Major League (1989)

Director:

David S. Ward

Writer (WGA):

David S. Ward (written by)

Release Date:

7 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

When these three oddballs try to play hardball, the result is totally screwball.

Plot:

The new owner of the Cleveland Indians puts together a purposely horrible team so they'll lose and she can move the team. But when the plot is uncovered, they start winning just to spite her.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Showgirl | Voodoo | Farce | Sombrero

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tom Berenger	...	Jake Taylor
Charlie Sheen	...	Ricky Vaughn
Corbin Bernsen	...	Roger Dorn
Margaret Whitton	...	Rachel Phelps
James Gammon	...	Lou Brown
Rene Russo	...	Lynn Wells
Wesley Snipes	...	Willie Mays Hayes
Charles Cyphers	...	Charlie Donovan
Chelcie Ross	...	Eddie Harris
Dennis Haysbert	...	Pedro Cerrano
Andy Romano	...	Pepper Leach
Bob Uecker	...	Harry Doyle
Steve Yeager	...	Duke Temple
Peter Vuckovich	...	Haywood
Stacy Carroll	...	Suzanne Dorn
Richard Pickren	...	Tom
Kevin Crowley	...	Vic Bolito
Mary Seibel	...	Thelma
Bill Leff	...	Bobby James
Mike Bacarella	...	Johnny Wynn
Skip Griparis	...	Colorman
Gary Houston	...	Ross Farmer
Ward Ohrman	...	Arthur Holloway
Marge Kotlisky	...	Chaire Holloway
Tony Mockus Jr.	...	Brent Bowden
Deborah Wakeham	...	Janice Bowden
Neil Flynn	...	Longshoreman
Keith Uchima	...	Groundskeeper #1
Kurt Uchima	...	Groundskeeper #2
William M. Sinacore	...	Coleman
Richard Baird	...	Hal Charles
Julia Milaris	...	Arlene
Roger Unice	...	Rexman
Michael Thoma	...	Gentry
Patrick Dollymore	...	French Waiter
Joe Liss	...	Guy in Bar (as Joseph Liss)
Gregory Alan Williams	...	Bull Pen Guard
Peter Ruskin	...	Gateman
Michael Hart	...	Burton - Yankees Player
James Deuter	...	Phil Butler
Jack McLaughlin-Gray	...	Jerry Simmons
Tim Bell	...	Body Building Assistant
Joe Soto	...	Security
Ted Noose	...	Lyle Matthews
Lenny Rubin	...	Clubhouse Man
Thomas P. Purdoff	...	Umpire #1
Jeffrey J. Edwards	...	Umpire #2
Alexandra Villa	...	Hostess
Michelle Minyon	...	Working Class Bar Patron
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alex Flores	...	Spring Training 1
Michael Kuster	...	Cleveland Indians Player (#20 Larson)
Michael F. Twarog	...	Spring Training 2 (as Mike Twarog)
Ted White	...	Spring Training 3
James Barwick	...	Yankees Player (uncredited)
Byron Browne	...	Baseball Player (uncredited)
A.J. DiSpirito	...	Yankees' Player (uncredited)
Shea Farrell	...	Tolbert (uncredited)
Con Geary	...	New York Yankees Player (uncredited)
F. Gary Gray	...	Extra (uncredited)
The Lowpriest	...	Indian's Fan (uncredited)
John Meier	...	Pearson (Indians Player) (uncredited)
Brad Weber	...	Chicago White Sox Catcher (uncredited)

Directed by
David S. Ward		(as David Ward)

Writing credits (WGA)
David S. Ward		(written by) (as David Ward)

Produced by
Julie Bergman Sender	....	co-producer (as Julie Bergman)
Chris Chesser	....	producer
Mark Rosenberg	....	executive producer
Joe Roth	....	co-producer
Irby Smith	....	producer

Original Music by
James Newton Howard

Cinematography by
Reynaldo Villalobos		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dennis M. Hill

Casting by
Joanne Zaluski

Production Design by
Jeffrey Howard

Art Direction by
John Krenz Reinhart Jr.

Set Decoration by
Celeste Lee

Costume Design by
Erica Edell Phillips

Makeup Department
Judith Denny	....	assistant hair stylist (as Judith-Ann Denny)
Judith Denny	....	assistant makeup artist (as Judith-Ann Denny)
Frances Mathias	....	hair stylist
Peggy Teague	....	assistant hair stylist (as Peggy Teague-Tamme)
Peggy Teague	....	assistant makeup artist (as Peggy Teague-Tamme)
Joann Wabisca	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robin Forman	....	post-production supervisor
Edward D. Markley	....	unit production manager (as Edward Markley)
Irby Smith	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Louis D'Esposito	....	first assistant director
Jerry Grandey	....	first assistant director
Christine Larson	....	second assistant director
Richard Patrick	....	second assistant director
Irby Smith	....	second unit director
Michael-McCloud Thompson	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Eain Bankins	....	property assistant
Peter Bankins	....	property master
Rick Benning	....	swing
Joanne Brown	....	sign painter: Tuscon
Lloyd Brown	....	assistant property master (as Loyd Brown)
Patrick Cassidy	....	assistant set decorator (as Patrick Thomas Cassidy)
Steve Chesser	....	landscape designer: Tuscon
Carla Curry	....	set dresser: Tuscon
Robert Detweiller	....	construction: Tuscon (as Robert Detweiler)
Amanda J. Flick	....	scenic artist (as Amanda Flick)
Gary Gagliardo	....	construction foreman
Paul Arthur Hartman	....	lead man
John M. Holliday	....	lead carpenter
Jack Johnson	....	storyboard artist
David L. McGuire	....	assistant property master
Roger Meryett	....	art department coordinator (as Roger D. Meryett)
Deb Navins	....	property assistant
Randall Ott	....	property assistant (as C. Randall Ott)
Bill Rea	....	set designer
Jon Reeves	....	carpenter
James Risch	....	carpenter
Adam Silverman	....	on-set decorator
Tom Southwell	....	conceptual artist

Sound Department
George H. Anderson	....	conforming sound editor (as George Anderson)
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist (as Kevin Bartnoff)
James Beshears	....	adr supervisor
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	foley editor (as Lucy Coldsnow)
Laura Derrick	....	boom operator
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick English	....	sound effects apprentice
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bob Glass)
John Haeny	....	sound effects editor
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
J. Paul Huntsman	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Bruce Lacey	....	foley editor
Lauren Palmer	....	adr editor (as Lauren J. Palmer)
John Peate	....	cable man: Tuscon
Carolann Sanchez-Shapiro	....	sound effects assistant (as Carolann S. Sanchez)
Matt Sawelson	....	dialogue editor (as Matthew G. Sawelson)
Brad Sherman	....	sound effects editor
Fontaine Stevens	....	cable person
Bill Thiederman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Thiederman)
Susumu Tokunow	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Dieter Sturm	....	special effects

Stunts
G.A. Aguilar	....	stunts
Alex Flores	....	stunts
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunt coordinator
Stacy Logan	....	stunts (as Stacey Logan)
Michael F. Twarog	....	stunts
Ted White	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jon Altendorf	....	grip
Lloyd Barcroft	....	key grip
James Blanford	....	camera operator
Robert C. Carlson	....	first assistant camera (as Robert Carlson)
Hugo Cortina	....	gaffer
Blaise Dahlquist	....	best boy electric (as Blaise R. Dahlquist)
Ray De La Motte	....	camera operator: Tucson (as Ray J. de la Motte)
Antonio V. Garrido	....	dolly grip (as Tony Garrido)
John Graf	....	electrician
Mauricio Gutierrez	....	second assistant camera
Chris Hayes	....	camera operator
Bill Hedenberg	....	aerial photographer
Steven C. Hodge	....	electrician
Rob Ingenthron	....	grip
Mansur Johnson	....	grip: Tucson
Michael Kohnhorst	....	first assistant camera
George Kohut	....	camera operator
Johnny London Jr.	....	best boy grip
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	panaglide operator
Pat O'Mara	....	grip
Marco Pennacchini	....	second assistant camera: Tucson
James Pergola	....	director of photography: second unit
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer
Robert P. Sanchez	....	aerial assistant camera
Jeffrey Ray Strong	....	electrician (as Jeff Strong)
Reynaldo Villalobos Jr.	....	second assistant camera
Dennis Wojtecki	....	grip

Casting Department
Jane Alderman	....	casting liaison: Chicago
Shelley Andreas	....	casting liaison: Chicago
Nicole Arbusto	....	casting coordinator
Lisa S. Beasley	....	extras casting
Frank Kennedy	....	extras casting: Tucson
Nancy Jane King	....	extras casting associate (as Nancy King)
Julie Matthews	....	casting assistant
Hugh R. Ross	....	extras casting assistant
Linda M. Thomas	....	extras casting assistant
Mark Van Ert	....	extras casting assistant
Mike Walczak	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Andrea Barrier	....	seamstress
Michael Becker	....	costume supervisor
Sherrie Brody	....	wardrobe assistant
Patti Cameron	....	wardrobe assistant
Hariett Engler	....	seamstress
Laurie Hudson	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Laurie L. Hudson)
Charlotte Laughon	....	wardrobe assistant: Tucson

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Adrienne Daniels	....	apprentice film editor
Moonstar Greene	....	assistant film editor
Jimmy Hill	....	assistant film editor (as James B.J. Hill)
Maysie Hoy	....	first assistant film editor (as Maysie Hoy Martlett)
John Lafferty	....	optical editor
Tony Lombardo	....	additional film editor
Karen Marmer	....	post-production coordinator
Gary Simon	....	apprentice film editor
Steve Kraus	....	editing systems technician (uncredited)

Music Department
Eeda Kitto	....	assistant music editor
Michael Mason	....	assistant score recording engineer
Ross Pallone	....	score recording engineer
Robert Schaper	....	score recording engineer
Ellen Segal	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Gregg Goodwin	....	transportation captain
Harold Martin	....	transportation captain: Tucson
Ken Plumlee	....	transportation captain
George Schneider	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Jami Abell	....	assistant: Joe Roth (as Jamie Abell)
Dawn-Leslie Allen	....	key production assistant
Bryan Ambacher	....	accounting production assistant: Tucson
Lawrence Amenda Jr.	....	film runner
Kate Amer	....	production assistant
Lisa Bellomo	....	secretary to the producers
Frederick Bodner	....	location manager
Leonard E. Boswell	....	security: Tucson (as Leonard Boswell)
Kimberly Boyd	....	film runner (as Kimberly A. Boyd)
Marty Caldwell	....	first aid: Tucson
Tim Cole	....	stand-in
Lisa C. Cook	....	production associate
Scott Crabbe	....	production assistant
Ira Friedlander	....	assistant auditor (as Ira J. Friedlander)
Terry Gearhart	....	stand-in
Paul Gracyalny	....	craft service
Ramon Guzman	....	stand-in
Gail Haigh	....	administrator: Morgan Creek
Rob Harris	....	unit publicist
Kandace Hewitt	....	accounting assistant
Patrick Hewitt	....	production assistant
Robert Hume	....	production assistant (as Bob Hume)
Sheldon Katz	....	production controller (as Sheldon M. Katz)
Shannon Kesey Smith	....	assistant production coordinator
Linda Labov	....	secretary to the producers
Bill Leff	....	stadium entertainer
Bill Lemke	....	athletic trainer
Erik Loysen	....	production assistant
Bill Lund	....	stand-in
David Marcus	....	production assistant
Julia Miller	....	assistant: Mr. Ward and Mr. Chesser
Rob Mook	....	set medic: Bell Ambulance
Charlene Norman	....	production assistant
Donna Ostroff	....	secretary to the producers
Leslie Park	....	script supervisor
Mike Rom	....	office production assistant: Tucson
Hugh Ross	....	production assistant
Jerry Saslow	....	stadium entertainer
Ted Schmitz	....	stand-in
Frank Serrano	....	key production assistant
Jay Smith	....	key production assistant
Jette Sorensen	....	production accountant
Cristen Carr Strubbe	....	crowd promotion: Tucson (as Cristen Carr)
Tod Swindell	....	production secretary: Tucson
James C. Telford	....	craft service
Susan Vanderbeek	....	production coordinator
Janet M. West	....	assistant: James G. Robinson (as Janet West)
Leonard Williams	....	stand-in
Kip Wolverton	....	craft service assistant: Tucson
Wendy Wolverton	....	craft service: Tucson
Steve Yeager	....	technical advisor
John E. Ferraro	....	production executive (uncredited)

Thanks
Ken Kelter	....	thanks (as Kenny Keltner)
Jan Pergoli	....	thanks: Milwaukee film liaison
Arnold Rendon	....	thanks: Nogales liaison

Production Companies

• Mirage Enterprises
• Morgan Creek Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Starlight
• Stormovie (2007) (Italy) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Curb Records  soundtrack
• Juniper Post  sound
• Sportsrobe  costumes
• Wallis Nicita Associates  casting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Japanese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-10 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Mirage Enterprises

Trivia:

Working title "Dead Last".

Goofs:

Factual errors: Harris gives up a double in the top of the 9th inning, which represents the 8th hit of the game for the Yankees. He walks the next hitter and relieved by Vaughn who throws three straight heaters to end the inning. When the Indians are up in the bottom of the ninth, the scoreboard shows that the Yankees have nine hits when, in fact, they only have eight.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Rachel Phelps:Good morning, gentlemen, and welcome to another season of Indians baseball.

Movie Connections:

References Dirty Harry (1971)

Soundtrack:

The Nearness of You

Couldn't Stop Laughing

I saw this movie when it was released back in 1989 and I couldn't stop laughing; This movie was hilarious.

It was very fitting, since the Cleveland Indians at the time were the laughingsock of the Major Leagues and for years, they were stuck in the realms of mediocrity or in last place year after year.

The cast was great; Led by Tom Berringer, and Margaret Whitton. She played the perfect villain in this movie. You just wanted to hate her. Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bersen, along with 3 unknown actors at the time, Wesley Snipes, Dennis Haysbert and Rene Russo. Snipes was hilarious as Willie "Mays" Hayes as well as Haysbert as Pedro Cerrano, the power hitter who practices voodoo. The cast was well rounded off with Checie Ross as Eddie Harris, the aging religious pitcher, James Gammon, Charles Cypers and Bob Uecker as "Harry Doyle".

There were many great one liners and hilarious scenes. The American Express commercial was classic and here's a couple of my favorite scenes:

-Jake Taylor, Willie "Mays" Hayes and Ricky Vaughn are in a bar after a game and discussing the long ball Vaughn gave up:

Taylor: "It wasn't that bad" Vaughn: "Oh yeah? Name one park that ball couldn't have left" Taylor: "Yellowstone" (All 3 laughing)

That scene was in the theater version and I've seen it in the trailers for the movie, but it was deleted in the video version. I'd like to know why, because that was one of my favorite scenes.

-"Oh now you come around; But he isn't fooled"- Eddie Harris on seeing Pedro Cerrano crossing himself.

Here's a few bits of trivia on the movie:

-Funny thing was seeing Pete Vukovich as Klu Haywood, a first baseman. Mainly because he was a pitcher in the Major Leagues.

-Catcher Jake Taylor wore #7. This was the uniform number of longtime Los Angeles Dodger catcher Steve Yeager, who was the technical advisor to this movie and played 3rd Base Coach, "Duke Temple" (Fitting that Taylor wore his number?).

-The movie was filmed in Milwaukee and 3 people affiliated with the Brewers were featured: Pete Vukovich, Bob Uecker (Brewers play-by -play man) and pitcher Jerry Augustine (Duke Simms).

-Was it a coincedence that Miller and Lite Beer was used, since Bob Uecker at the time was spokesman for the Miller Brewing Company?

This movie is one of the best sports movies around. Getting the dvd is worth it.