride to Houston, and mentally challenged groundskeeper Stuthman ("Hello! How are you?") as the new coach--at least, until the parents are gone. Kelly has a hidden motivation for rejoining the team to make the trip, as his estranged father (Devane) now lives there.
The initial BAD NEWS BEARS (1976) was a self-contained story with points to make, not unlike the year's other big underdog story, ROCKY. Indeed, Bears coach Morris Buttermaker gained redemption after years of missed opportunities with a near miss, a moral victory against a seemingly invincible champion. Just like Rocky Balboa. The bigger messages to be taken from BEARS (about the dangers of winning at all costs and of parents living vicariously through their children) were also appreciated by adults, but for all the four letter words being thrown around, pre-teens still made up the bulk of the Bad News Bears' audience.
Continuity sticklers will note right away that the Bears aren't the
reigning "California champions"; in fact, they finished second in their
league. No matter. It's clear the players are literally taking over
from the opening scene, when disciplinarian new coach Manning (Sweet) is
unceremoniously fired by the team. To firmly establish our new leader
(and undisputed star with Matthau and O'Neal gone) it's Kelly Leak who enters
heroically on his bike and tells him to take a hike. Hammering it home, Leak arrives via Harley in his next two scenes as well, one with a blonde passenger, the other with the new pitcher. He subsequently procures the team's "ride" and drives them to Houston, coolly waving off initially suspicious cops along the way.
Yes, the kids are running the show in the sequel. BREAKING TRAINING marks the transition from a self-contained first film with pertinent points to make into a crowd pleasing franchise. Beating ROCKY to a sequel by two years, BREAKING TRAINING establishes the template Stallone would follow: hit the same chords that resonated in the first outing while giving fans the outcome they want this time. This doesn't always run smoothly: it requires the Bears forgetting everything Buttermaker taught them in the year that has passed, best demonstrated by the team's thorough thrashing at the hands of a Native American team in en route to their destination.
Further stacking the deck, Engelberg (played by Starr in a casting change) has gone from a solid # 3 hitter to just plain uh, portly, and Kelly's new pitcher, Carmen Ronzoni (Jimmy Baio, SOAP) is shown to be a load of hot air in that New Mexico pickup game. Ronzoni has studied the windups of Catfish Hunter and Luis Tiant like any twelve year old baseball fan did in the mid-70's, but can't get the ball over the plate. He's so bad that even his ability to steal multiple copies of Playboy doesn't win his teammates over.
At least his brushback pitch is working
It must be said that Kelly's put-upon dad Mike Leak turns out to be one Hell of a coach. A strong case can be made that he's better than Buttermaker--and I'm about to. Consider that Buttermaker's pitcher (Amanda) was a finished product when he brought her to the team. Leak inherits hapless Ronzoni and fixes his mechanical problems in two minutes. Literal minutes, not screen ones. No dissolves, no montage needed. Leak had a grand total of four days (tops) to re-teach the Bears all the forgotten fundamentals and get them ready to win a game in the Astrodome. Buttermaker had weeks to get the Bears ready for the season opener, and didn't even have them ready to record a single out.
Earl Weaver has nothing on me, son!
True, Buttermaker was quite a hustler who knew all the tricks both on (i.e. leaning into pitches, spitballs) and off (getting the two ringers on the team) the field, but Mike Leak is no slouch in that category either. Mr. Leak utilizes the old "hidden ball" trick in a very timely manner on the field, and finds a way to have his son bat in three consecutive innings (anyone else notice that?). And yet, Mike's baseball knowledge is still dwarfed by the resourcefulness he demonstrates outside the lines. (Like father, like son.) Mike Leak smooth talks Officer Mackey (Lane Smith) into leniency when the van is discovered to be "hot", convinces super-rich Texan Sy Orlansky (Clifton James) to be the team's benefactor, and even gets the big game extended with the impromptu "let them play" chant in the film's most memorable scene. Mr. Leak has little trouble winning over everyone except, ironically, his own son, creating the core conflict in the script (an early effort by RISKY BUSINESS auteur Paul Brickman).
Occasional sappiness from the father-son reunion (or from the friendship that has formed between Tanner and Lupus) is kept to a minimum though. BREAKING TRAINING is a feel-good film through and through, best exemplified by it's theme song. "Carmen" makes an appearance here and there, but is largely replaced by "Life is Looking Good", a quintessentially Seventies theme song if there ever was one:
Could anything root this film in 1977 more than that? Well, I guess the van could have had a CB radio, but Brickman avoided that sign of the times. He hit plenty of others, though, and came up with a highly watchable sequel that would surely never get greenlighted by Paramount (or any other major studio) today.Brickman and Pressman gave us pre-teens on an unsupervised trip in a stolen van across three state lines, smoking, swearing and shoplifting along the way. With no punishment: The Bears avoid "the joint" (despite Ahmad's frequently stated fears) and emerge with a literal triumph instead of a moral one--in The Freaking Astrodome--easily the coolest and most futuristic stadium around at the time.
The Bad News Bears were living every twelve year old boy's fantasy in 1977, ensuring an enduring cult following for THE BAD NEWS BEARS IN BREAKING TRAINING. While that following largely consists of males born between 1964 and 1969 (face it, Haley was never exactly Tom Cruise, and Jimmy Baio never matched his cousin Scott's "heartthrob" status), and this second chapter lacks the groundbreaking material of the first film, enough of the cast returns for BREAKING TRAINING to remain a surprisingly entertaining time capsule with a number of very funny scenes. Two memorable favorites: Stuthman meeting the players' parents and Barnes routing two Astros officials during a diamond chase.
BREAKING TRAINING also offers some redemption at its own conclusion, with humbled Carmen Ronzoni getting the last at-bat this time around. And while it might not be Gary Cooper's PRIDE OF THE YANKEES speech, just see if you don't get goosebumps during the "Let Them Play" chant. Father and son finally get in synch and bring the entire crowd at the Astrodome crowd to its feet. They even get approval from the team's biggest stars (Bob Watson and Cesar Cedeno) to keep playing. It's a worthy followup to "The Big Looper's" catch against the Yankees.
Whaddya mean Scott's out with Pamela Anderson??? AGAIN??
DVD?
Yep, and pretty cheap, too. Recommended as the last real moment of triumph for the Bears. Only one year later, Devane, Baio and Barnes were all out and Tony Curtis was in for the franchise killing BAD NEWS BEARS GO TO JAPAN, which shoved both the Bears and baseball into the background in favor of a Tokyo travelogue. Suffice to say it was very difficult to find a single creative decision in that 1978 fiasco that wasn't ill-conceived. Plans for a fourth Bad News Bears film (that would have taken the team to Cuba) were scrapped, and the franchise moved to television for two seasons with an entirely different cast that included a young Corey Feldman.
I'll leave you with one puzzling question that has persisted throughout the years. No, I'm not talking about Mike Leak's unnoticed liberties with the batting order. Rather, who is this hottie?
She has no lines, and no mention in the credits. A rather obvious looking prostitute back at the Bears' original hotel in Houston (before Sy Orlansky makes the team his guests), she does turn up again, in a great "blink and you'll miss it" sight gag. We see her at the game, apparently the uh, "guest" of Officer Mackey, who is enjoying the Hell out of those free tickets from Mike Leak:
C'mon, now, I'm off the clock! Let me play! Let me play!!
Isn't that another "lady of the evening" to his left? Go Mackey....go Mackey.... But seriously, free tickets for the cop AND a hooker for an Astros game?? Could Buttermaker have pulled that one off??? I rest my case!
"Why the Hell isn't This on DVD yet?" -- Number 87
THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS (1952 20th Century Fox) Starring Dan Dailey, Joanne Dru, Richard Crenna, Richard Hylton, Hugh Sanders, Chet Huntley, Stuart Randall. Directed by Harmon Jones.
Dailey is Jerome Dean, poor baseball prodigy with a grade school education who in 1928 has attracted the attention of St. Louis Cardinals' scout Sanders. The gregarious, brash Dailey is reluctant to start out in the minor leagues but soon glad he did since he meets and courts pretty Dru while in Houston. Nicknamed "Dizzy" by the chattering opposition, he adopts the moniker in stride. In rapid succession Dailey gets brother Crenna (as Paul "Daffy" Dean) signed by the Cards, takes Dru as his bride, and gets promoted to the big leagues. Something of a man-child with extraordinary talent, Dailey takes the National League by storm, and often frustrates Dru and manager Randall with his individualism and unrestrained antics. Dailey and Crenna lead the Cards to a title and the sky is the limit--until an injury cuts the formerly indestructible ace down in his prime. What's a man with the gift of gab but without a formal education to do after his playing career ends abruptly?
A self-promoter to rival Namath and Ali, "Dizzy" Dean was one of the most colorful characters in baseball history and the most disappointing aspect of THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS is how conventional it is. The final screenplay by the great Herman J. Mankiewicz (CITIZEN KANE), PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS follows the basic template that the writer used to great effect in his 1942 Lou Gehrig bio PRIDE OF THE YANKEES. However, the structure doesn't transfer well at all. The introverted, Columbia-educated northerner Gehrig and the boastful, motormouth Arkansan Dean had little in common besides the fact that both were among baseball's best players during the 1930's.
While both careers ended prematurely, only Gehrig's life did: there's a considerable difference between the diagnosis of ALS and a broken toe. Mankiewicz compensates by spending more time on the pitcher's lows (injury, marital problems, broadcasting protests), but Dean's cocky, rube-like antics in the major leagues are at the heart of his legend. Leading the Cardinals' band, predicting 45 wins from the Dean Brothers and working in the ticket office are all given mere seconds in a montage, and there's no mention at all of Dizzy literally "using his head" on the basepaths during the 1934 World Series or his famous quote after brother Paul's no-hitter the same year ("If I'd a known, I'd a throwed one too!").
Dailey is the film's biggest asset, giving a clearly well researched performance. Dailey captures Dean's pitching motion, sense of mischief and language as well as anyone could be expected to, and carries PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS through its conformism. He brings this man of self-confidence and stubbornness to life and manages to keep this rapscallion likable despite his complete inability to listen. Dailey's Dean talks at people constantly, not to them--a harmful character flaw in everyday life, but a perfect quality for a career at the mic.
Dru is fine but underutilized as the eternally patient Mrs. Dean: her real life shrewd business management of her husband's interests is also ignored in the screenplay. Despite this and the other letdowns, Mankiewicz was nominated for an Oscar. The film was a box office success in 1952 and Dizzy Dean was elected to Cooperstown the following year, so PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS obviously struck a chord. It isn't a bad film by any means, just an acceptable one that could have been so much more given Dailey's fine work and the wealth of source material on its legendary subject. At 93 minutes, this one could actually stand to be longer.
So...why isn't this on DVD yet?
While it may not stick in your memory the way that PRIDE OF THE YANKEES does, this DVD omission is as baffling as one of Dizzy's pitches. Bios of Jackie Robinson and Monty Stratton from the same era have been out for years now. Granted, 1948's THE BABE RUTH STORY is still missing, but despite its flaws PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS is much better executed than that legendary fiasco.
Why it should be on DVD:
Bill James stated in his 2000 Historical Abstract that Dean remained popular because he represented a rural America that "had been a part of who we were" and was missed by the time of his sportscasting peak. It's a good point, but one could also say Dean was ahead of his time. Thirty years after Dean, Joe Namath, Muhammed Ali and Reggie Jackson were following in Dizzy's footsteps: making boasts, backing them up and being very quotable while doing it. That is reason enough to rediscover this almost forgotten film bio.
Also in need of rediscovery is star Dan Dailey, a talented actor somewhat overlooked by modern audiences. Best known for musical roles and as Betty Grable's favorite co-star, Dailey (who was Oscar-nominated for Best Actor in 1948's WHEN MY BABY SMILES AT ME) shows off another side of his talent here. THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS turns up occasionally on Fox Movie Channel.
"Why the Hell isn't THIS on DVD yet?" -- Number 80
DREAMER (1979 20th Century Fox) Starring Tim Matheson, Jack Warden, Susan Blakely, Barbara Stuart, Richard B. Shull, Chris Schenkel, Nelson Burton Jr., Azizi Johari, Mews Small, Julian Byrd, Matt Clark, Dick Weber. Directed by Noel Nosseck.
Matheson is a bowling whiz in his small midwestern town who dreams of winning that one big tournament and joining the PBA. Former pro Warden co-owns the bowling alley Matheson works at, mentoring and living vicariously through the young talent, while the Dreamer's lady Blakely grows frustrated "competing with bowling". There are choices to make all around when Matheson has the goal in sight at the tour's Chicago stop, with just one problem--legendary Hall of Famer Weber is the opponent standing in his way.
The 1970's was something of a Golden Age for the sports movie. In that decade's latter half, most tended to fall into one of two categories. The makers either embraced profanity and other R-rated content a la THE BAD NEWS BEARS (FAST BREAK and SLAP SHOT come to mind) or went the safer, more innocuous, straightforward "feel good" route of BREAKING AWAY and ROCKY. Since ROCKY's Bill Conti does the soundtrack and the film is rated PG (no "tempations of the road" for this bowler) it's easy to see Nosseck is taking the latter route with DREAMER.
Somewhat distinguished by virtue of being one of the few theatrical films to center on the PBA (are there any others besides KINGPIN?), DREAMER offers few new wrinkles otherwise. The conflicts are too minor (Matheson vs. the PBA establishment, Blakely vs. Warden for Matheson's time) in the script by Larry Bischof and James Proctor. In addition, they leave a 7-10 split with Warden's arc, which is manipulative, cliched as Hell and removes the most intriguing character from the action too soon. Maybe they thought Matheson's thumb injury just wasn't enough to convince us that bowling is tough, strenuous exercise, I dunno.
As one might guess from that and other plot twists, DREAMER follows the sports film template without surprises, other than Blakely's girlfriend not being the "wet blanket" type when it comes to bowling. On the contrary, she works at the same alley and would love to accompany Matheson to the tournaments, but "the guys" think she affects his focus negatively. Well, either that or she's just bad luck. The romantic pairing doesn't really click like it should; Matheson comes across as indifferent to her, and the pair being "brought together" by a tragedy seems as artificial as the demise itself.
Several interesting minor roles (Clark's "Spider", Small's waitress) leave you wanting more. One of those intriguing characters livens DREAMER up halfway through, asJune 1975 Playmate of the MonthAzizi Johari (THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE) shows up at the alley as a pool hustler, looking stunning and offering an intriguing bet to would-be womanizer Clark, who has trouble keeping his jaw off the ground. So did I:
I have this sudden urge to "rack 'em up"....
Johari is barely onscreen for five minutes, but you can't take your eyes off her. Too brief, but it's the most memorable scene. It's too bad that Nosseck keeps cutting away from the pool room. To answerRoger Ebert's question from his review: Small updates us on the match in the next scene, and it's safe to say that Spider kept losing. After all, if he'd won, he'd be way too busy to be bothering Blakely about two hours later.
Also sticking in your head afterward ("Reach for the top/I won't stop/Gonna shoot my shot...") is Pablo Cruise's theme song, though not in nearly as good a way. It's good to see Matheson in what would turn out to be a rare lead after his ANIMAL HOUSE success. But with Warden given little to do, this is one of the few films even he can't help. (Jack could certainly spice things up if he had the R-rating to work with). Hard to fault a sports film for being predictable, and that isn't what sinks DREAMER: blandness is. Still worth a gander for its cast and a subject that is rarely explored cinematically. Just don't expect to learn much more about bowling than Warden's advice: "You gotta beat the pins, not the man."
So....why isn't this on DVD yet?
DREAMER did have a limited but unsuccessful theatrical run in the Spring of 1979 (contrary to Wikipedia's entry). Passably written and directed at best and only scratching the surface of the sport's nuances, DREAMER failed to satisfy aficionados, casual bowlers or sports movie fans in its short stint.
Why it should be on DVD:
Bland as DREAMER is, PBA fans might appreciate, since there are very few non-comedies exploring the sport. Fans of the two leads might like this as well, but otherwise, the rare appearance by Azizi Johari (who only made four features, all between 1976 and 1981) is the main reason to tune in.
Reason enough, actually.
DREAMER airs occasionally on Fox Movie Channel. If you'd like to check it out for yourself, it's scheduled next for May 21st at 11:25 A.M.
