Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)
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- PG
- 1h 36min
- Drama, Sport
- 09 Mar 1978 (Netherlands)
- Movie
The story of the friendship between the New York Mammoths major-league baseball team's worldly-wise pitcher Henry "Author" Wiggen and half-wit catcher Bruce Pearson as they cope with Bruce's terminal illness during a baseball season.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Michael Moriarty | ... |
Henry Wiggen
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| Robert De Niro | ... |
Bruce Pearson
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| Vincent Gardenia | ... |
Dutch Schnell
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| Phil Foster | ... |
Joe Jaros
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| Ann Wedgeworth | ... |
Katie
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Patrick McVey | ... |
Bruce's Father
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Heather MacRae | ... |
Holly
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| Selma Diamond | ... |
Tootsie
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| Barbara Babcock | ... |
Team Owner
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Maurice Rosenfield | ... |
Team Owner
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| Tom Ligon | ... |
Piney Woods
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Andy Jarrell | ... |
Ugly
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| Marshall Efron | ... |
Bradley
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Donny Burks | ... |
Perry
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| Hector Elias | ... |
Diego
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| Tom Signorelli | ... |
Goose
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James Donahue | ... |
Canada
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| Nicolas Surovy | ... |
Aleck Olson
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| Danny Aiello | ... |
Horse
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Hector Troy | ... |
George
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Tony Major | ... |
Jonah
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| Barton Heyman | ... |
Red
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Jack Hollander | ... |
Tegwar Player
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Lou Girolami | ... |
Tegwar Player
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Ernesto Gonzalez | ... |
Dr. Chambers
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| Alan Manson | ... |
Doc Loftus
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Arnold Kapnick | ... |
Detective
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Jean David | ... |
Dutch's Wife
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Beatrice Manley | ... |
Joe's Wife
(as Bea Blau)
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Herb Henry | ... |
Keith Crane
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| Pierrino Mascarino | ... |
Sid Goldman
(as Pierrino Mascariño)
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Dorothy Neubert | ... |
Bruce's Mother
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Kaydette Grant | ... |
Gem
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Dell Bethel | ... |
Third Base Coach
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Vince Camuto | ... |
Baseball Player
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Jeff Sartorius | ... |
Baseball Player
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Willie Lemmey | ... |
Baseball Player
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Doug Major | ... |
Baseball Player
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Forrest Wynne | ... |
Bat Boy
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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James Mahoney | ... |
Doorman (uncredited)
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Chip Toland | ... |
Baseball Player (uncredited)
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Frederic C. Weiler | ... |
Photographer (uncredited)
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Directed by
| John D. Hancock | ... | (as John Hancock) |
Written by
| Mark Harris | ... | (screenplay) |
| Mark Harris | ... | (novel) |
Produced by
| Bill Badalato | ... | associate producer |
| Lois Rosenfield | ... | producer |
| Maurice Rosenfield | ... | producer |
Music by
| Stephen Lawrence | ||
Cinematography by
| Richard Shore | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Richard Marks | ||
Editorial Department
| Ronald Roose | ... | assistant editor |
| Hanna Wajshonig | ... | assistant editor |
Production Design by
| Robert Gundlach | ||
Set Decoration by
| Frederic C. Weiler | ||
Costume Design by
| Domingo A. Rodriguez | ... | (as Domingo Rodriguez) |
Makeup Department
| Peter Garofalo | ... | make up & styling |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Michael P. Petrone | ... | assistant director (as Michael Petrone) |
| Allan Wertheim | ... | first assistant director |
Art Department
| Gil Gertsen | ... | set construction |
| Paul Vogt | ... | property master |
| Fred Weiler | ... | property master |
Sound Department
| Edward Beyer | ... | sound editor |
| John H. Bolz | ... | sound (as John Bolz) |
| Mike Chamoun | ... | sound technician |
| Philip Gleason | ... | sound technician (as Phil Gleason) |
| Les Lazarowitz | ... | sound technician |
| Emil Neroda | ... | sound re-recordist |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Lou Girolami | ... | gaffer |
| Arnold Kapnick | ... | still photographer |
| Ed Knott Jr. | ... | key grip (as Ed Knott) |
| Kyle T. MacDowell | ... | grip |
| Charles Meere | ... | electrician |
| Dick Mingalone | ... | camera operator |
| Larry Orlick | ... | assistant cameraman (as Lawrence Orlick) |
| Tibor Sands | ... | first assistant cameraman |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Yvonne David | ... | wardrobe |
Music Department
| Stephen Lawrence | ... | conductor / music arranger: additional music |
Script and Continuity Department
| Kay Chapin | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Clifford L. Benson | ... | production crew (as Cliff Benson) |
| Dell Bethel | ... | baseball advisor |
| Sante Fiore | ... | production crew |
| Ed Knott Jr. | ... | production crew |
| Mike Rodriguez | ... | production crew |
| James Rosenfield | ... | production assistant |
| James Sweeney | ... | production crew |
| Keith Wilson | ... | production crew |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Paramount Pictures (1973) (United States) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1977) (United States) (tv)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1978) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Europafilm (1980) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Doperfilme (1981) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Paramount Home Entertainment (1982) (United States) (VHS) (pan and scan)
- Sundowner Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
- Transvídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- Paramount Home Entertainment (1989) (United States) (VHS) (pan and scan)
- NHK-BS2 (1992) (Japan) (tv)
- Australian Film Institute (1979) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Cinematographe (2025) (World-wide) (Ultra HD Blu-ray)
- Warner Home Video (United States) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting (extras casting)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Henry Wiggen (Author to his friends) and Bruce Pearson are members of the New York Mammoths major-league baseball team--Author the star pitcher, Bruce the catcher who never quite lived up to his potential--friends and roommates when they're on the road. During the off-season, Bruce is diagnosed with the terminal case of Hodgkin's disease. Author is the only teammate who knows about it; neither plans to tell anyone. Author takes extraordinary measures to ensure that he is playing ball with Bruce during what will probably be Bruce's final season. Author looks after Bruce in part because Bruce is mentally a simple man who can easily be taken advantage of, especially by his opportunistic girlfriend Katie. As the season progresses, the team isn't quite gelling, despite being the best team on paper. But as information comes to light, the dynamic on the team changes to make it a memorable end of the season especially for Bruce, who finishes on his own terms. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Nothing is more important than friendship. Not fame, not money, not death. See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Robert De Niro auditioned seven times before he finally landed the lead role. See more » |
| Goofs | Paul shoots the light in the hotel room using a single action revolver, which requires manually cocking the hammer. However, the hammer is in the down position, and his finger is not even on the trigger. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Diamonds on the Silver Screen (1992). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Bang the Drum Slowly See more » |
| Quotes |
[last lines]
Henry Wiggen: From here on in, I rag nobody. See more » |