posted 05-20-2016 06:56 PM                    

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LOVEABLE LOSERS:
REMEMBERING “THE BAD NEWS BEARS” ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

By Michael Coate

“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.”

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective article commemorating the 40th anniversary of the release of The Bad News Bears, Michael Ritchie’s popular and franchise-inspiring baseball comedy starring Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal. (Hey, Paramount! Where’s the Blu-ray??!!)

The Bad News Bears, from Bill Lancaster’s WGA-winning screenplay about a Southern California Little League team comprised of an alcoholic coach, a female pitcher, and “a bunch of jews, sp*cs, ni**ers, pansies, and a booger-eating moron,” opened 40 years ago this week, and for the occasion The Bits features a compilation of box-office data that places the movie’s performance in context, a collection of noteworthy passages from vintage film reviews, a list of the theaters that played the movie upon its initial release, and, finally, an interview segment with baseball authority and Walter Matthau biographer Rob Edelman.

BAD NEWS BEARS NUMBER$

3 = Rank among top-earning movies during opening weekend
4 = Number of sequels, remakes and spin-offs
4 = Rank on list of top box-office earners of 1976 (calendar year)
9 = Rank on list of top box-office earners of 1976 (legacy)
27 = Number of weeks of longest-running engagement
47 = Rank on all-time list of top box-office earners at close of original release
459 = Number of opening-week engagements

$2.4 million = Opening-weekend box-office gross
$9.0 million = Production cost
$22.3 million = Box-office rental (domestic, 1976 calendar year)
$24.9 million = Box-office rental (domestic, through 1979)
$37.5 million = Production cost (adjusted for inflation)
$42.3 million = Box-office gross (domestic)
$176.5 million = Box-office gross (domestic, adjusted for inflation)

A SAMPLING OF MOVIE REVIEWER QUOTES

“The year’s funniest movie!” — Jay Cocks, Time

“The Bad News Bears is the funniest adult-child comedy film since Paper Moon, and should do just as well for Paramount. Walter Matthau stars to perfection as a bumbling baseball coach in the sharp Stanley R. Jaffe production about the foibles and follies of little-league athletics. Tatum O’Neal also stars as Matthau’s ace pitcher. Michael Ritchie’s film has the correct balance of warmth and empathy to make the gentle social commentary far more effective than in his Smile of a year ago. This is home run b.o. material.” — A.D. Murphy, Variety

“The Bad News Bears is what a good Disney comedy might look like today if the Disney studios hadn’t lost the knack long ago.” — John Hartl, The Seattle Times

“The sad fact is that [The Bad News Bears] is unbearable since it fails on [every] level, creating a final product that’s as spotty as a fireman’s dog.” — Ken Williams, (Hamilton, OH) Journal News

“Because of its humor and care, Bad News Bears is really good news.” — Susan Stark, Detroit Free Press

“For pure, nutty escapism, don’t miss The Bad News Bears.” — Rex Reed, New York Daily News

“One of Matthau’s funniest performances and Tatum O’Neal is dazzling!” — John Simon, New York Magazine

“Nowhere does The Bad News Bears strike us with the fresh insight, the original perspective, or the new sympathy that movies, comic or otherwise, must have to make them worth our while.” — Joy Gould Boyum, The Wall Street Journal

“Run, run, run to The Bad News Bears. You’ll be making an error if you skip this movie!” — Gene Shalit, WNBC-TV

“The Bad News Bears is cloyingly precocious, feisty and foul-mouthed…. The Bad News Bears is still an enjoyable movie, mostly because of the delightful performance of Walter Matthau.” — Bill Hagen, Copley News Service

“If Neil Simon ever wrote a kiddie comedy, it might very well sound like Michael Ritchie’s The Bad News Bears.” — Vincent Canby, The New York Times

“Despite all its home-run potential, Bad News Bears is a long fly ball that finally drifts foul.” — Maureen Orth, Newsweek

“Funny and sweet!” — Liz Smith, Cosmopolitan

“A good, clean hit!” — Frank Rich, New York Post

“Unbeatable as all-around satisfying entertainment!” — Judith Crist, Saturday Review

“The Bad News Bears isn’t up to the standard of [Michael Ritchie’s] Smile. Its characters are more types than people. But Ritchie manages to work some magic through his use of music and through his manipulation of the film’s uncertain ending…. The kids themselves are exaggerated brats. They talk like standup comics working a Dean Martin roast. Their foul-mouth dialog is overdone…. In sum, The Bad News Bears is a better comedy about Little League baseball than you’d expect from anyone but talented Michael Ritchie.” — Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

“Michael Ritchie’s The Bad News Bears is intended as a comedy, and there are, to be sure, a lot of laughs in it. But it’s something more, something deeper, than what it first appears to be. It’s an unblinking, scathing look at competition in American society—and because the competitors in this case are Little Leaguers, the movie has passages that are very disturbing.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“Ritchie deflates the pretensions of a sacrosanct piece of Americana without draining away any of the fun.” — Richard Cuskelly, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner

“While no way related to the Disney definition of a wholesome family picture, Bad News Bears is ultimately a sentimental ode to the spirit of good sportsmanship, or maybe a blow to kids’ lib. But how many message movies have Matthau on deck to guarantee a grand-slammer?” — Playboy

“What should have been family fare is more suited for adults, especially regarding the language used by both adolescents and grownups. Since many regard obscenities as objectionable as sex or violence on the screen, the Paramount release may run into difficulty.” — Boxoffice

“Ritchie’s cynicism finds its most deserving target in the little league parents—the fathers who care more about a team victory than their children’s stability. But the film’s sharpness on this point throws the movie out of focus. It’s like finding a bitter tonic in the middle of a tasty cream puff…. Although the plot recalls the early 1930s comedies, the dialogue is pure 1976. For once, onscreen contemporary kids sound just like offscreen contemporary kids.” — Philip Wuntch, The Dallas Morning News

“The Bad News Bears is a lovely, spontaneously funny entertainment. [T]he presence of Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal at the head of the cast may help to attract a mass audience that never heard about [Ritchie’s] Smile…. [T]he comedy scenes are so expert and the interplay between Matthau and the juveniles is so uninhibited and amusing that the picture looks virtually certain of wide, well-earned popular appeal.” — Gary Arnold, The Washington Post

“The Bad News Bears is nothing but good news. It’s the best American screen comedy of the year to date.” — Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

“Purely as a hip kiddie comedy about life in the little leagues, The Bad News Bears is amiable, easily digestible diversion. But unfortunately it haplessly aspires to be something more: a mildly caustic comment on our costly obsession with winning. Elsewhere, a skillful satirist of this particular form of American madness (in Smile and The Candidate), here director Michael Ritchie merely seems dutifully ideological. The message is tacked on, not woven, into the movie and, what’s more, it’s not really justified by the action. Part of the fault lies in Bill Lancaster’s indecisively conceived, unevenly written and thickly padded script.” — John Koch, Boston Herald American

“The Bad News Bears suggests the title of a Disney movie. But Michael Ritchie’s film of that name might be rated ‘X’ by Disney standards…. Ritchie took risks with this one—baseball, kids, the un-Disney honesty of true junior high school dialogue—and won. I think it is the best of his five feature films to date.” — William Hogan, San Francisco Chronicle

“It is simply a very fine movie that would be a great deal of fun for persons of all ages. It has enough intelligent comment to keep adults interested and enough wild humor to keep children of all ages roaring with laughter.” — Mike Petryni, The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic

“[The Bad News Bears] has an exploding sense of life and joyful, jubilant sense of self that’s absent from far too many films…. Bad News Bears recalls with joy when baseball was a sport, not a business. It remembers when sandlot baseball was played by kids for their own delight, not for their parents’ ego-tripping. When the idea was sportsmanship, not gamesmanship. It recollects when baseball was a reflection of the kind of game life should be instead of a warring simulation of the mechanism it’s becoming. That’s as joyful as it is romantic.” — Tom McElfresh, The Cincinnati Enquirer

THE ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENTS

A distribution overview…. The Bad News Bears was sneak-previewed in several markets on April 2nd, 1976. The movie’s world premiere was held at Plitt’s Century Plaza in Los Angeles on April 4th as the closing night screening of FILMEX ’76. Paramount booked over 400 prints of the film for the initial release wave in North America, a huge sum for the company at the time. The opening-week bookings were held over the course of four days, depending on the opening-day preference of each exhibitor, and these have been cited below, alphabetized by U.S. state and Canadian province. Two theaters in Manhattan opened the movie on Tuesday, April 6th. The Wednesday, April 7th openings have been cited with a single asterisk. The double-asterisk entries opened Thursday, April 8th, and the triple-asterisk entries opened Friday, April 9th. The thousands of bookings that commenced during the subsequent weeks and months (including move-over extensions and international engagements) have not been listed in this work. The length of engagement, measured in weeks, has been provided for selected entries to give a sense of the movie’s popularity.

ALABAMA
Bessemer — ABC Southeastern’s Bessemer Twin*** (8 weeks)
Birmingham — ABC Southeastern’s Roebuck Plaza*** (8)
Huntsville — Martin’s Westbury Cinerama*** (10)
Mobile — ABC Southeastern’s Airport Twin*** (11)
Montgomery — Martin’s Governor’s Square Twin*** (12)
Muscle Shoals — Martin’s Cinema Twin*** (5)
Tuscaloosa — ABC Southeastern’s Fox Twin*** (5)

ALASKA
No theaters in Alaska played The Bad News Bears during Release Wave #1

ALBERTA
Calgary — Famous Players’ Palliser Square Twin*** (23)
Edmonton — Famous Players’ Capitol Square 4-plex*** (7)
Edmonton — Famous Players’ Westmount Twin*** (24)

ARIZONA
Phoenix — General Cinema Corporation’s Thomas Mall*** (6)
Tucson — Mann’s Buena Vista Twin*** (11)

ARKANSAS
Fort Smith — American Multi-Cinema’s Phoenix Village Twin*
Jonesboro — Malco’s Trio Triplex***
Little Rock — United Artists’ Cinema City 4-plex*** (12)
North Little Rock — General Cinema Corporation’s McCain Mall Twin*** (6)

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Burnaby — Famous Players’ Lougheed Mall Triplex*** (26)
West Vancouver — Famous Players’ Park Royal Twin*** (9)

CALIFORNIA
Bakersfield — General Cinema Corporation’s Valley Plaza* (7)
Berkeley — Blumenfeld/Cinerama’s Oaks Twin* (6)
Capitola — Kindair’s 41st Avenue Playhouse Triplex* (11)
Citrus Heights — Mann’s Birdcage Walk Triplex*** (24)
Concord — General Cinema Corporation’s Sun Valley* (9)
Daly City — Plitt’s Serramonte Plaza Twin* (10)
El Monte — Pacific’s Starlite Drive-In* (11)
Eureka — Redwood’s State Triplex*** (6)
Fountain Valley — Pacific’s Fountain Valley Drive-In* (12)
Fresno — General Cinema Corporation’s Manchester Mall* (10)
Hayward — General Cinema Corporation’s Southland Twin* (9)
Los Angeles (Hollywood) — Mann’s Chinese* (11)
Los Angeles (Westwood Village) — Mann’s National* (11)
Menlo Park — West Side Valley’s Park* (9)
Napa — Blumenfeld’s Uptown Twin* (4)
Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Twin* (11)
Oakland — Foster’s Parkway Twin* (11)
Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 4-plex* (12)
Palm Desert — Metropolitan’s Palms to Pines Triplex* (15)
Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 24* (11)
Salinas — Kindair’s Northridge 4-plex* (12)
San Diego — Mann’s Cinema 21* (11)
San Francisco — Blumenfeld’s Regency II* (10)
San Jose — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin* (11)
San Mateo — General Cinema Corporation’s Hillsdale Center Twin* (9)
San Rafael — Blumenfeld/Cinerama’s Northgate* (10)
Santa Barbara — Metropolitan’s Granada* (6)
Sonoma — Redwood’s Coddingtown Triplex* (7)
Stockton — General Cinema Corporation’s Sherwood Plaza Twin* (9)
Vallejo — Syufy’s Cine 21 Triplex* (5)
Visalia — Mann’s Fox* (5)

COLORADO
Boulder — Mann’s Fox*** (8)
Colorado Springs — General Cinema Corporation’s Citadel Twin*** (12)
Denver — Mann’s Century 21* (16)
Fort Collins — Mann’s Fox*** (6)
Greeley — Cooper-Highland’s Wilshire Twin*** (7)
Pueblo — American Multi-Cinema’s Southside 4-plex*** (11)

CONNECTICUT
Bridgeport — Perakos’ Beverly* (5)
Danbury — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Cinema* (5)
East Hartford — Redstone’s Showcase 4-plex* (9)
Orange — Redstone’s Showcase 5-plex* (7)
Stamford — Trans-Lux’s Avon* (7)
Waterbury — General Cinema Corporation’s Naugatuck Valley Mall Triplex* (11)
Westport — Nutmeg’s Fine Arts Triplex* (9)

DELAWARE
Wilmington — Budco’s Concord Mall* (12)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington — General Cinema Corporation’s Jenifer Twin* (11)

FLORIDA
Bay Harbor Islands — Loews’ Bay Harbor*** (11)
Bradenton — General Cinema Corporation’s Bayshore Twin*** (7)
Casselberry — General Cinema Corporation’s Seminole*** (8)
Clearwater — ABC Florida State’s Capitol*** (7)
Coral Gables — General Cinema Corporation’s Riviera Twin*** (11)
Daytona Beach — General Cinema Corporation’s Bellair Plaza Twin*** (10)
Deerfield Beach — ABC Florida State’s Ultravision Twin*** (7)
Fort Lauderdale — General Cinema Corporation’s Sunrise Twin*** (11)
Fort Walton Beach — Martin’s Brooks Plaza Triplex*** (8)
Gainesville — Eastern Federal’s Royal Park 4-plex*** (11)
Hollywood — General Cinema Corporation’s Hollywood*** (11)
Jacksonville — General Cinema Corporation’s Expressway Mall Twin*** (9)
Jacksonville — Mandell’s 5 Points*** (11)
Kendall — Loews’ Kendall Mall Twin*** (12)
Lakeland — General Cinema Corporation’s Imperial Mall Twin*** (6)
Merritt Island — General Cinema Corporation’s Merritt Twin***
Miami — General Cinema Corporation’s Westchester Twin*** (9)
North Miami Beach — Loews’ 167th Street Twin*** (12)
Ocala — Wometco’s Ocala Twin*** (5)
Orlando — ABC Florida State’s Plaza Twin*** (7)
Pensacola — ABC Southeastern’s Plaza Twin*** (8)
Plantation — ABC Florida State’s Plantation*** (6)
St. Petersburg — ABC Florida State’s Plaza Twin*** (7)
St. Petersburg — General Cinema Corporation’s Gateway*** (4)
Sarasota — ABC Florida State’s Plaza Twin*** (4)
Tampa — General Cinema Corporation’s Austin Twin*** (11)
Tampa — General Cinema Corporation’s University Square Mall 4-plex*** (12)
West Palm Beach — ABC Florida State’s Plaza Twin*** (8)

GEORGIA
Atlanta — General Cinema Corporation’s Perimeter Mall Triplex*
Atlanta — Loews’ Tara Twin*
Augusta — Weis’ Cinema Centre Twin*** (11)
Columbus — Martin’s Peachtree Twin*** (9)
Decatur — Eastern Federal’s Belvedere*
Fort Oglethorpe — Martin’s Southgate Twin***
Jonesboro — Weis’ Arrowhead Triplex*
Macon — Weis’ Cinema Centre Triplex***
Savannah — Weis’ Cinema Centre Triplex***
Smyrna — Eastern Federal’s Miracle***

HAWAII
Honolulu — Royal’s Marina Twin* (19)

IDAHO
No theaters in Idaho played The Bad News Bears during Release Wave #1

ILLINOIS
Aurora — L&M’s Isle*** (4)
Belleville — Bloomer Amusement Company’s Cinema*** (5)
Bloomington — General Cinema Corporation’s Eastland Triplex*** (?)
Calumet City — Plitt’s River Oaks Triplex*** (11)
Carbondale — Kerasotes’ Saluki Twin*** (5)
Champaign — Kerasotes’ Orpheum** (10)
Chicago — Playboy*** (6)
Decatur — Kerasotes’ Lincoln*** (5)
Joliet — General Cinema Corporation’s Jefferson Square Triplex*** (10)
Lombard — General Cinema Corporation’s Yorktown Twin*** (11)
Milan — Redstone’s Showcase 6-plex* (11)
Norridge — Marks & Rosenfield’s Norridge Triplex*** (11)
Oak Lawn — Lucas’ Coral*** (11)
Peoria — Kerasotes’ Beverly*** (9)
Rockford — Kerasotes’ State*** (6)
Schaumburg — Plitt’s Woodfield Twin*** (11)
Skokie — Marks & Rosenfield’s Old Orchard Twin*** (11)
Springfield — Kerasotes’ Esquire Triplex** (12)
Waukegan — General Cinema Corporation’s Lakehurst Triplex*** (9)

INDIANA
Columbus — General Cinema Corporation’s Courthouse Twin*** (5)
Elkhart — Kerasotes’ Concord Mall Twin*** (7)
Evansville — CinemaNational’s Washington Square Twin*** (20)
Fort Wayne — General Cinema Corporation’s Southtown Mall Twin***
Fort Wayne — Mallers-Spirou’s Holiday Twin***
Gary — General Cinema Corporation’s Ridge Plaza Twin*** (7)
Greenwood — General Cinema Corporation’s Greenwood Triplex*** (12)
Indianapolis — General Cinema Corporation’s Lafayette Square*** (9)
Indianapolis — Loews’ Norgate Twin*** (6)
Kokomo — General Cinema Corporation’s Kokomo Mall Triplex***
Lafayette — United Artists’ Market Square Twin*** (9+)
Michigan City — General Cinema Corporation’s Dunes Plaza 4-plex***
Muncie — General Cinema Corporation’s Northwest Plaza Twin***
South Bend — River Park***
Terre Haute — General Cinema Corporation’s Honey Creek Square Twin*** (10)

IOWA
Ames — Central States’ Ames** (2)
Cedar Falls — Central States’ College Square Twin** (7)
Cedar Rapids — Dubinsky’s World*** (7)
Des Moines — Dubinsky’s Riviera* (10)
Dubuque — Dubuque Theatre Corporation’s Cinema Center Triplex* (7)
Iowa City — Central States’ Mall Twin** (5)
Mason City — Central States’ Park 70*** (4)
Sioux City — Dubinsky’s Orpheum*** (6)

KANSAS
Lawrence — Commonwealth’s Hillcrest Triplex* (6)
Manhattan — Commonwealth’s West Loop Twin* (4)
Overland Park — Guy-Con’s Valley View Twin* (#1: 27)
Overland Park — Guy-Con’s Valley View Twin* (#2: 14)
Salina — Dickinson’s Mid-State Twin*** (5)
Topeka — American Multi-Cinema’s Gage 4-plex* (11)
Wichita — Commonwealth’s Twin Lakes Twin* (23)

KENTUCKY
Erlanger — Redstone’s Showcase 5-plex* (20)
Lexington — General Cinema Corporation’s Fayette Mall Twin*** (8)
Louisville — Redstone’s Showcase 6-plex* (15)
Paducah — Transcontinental’s Paducah Twin* (7)

LOUISIANA
Alexandria — General Cinema Corporation’s Alexandria Mall Twin*** (7)
Baton Rouge — University 4-plex*** (21)
Gretna — General Cinema Corporation’s Oakwood Triplex*** (9)
Lafayette — Nona***
Metairie — General Cinema Corporation’s Lakeside 4-plex*** (11)
Monroe — Joy’s Eastgate Triplex*** (11)
Shreveport — General Cinema Corporation’s Southpark Twin*** (7)
Shreveport — Ogden-Perry’s Eastgate 4-plex*** (7)

MAINE
Lewiston — General Cinema Corporation’s Northwood Plaza Twin* (4)
Old Town — Cinemette’s University Twin* (4)
Portland — E.M. Loew’s Fine Arts Twin* (6)
Waterville — Sonderling Broadcasting Corporation’s Cinema Center 4-plex* (4)

MANITOBA
Winnipeg — Famous Players’ Northstar Twin*** (7)

MARYLAND
Catonsville — Einbinder & Brehm’s Westview 4-plex* (15)
Frederick — Rechir/Cohen’s Holiday* (4)
Hagerstown — Interstate’s Long Meadow Twin* (7)
Landover — Neighborhood’s Landover Mall 6-plex* (15)
Parkville — General Cinema Corporation’s Perring Plaza Twin*

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston — Sack’s Cinema 57 Twin* (10)
Braintree — General Cinema Corporation’s South Shore Plaza Twin* (11)
Framngham — General Cinema Corporation’s Shoppers World 4-plex* (11)
North Dartmouth — General Cinema Corporation’s North Dartmouth Mall 4-plex* (10)
Peabody — General Cinema Corporation’s Northshore Center Twin* (11)
West Springfield — Redstone’s Showcase 6-plex* (11)
Woburn — Redstone’s Showcase 4-plex* (11)
Worcester — Redstone’s Webster Square*** (7)

MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor — Mann’s Fox Village***
Battle Creek — Butterfield’s West Columbia Twin*** (7)
Benton Harbor — CinemaNational’s Fairplain Twin*** (7)
Bloomfield Township — Suburban Detroit’s Kingswood* (7)
Dearborn — Wayne Amusement’s Dearborn Entertainment Center Triplex* (10)
Flint — Butterfield’s Genesee Valley Twin*** (14)
Grand Rapids — Butterfield’s Eastbrook Twin*** (14)
Harper Woods — Suburban Detroit’s Eastland Twin* (7)
Jackson — Butterfield’s Plaza Twin*** (7)
Kochville Township — Goodrich’s Tri-City Quad 4-plex*** (9)
Lansing — Mann’s Spartan Twin***
Livonia — General Cinema Corporation’s Livonia Mall Triplex* (8)
Madison Heights — Suburban Detroit’s Abbey Triplex* (8)
Mt. Clemens — Suburban Detroit’s Parkway Twin* (7)
Port Huron — Huron*** (4)
Portage — Loeks’ Plaza Twin***
Rochester Hills — Nicholas George’s Hampton Triplex* (12)
Southfield — Nicholas George’s Americana 4-plex* (11)
Taylor — Suburban Detroit’s Southland Twin* (10)
Westland — Wayne Amusement’s Quo Vadis Entertainment Center 4-plex* (7)

MINNESOTA
Bloomington — General Cinema Corporation’s Southtown*** (11)
Duluth — Cinema Entertainment Corporation’s Kenwood Twin*** (12)
Rochester — Plitt’s Oakview*** (5)
Roseville — General Cinema Corporation’s Har-Mar Twin*** (11)
St. Louis Park — Cooper-Highland’s Cooper*** (7)

MISSISSIPPI
Hattiesburg — ABC Interstate’s Cloverleaf Mall Twin*** (4)
Jackson — ABC Interstate’s Jackson Square*** (8)

MISSOURI
Clayton — Arthur’s Shady Oak*** (12)
Columbia — Wehrenberg’s White Gate Village Twin*** (7)
Florissant — General Cinema Corporation’s Jamestown Mall Twin*** (11)
Joplin — Dickinson’s Eastgate Triplex* (7)
St. Ann — General Cinema Corporation’s Northwest Plaza Twin*** (11)
St. Joseph — Mann’s Fox East Hills* (4)
Springfield — Dubinsky’s Petite Triplex*** (8)
Sunset Hills — General Cinema Corporation’s Sunset Hills Twin*** (11)

MONTANA
Billings — Theatre Operators’ World* (4)
Great Falls — Carisch’s Twilite Cinema Center Twin*

NEBRASKA
Lincoln — Cooper-Highland’s Cooper/Lincoln*** (10)
Omaha — Cooper-Highland’s Indian Hills*** (11)

NEVADA
Las Vegas — Plitt’s Parkway Triplex* (11)
Reno — Syufy’s Century 4-plex* (11)

NEW BRUNSWICK
No theaters in New Brunswick played The Bad News Bears during Release Wave #1

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Manchester — Movie Center Twin*
Portsmouth — Jerry Lewis Twin* (2)

NEW JERSEY
Asbury Park — Baronet* (4)
Bloomfield Township — Royal* (6)
Brick Township — Circle Twin* (7)
Cherry Hill — General Cinema Corporation’s Cherry Hill Mall Twin* (11)
Clifton — Clifton* (6)
East Brunswick — Loews’ Route 18 Twin* (8)
Fort Lee — Moss’ Linwood* (8)
Freehold Township — Triangle’s Pond Road* (7)
Hackensack — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Oritani* (6)
Hackettstown — Mall* (6)
Hazlet Township — Redstone’s Route 35 Drive-In* (2)
Jackson Township — Director’s Chair* (6)
Jersey City — Loews’ State Triplex* (6)
Lawrence Township — General Cinema Corporation’s Mercer Mall Triplex* (14)
Little Ferry — General Cinema Corporation’s Hackensack Drive-In* (?)
Livingston — General Cinema Corporation’s Livingston Drive-In* (?)
Matawan — Music Makers’ Cinema 34* (7)
Morristown — Jersey* (8)
Newark — Redstone’s Newark Drive-In* (?)
Paramus — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Route 4 Triplex* (8)
Parsippany — General Cinema Corporation’s Morris Hills Twin* (6)
Ridgewood — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Warner* (6)
Shrewsbury — General Cinema Corporation’s Shrewsbury Plaza Twin* (6)
Somerset — General Cinema Corporation’s Rutgers Plaza Twin* (6)
Somerville — General Cinema Corporation’s Somerville Circle Twin* (8)
Totowa — General Cinema Corporation’s Totowa Twin* (8)
Union — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Union* (6)
Ventnor City — Frank’s Plaza Twin*
Watchung — General Cinema Corporation’s Blue Star Twin* (6)
West Milford — Music Makers’ Abby 4-plex* (7)
West Orange — General Cinema Corporation’s Essex Green Twin* (6)

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque — Commonwealth’s Cinema East Twin* (21)

NEW YORK
Amherst — General Cinema Corporation’s Boulevard Mall Triplex*
Bay Shore — Loews’ South Shore Mall* (6)
Big Flats — General Cinema Corporation’s Arnot Mall Twin*
Cheektowaga — Holiday’s Holiday 6-plex*
Chester — Quickway* (4)
Colonie — Sonderling Broadcasting Corporation’s Northway Mall 6-plex* (23)
Commack — RKO Stanley-Warner Twin* (6)
Coram — United Artists’ Coram Drive-In* (3)
DeWitt — CinemaNational’s Shoppingtown Twin* (11)
Hartsdale — General Cinema Corporation’s Hartsdale Twin* (7)
Henrietta — Jo-Mor’s Towne Twin* (6)
Hicksville — Mann’s Mid-Island Plaza Twin* (7)
Johnson City — CinemaNational’s Oakdale Mall Triplex*
Kingston — Walter Reade’s Mayfair* (6)
Liberty — Liberty Triplex*
Manhasset — United Artists’ Manhasset* (6)
Merrick — Brandt’s Merrick* (6)
Middletown — Fair Oaks Drive-In* (3)
Mineola — Calderone’s Mineola* (6)
Mohegan Lake — General Cinema Corporation’s Westchester Mall Triplex* (7)
Monticello — General Cinema Corporation’s Monticello Mall Twin* (7)
Mt. Kisco — Lesser’s Mt. Kisco*
New Rochelle — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Proctor’s Triplex* (7)
New York (Bronx) — Loews’ Riverdale* (6)
New York (Bronx) — Redstone’s Whitestone Drive-In* (2)
New York (Bronx) — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Fordham Triplex* (7)
New York (Brooklyn) — Loews’ Georgetowne Twin* (6)
New York (Brooklyn) — Loews’ Oriental* (6)
New York (Brooklyn) — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Kenmore* (6)
New York (Manhattan) — Cinema 5’s Paramount (7)
New York (Manhattan) — Cinema 5’s Sutton (7)
New York (Queens) — Interboro’s Elmwood* (6)
New York (Queens) — Interboro’s Parsons* (6)
New York (Queens) — Loews’ Bay Terrace* (6)
New York (Staten Island) — Goldman’s Rae Twin* (6)
New York (Staten Island) — United Artists’ Island Twin* (5)
Newburgh — CinemaNational’s Brookside Drive-In* (2)
Orangeburg — Lesser’s Orangeburg* (5)
Ossining — General Cinema Corporation’s Arcadian Twin* (7)
Patchogue — United Artists’ Sunwave Twin* (7)
Poughkeepsie — CinemaNational’s Dutchess* (7)
Rochester — Loews’ Ridge Road Twin* (7)
Spring Valley — Brandt’s Cinema 45* (7)
Stonybrook — Loews’ Stony Brook Twin* (6)
Valley Stream — Calderone’s Valley Stream* (6)
Valley Stream — Redstone’s Sunrise Drive-In* (2)
Warwick — Warwick Drive-In* (3)
Westhampton — United Artists’ Westhampton* (1)

NEWFOUNDLAND
No theaters in Newfoundland played The Bad News Bears during Release Wave #1

NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville — Irvin-Fuller’s Merrimon Twin*** (7)
Chapel Hill — Eastern Federal’s Plaza Triplex*** (7)
Charlotte — ABC Southeastern’s Park Terrace Twin*** (9)
Charlotte — General Cinema Corporation’s Eastland Mall Triplex*** (14)
Durham — Fuqua’s Northgate Twin*** (7)
Fayetteville — ABC Southeastern’s Cardinal*** (9)
Greensboro — Stewart & Everett’s Quaker Village Twin*** (10)
Raleigh — Schneider & Merl’s Valley Twin*** (7)
Wilmington — Stewart & Everett’s Oleander Twin*** (6)
Winston-Salem — Schneider & Merl’s Parkway*** (6)

NORTH DAKOTA
Fargo — Cinema Entertainment Corporation’s West Acres Twin*** (12)

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
No theaters in Northwest Territories played The Bad News Bears during Release Wave #1

NOVA SCOTIA
Dartmouth — Famous Players’ Penhorn Mall Triplex*** (7)
Halifax — Famous Players’ Paramount Twin*** (4)

OHIO
Akron — National’s Akron Square 6-plex* (11)
Boardman — National’s Boardman Plaza* (9)
Canton — General Cinema Corporation’s Mellett Mall Twin* (10)
Cleveland — Loews’ Yorktown Twin* (10)
Columbus — General Cinema Corporation’s Eastland Mall*** (7)
Columbus — Sugarman’s Cinema North Twin*** (12)
Cuyahoga Falls — Loews’ State Twin* (10)
Dayton — Loews’ Ames Twin* (9)
Kettering — Mann’s Fox Kettering* (10)
Mansfield — Cinemette’s Cinema World 4-plex* (10)
Mentor — National’s Great Lakes Mall Twin* (9)
Niles — National’s Eastwood Twin* (10)
Richmond Heights — Loews’ East Twin* (10)
Rocky River — Loews’ West Twin* (10)
South Euclid — Loews’ Cedar Center Twin* (10)
Springdale — Redstone’s Showcase 5-plex* (20)
Springfield — General Cinema Corporation’s Upper Valley Twin*** (8)
Steubenville — Cinemette’s Fort Steuben Mall Triplex* (9)
Toledo — Redstone’s Franklin Park Twin* (13)

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City — Family Theatres’ Shepherd Twin* (27)
Tulsa — Family Theatres’ Boman Twin* (16)

ONTARIO
Hamilton — Famous Players’ Jackson Square Twin*** (10)
Kingston — Famous Players’ Capitol Twin*** (4)
London — Famous Players’ Century Twin*** (12)
Mississauga — 20th Century’s Square One 4-plex*** (11)
Ottawa — 20th Century’s Elgin Twin*** (23)
St. Catharines — Famous Players’ Pen Centre Twin*** (9)
Sudbury — 20th Century’s City Centre Triplex*** (8)
Thunder Bay — Famous Players’ Paramount Twin*** (7)
Toronto — Famous Players’ Cedarbrae 4-plex*** (11)
Toronto — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin*** (11)
Toronto — Famous Players’ Imperial 6-plex*** (11)
Windsor — Famous Players’ Devonshire Twin*** (11)

OREGON
Beaverton — Moyer’s Town Center Triplex* (8)
Corvallis — Adamson’s State*
Eugene — Western Amusement’s Oakway* (7)
Portland — Mann’s Hollywood* (10)
Portland — Mann’s Music Box* (11)

PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown — United Artists’ Colonial*
Altoona — Neff’s Playhouse Twin* (6)
Camp Hill — CinemaNational’s Capital City Mall 6-plex*** (11)
Center Township — Cinemette’s Movie World 4-plex* (12)
Erie — Cinemette’s Cinema World 4-plex* (12)
Harrisburg — Trans-Lux’s Colonial Park Plaza Twin*** (7)
Hazleton — Fox’s Church Hill* (3)
Johnstown — Act Twin* (10)
King of Prussia — General Cinema Corporation’s Valley Forge Twin* (11)
Lancaster — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Twin* (7)
Lebanon — Trans-Lux’s Lebanon Plaza Twin*** (5)
Matamoras — Tri-States Indoor/Outdoor Twin* (4)
Philadelphia — Budco’s Orleans Twin* (11)
Philadelphia — Budco’s Regency* (3)
Pittsburgh — Cinemette’s Warner* (11)
Reading — Fox’s Fox East 4-plex* (8)
Scranton — Sportservice’s Comerford* (5)
Stroudsburg — Sherman Twin* (4)
Uniontown — Manos’ Uniontown Mall Twin 40*** (7)
Washington — Cinemette’s Cinema 19 Twin* (10)
Wilkes-Barre — Sportservice’s Barre Triplex* (5)
Williamsport — Cinecom’s Rialto*
York — Trans-Lux’s York Mall Twin*** (6)

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
No theaters in Prince Edward Island played The Bad News Bears during Release Wave #1

QUEBEC
Dollard-des-Ormeaux — United’s Dollard Twin Drive-In*** (4)
Montreal — United’s Claremont*** (11)
Montreal — United’s Le Parisien 5-plex*** (4)

RHODE ISLAND
Lincoln — General Cinema Corporation’s Lincoln Mall 4-plex* (11)
Warwick — General Cinema Corporation’s Warwick Mall Twin* (10)

SASKATCHEWAN
Regina — Famous Players’ Capitol Twin*** (5)
Saskatoon — Famous Players’ Midtown Twin*** (13)

SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia — Irvin-Fuller’s Jefferson Square Ultravision*** (10)
Greenville — Stewart & Everett’s Wade Hampton Mall*** (6)
North Charleston — ABC Southeastern’s Terrace*** (8)

SOUTH DAKOTA
Rapid City — Commonwealth’s Northgate Twin* (5)

TENNESSEE
Goodlettsville — Martin’s Rivergate Mall Twin*** (10)
Hixson — Martin’s Northgate Triplex***
Jackson — Malco’s Paramount*** (6)
Knoxville — ABC Southeastern’s Tennessee*** (8)
Memphis — General Cinema Corporation’s Plaza Twin***
Memphis — General Cinema Corporation’s Raleigh Springs Mall Twin***
Memphis — General Cinema Corporation’s Whitehaven Twin***
Nashville — Martin’s Martin*** (10)

TEXAS
Amarillo — ABC Interstate’s Western Square Twin*** (7)
Arlington — General Cinema Corporation’s Six Flags Mall Twin*** (11)
Austin — Mann’s Fox Twin*** (12)
Beaumont — General Cinema Corporation’s Gateway Twin***
Brownsville — ABC Interstate’s North Park Plaza Twin*** (4)
Corpus Christi — Mann’s National Twin*** (11)
Dallas — ABC Interstate’s Medallion*** (11)
El Paso — ABC Interstate’s Morningside Mall Twin*** (11)
Fort Worth — General Cinema Corporation’s Seminary South Twin***
Galveston — General Cinema Corporation’s Galvez Plaza Triplex*** (7)
Harlingen — ABC Interstate’s Morgan Plaza Twin*** (4)
Houston — ABC Interstate’s Woodlake Triplex***
Houston — General Cinema Corporation’s Gulfgate Twin***
Houston — General Cinema Corporation’s Meyerland Twin***
Houston — General Cinema Corporation’s Northline Twin***
Lubbock — Mann’s Fox 4-plex*** (12)
McAllen — ABC Interstate’s Cinema Twin***
Odessa — Hodge’s Grandview*** (5)
Port Arthur — Gulf States’ Park Plaza Twin*** (4)
San Antonio — ABC Interstate’s Wonder*** (17)
San Antonio — Santikos’ Century South 6-plex*** (11)
Texas City — Tradewinds Twin*** (4)
Tyler — Guy-Con’s Gaslite 4-plex*** (12)
Waco — ABC Interstate’s 25th Street*** (6)
Wichita Falls — American Multi-Cinema’s Sikes Senter 6-plex*** (12)

UTAH
Salt Lake City — Mann’s Villa* (11)
South Ogden — Country Club* (9)

VERMONT
No theaters in Vermont played The Bad News Bears during Release Wave #1

VIRGINIA
Charlottesville — ABC Southeastern’s Terrace Twin*** (5)
Danville — ABC Southeastern’s Riverside Twin*** (5)
Fredericksburg — Rechir/Cohen’s Virginians Twin* (5)
Hampton — General Cinema Corporation’s Coliseum Mall Twin*** (11)
Norfolk — General Cinema Corporation’s JANAF Plaza*** (10)
Richmond — Neighborhood’s Willow Lawn*** (12)
Richmond — Trans-Lux’s Twin*** (7)
Roanoke — Consolidated’s Valley 4-plex*** (7)
Springfield — General Cinema Corporation’s Springfield Mall 4-plex* (12)
Vienna — Neighborhood’s Tysons* (12)

WASHINGTON
Bellevue — Sterling Recreation Organization’s John Danz* (6)
Everett — General Cinema Corporation’s Everett Mall Triplex* (9)
Lynnwood — Sterling Recreation Organization’s Lynn Twin* (7)
Seattle — Sterling Recreation Organization’s Lake City* (6)
Spokane — Sterling Recreation Organization’s Lincoln Heights Twin* (5)
Tukwila — Sterling Recreation Organization’s Lewis & Clark Triplex* (14)

WEST VIRGINIA
Charleston — State*** (14)
Morgantown — Cinemette’s Warner Triplex***

WISCONSIN
Appleton — Marcus’ Marc Twin*** (9)
Brookfield — General Cinema Corporation’s Brookfield Square Twin*** (12)
Eau Claire — Plitt’s State*** (3)
Fond du Lac — General Cinema Corporation’s Forest Mall Twin*** (4)
Green Bay — Marcus’ Marc Twin*** (5)
Janesville — United Artists’ Janesville Mall Triplex*** (6)
Kenosha — United Artists’ Twin*** (5)
La Crosse — Marcus’ Rivoli*** (2)
Madison — General Cinema Corporation’s East Towne Mall Twin*** (7)
Madison — Madison 20th Century’s Hilldale*** (7)
Milwaukee — Marcus’ Skyway Triplex*** (10)
Milwaukee — RKO Stanley-Warner’s Capitol Court*** (12)
Racine — Marcus’ Marc Twin*** (9)
Sheboygan — Marcus’ Marc Twin*** (5)

WYOMING
Casper — Commonwealth’s Beverly Twin* (4)

YUKON
No theaters in Yukon played The Bad News Bears during Release Wave #1

THE INTERVIEW

Rob Edelman is the author of Great Baseball Films: From ‘Right Off the Bat’ to ‘A League of Their Own’ (Citadel, 1994) and Baseball on the Web (MIS Technology, 1998). He teaches film history at the State University of New York at Albany, and is a film commentator on WAMC Northeast Public Radio, a contributing editor of Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide (published annually), a frequent contributor to John Thorn’s Base Ball: A Journey of the Early Game, and was the keynote speaker at this year’s NINE Spring Training Conference in Arizona. His essay on early baseball films appears on the Reel Baseball: Baseball Films from the Silent Era, 1899-1926 DVD. As well, he was an interviewee for supplemental material included on the director’s cut DVD and Blu-ray release of The Natural. His other books include Matthau: A Life (Taylor, 2002) and Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy’s Other Couple (Renaissance, 1999), both of which he co-authored with his wife, Audrey Kupferberg.

Michael Coate (The Digital Bits): In what way is The Bad News Bears worthy of celebration on its 40th anniversary?

Rob Edelman: Unlike so many films made across the decades that spotlight pre-teenagers, The Bad News Bears is much more than entertaining escapism. It offers a pointed reminder that the sole purpose of Little League is for its participants to have fun. All the kids should be allowed to participate, not just those who are the most aggressive or athletically gifted. The bottom line here is that Little League is for the kids, and not their parents or coaches. Plus, the fact that the Bears do not cop the championship is what makes the film so appealing. Sometimes, the very best films do not feature cookie-cutter happy-ever-after endings.

Today, in our ever-competitive culture, it seems that too many ball-playing youngsters are pressured to win at all costs. This alone makes the points-of-view expressed in The Bad News Bears as relevant as ever.

Coate: What compelled you to write your baseball and Walter Matthau books?

Edelman: Anybody who knows me will recognize that, beyond my feelings for Audrey, my wife, the two great passions in my life are baseball and film. So to get to do a book on baseball films was a special treat—not to mention all the articles I've published on both subjects. But it certainly has been a privilege and an honor to be able to combine baseball and film in my writings and teaching.

But as I say, I do not always combine the two. This past fall, I published a piece on Hilda Chester, who was a famous Brooklyn Dodgers fan-atic back in the 1940s and early 50s. At the time, Hilda was within her domain a major celebrity; however, while researching, I discovered that she ended up living in obscurity and for many years was buried in an unmarked grave. Fascinating stuff! (The piece may be found in The Baseball Research Journal, a publication of The Society for American Baseball Research [SABR]).

As for the Matthau book: His background was especially intriguing on a deeply personal level. He grew up on the Lower East Side during the 1920s and 30s and, while researching, I felt as if he easily could have been my uncle. He was a real character, and it was a special pleasure to explore his life and times.

Coate: When did you first see The Bad News Bears?

Edelman: I saw it—and liked it—when it first came out. However, when I began researching my baseball book, my goal was to revisit all the baseball films I'd already seen—as well as the non-baseball films with baseball sequences or references. And there are plenty of these….

Coate: What did casting a “movie star” type of actor in Walter Matthau bring to the project?

Edelman: Matthau was more than a movie star. He—like his good buddy Jack Lemmon—was a consummate actor. I would say that Matthau's casting—he was a major name and box-office commodity—added a certain cache and marketability to the project. But as I say, Matthau was a multi-talent—and he offers a crackerjack performance as Morris Buttermaker.

Coate: Where do you think The Bad News Bears ranks among sports movies?

Edelman: Difficult question. There are so many sports films, and I could discuss them for hours. But I would say that The Bad News Bears easily is one of the better baseball films—and sports films.

Coate: Where do you think The Bad News Bears ranks among director Michael Ritchie’s body of work?

Edelman: Near the top. I would add that his earliest films—Downhill Racer, The Candidate, and Smile, along with The Bad News Bears—are his best. And these titles are like The Bad News Bears in that they offer trenchant commentary on their respective subjects.

While researching Walter Matthau, I had occasion to interview Ritchie by telephone. At the end of our conversation, I was able to tell him how much I admired these early films. Afterward, I felt great that I was able to do so. And then, a couple months later, I was shocked to learn that Ritchie had died of cancer. When I interviewed him, I had no idea that he was afflicted with the disease, but I felt good that I was able to complement him. Perhaps, for a fleeting moment, it made him smile. And I also was lucky to have been able to interview him. He gave me some excellent material and quotes for the book—and there is a moral to this story: Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today, because tomorrow may be too late.

Coate: Compare and contrast the original The Bad News Bears with its sequels and remake.

Edelman: There is no comparison. [And] I found the remake to be crass and dispiriting. When it was released, I reviewed it on WAMC Northeast Public Radio, where I offer film commentary. Here is [what I said]:

The Bad News Bears, the latest in the line of endless Hollywood remakes, is a movie for our time—and this is not intended as a compliment.

The original The Bad News Bears was released almost three decades ago, back in 1976. Both films essentially tell the same story. The primary character is a broken-down ex-baseball player who in a movie like The Lost Weekend or Days of Wine and Roses would be depicted as a pathetic alcoholic rather than a comical one. The scenario charts his redemption as he coaches a bunch of ragtag Little Leaguers.

The original Bad News Bears was more than just a throwaway comedy. It was an immensely entertaining film, but it also exuded intelligence. As the story plays itself out, the coach recruits a twelve-year-old girl with a whale of a pitching arm. Her mere presence helps make the Bears a competitive team and, in in so doing, The Bad News Bears shows how a girl can play ball as well as a boy—which was controversial stuff back in 1976.

Even more tellingly, the older film offers a reminder that the purpose of Little League is to have fun. All the kids should be allowed to participate, not just the athletically gifted. Little League is, after all, for the kids, and not their parents or coaches. This point is succinctly expressed during the championship game, when a rival coach cruelly berates his pitcher, who also happens to be his son. The adult even smacks the child when he does not throw the ball exactly as instructed.

And finally, in the original film, the Bears are flawed—but they are human. They triumph not because they win the game but because they try, they have spirit, they take no guff from those born with silver baseball bats in their hands.

However, in this new version, a 12-year-old girl who might be the Pedro Martinez of Little League does rescue the team. But each and every other female character is either a Playboy Playmate-like bimbo or a harsh, humorless stereotype of a type-A 21st-century businesswoman. And in the film, there even is product placement for Hooters.

In this new version, the obnoxious rival coach is more of a pompous jerk, a character to be laughed at rather than an outright villain whose actions are jarring and harmful to the children in his charge.

Finally, in no uncertain terms, this new version of The Bad News Bears subverts its predecessor by expressing the view that, while moral victories are okay, it is far far better to win. Because that is the American way….

What is so dispiriting here is that thousands if not millions of children likely will see the new Bad News Bears and be exposed to its twisted sense of values.

Coate: What is the legacy of The Bad News Bears?

Edelman: [Re-emphasizing a point made in my response to your first question, I think the legacy of The Bad News Bears is that] the points-of-view expressed in [it remain] as relevant as ever.

Coate: Thank you, Rob, for participating and sharing your thoughts about The Bad News Bears on the occasion of its 40th anniversary.

SPECIAL THANKS:
Jerry Alexander, Al Alvarez, Laura Baas, Don Beelik, Raymond Caple, Bill Cronauer, Nick DiMaggio, Rob Edelman, Bill Gabel, Stephen Gailey, Ralph Grassi, Wendy Hall, John Hazelton, Bill Huelbig, Thomas Hutchens, Stephanie Johnson, Sarah Kenyon, Bill Kretzel, Joanne Lammers, Ronald A. Lee, Mark Lensenmayer, Stan Malone, Adam Martin, Deborah May, Andrew Miller, Alexis Neapolitan, Tim O’Neill, Melissa Scroggins, Desirée Sharland, Daniel Sheahan, Tim Spindle, Cliff Stephenson, John Stewart, Jack Tegel, Mike Thomason, Tim Van Beek, Kurt Wahlner, Joel Weide, Stacy Wierenga, Vince Young, Beth Zak-Cohen, and to all of the librarians who helped with the research for this project, and to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Margaret Herrick Library and Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study.

SOURCES/REFERENCES:
Primary references for this project were promotional material published in hundreds of daily newspapers archived digitally and/or on microfilm plus numerous articles published in film industry trade publications Boxoffice, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. Additional references for selected information included Cosmopolitan, Newsweek, Playboy, and Time.

SELECTED IMAGES:
Copyright 1976 Paramount Pictures Corporation

All figures and data included in this article pertain to the United States and Canada except where stated otherwise.

IN MEMORIAM
Jerry Fielding (Music), 1922-1980
Vic Morrow (“Roy Turner”), 1929-1982
Ben Piazza (“Bob Whitewood”), 1933-1991
Bill Lancaster (Screenwriter), 1947-1997
Walter Matthau (“Coach Morris Buttermaker”), 1920-2000
John A. Alonzo (Director of Photography), 1934-2001
Michael Ritchie (Director), 1938-2001
John Wilkinson (Re-recording Mixer), 1920-2002
Joe Brooks (“Umpire”), 1923-2007
Polly Platt (Production Designer), 1939-2011
Gene Cantamessa (Sound Mixer), 1931-2011

-----Michael Coate

Michael Coate can be reached at: michaelcoate@thedigitalbits.com

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