The Bad News Bears (1976)

An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Bill Lancaster

Stars:

Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, Vic Morrow

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Walter Matthau	...	Coach Morris Buttermaker
Tatum O'Neal	...	Amanda Whurlitzer
Vic Morrow	...	Roy Turner
Joyce Van Patten	...	Cleveland
Ben Piazza	...	Bob Whitewood
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Kelly Leak
Alfred Lutter III	...	Ogilvie (as Alfred W. Lutter)
Chris Barnes	...	Tanner Boyle
Erin Blunt	...	Ahmad Abdul Rahim
Gary Lee Cavagnaro	...	Engelberg
Jaime Escobedo	...	Jose Agilar
Scott Firestone	...	Regi Tower
George Gonzales	...	Miguel Agilar
Brett Marx	...	Jimmy Feldman
David Pollock	...	Rudi Stein

Storyline

Former minor leaguer Morris Buttermaker is a lazy, beer swilling swimming pool cleaner who takes money to coach the Bears, a bunch of disheveled misfits who have virtually no baseball talent. Realizing his dilemma, Coach Buttermaker brings aboard girl pitching ace Amanda Whurlizer, the daughter of a former girlfriend, and Kelly Leak, a motorcycle punk who happens to be the best player around. Brimming with confidence, the Bears look to sweep into the championship game and avenge an earlier loss to their nemesis, the Yankees.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | baseball coach | slapstick comedy | pizzeria | blockbuster | 

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Taglines:

The coach is waiting for his next beer. The pitcher is waiting for her first bra. The team is waiting for a miracle. Consider the possibilities.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Sport

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Tatum O'Neal's character, Amanda Whurlitzer, is similar to her role in Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon (1973). In both movies she plays a tough tomboy who has a verbally abusive love/hate relationship with a father figure, Walter Matthau in this film and her real-life father and costar Ryan O'Neal in Paper Moon (1973).

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Goofs

When the Bears play the Athletics the game before the championship game, the scoreboard says the home team is winning 1-0 the first time we see it. The second time we see it, the visitors are winning 1-0. The third time we see it, the home team is winning 2-1.

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Quotes

Tanner Boyle: We lost eighteen to nothin', Buttercrud, and the Athletics are the worst team in the league!
Ahmad Abdul Rahim: *Second* worst...
Tanner Boyle: Sorry, I forgot.

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Crazy Credits

When the Paramount logo turns blue, the "Paramount" text extends beyond the dark blue area instead of staying inside the dark blue.

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Connections

Featured in Sports on the Silver Screen (1997)

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Soundtracks

Carmen
Written by Georges Bizet

User Reviews

Still Holds Up

The Bad News Bears (1976) This is a classic sports comedy about an aging, down-on-his-luck ex- minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league. It stars Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal. This is one of my favorite movies from my childhood. Considered crass and crude in its day, it's now received cult status. The film garnered two sequels, a television series, and a 2005 remake. It also received multiple award nominations. The remake wasn't necessary, as I believe the original still holds up, despite the critics' problem with the drinking, smoking, and profanity. This a great representation of comedy from the era.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

7 April 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Bären sind los

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles City Hall - 200 North Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$32,211,330

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$32,211,330

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Glen Glenn Sound)

Color:

Color (Movielab) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1