Vincent gardenia, though, got the oscar nomination for his humorously suspicious manager dutch schnell. Bang the drum slowly directed by john hancock available. Bang the drum slowly henry wiggen author to his friends and bruce pearson 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 theyre on the road. Bang the drum slowly only those with ice water in their veins wont get mistyeyed watching this moving film about the friendship of two professional baseball players, one of whomin every senseis playing his last season. Hancock, about a baseball player of limited intellect who has a terminal illness, and his brainier, more skilled teammate. Bang the drum slowly is based on the 1956 novel of the same name. Bang the drum slowly could have been a maudlin film designed to create tears, such as love story in 1970, but both director john hancock and writer mark harris brilliantly avoid this trap by focusing on the courage and dignity of the dying catcher, bruce pearson played by deniro, his friendship with the teams star pitcher, henry wiggen played by michael moriarty, and the romance of the. Bang the drum slowly 1973 published by 3 hours ago 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. Remarkably, its a very funny movie thats less about death than about the world of baseball.
The novel is the second in a series of four novels written by harris that chronicles the career of baseball player henry w. Bang the drum slowly vincent gardenias motivational speech. Bang the drum slowly vincent gardenias motivational. In 1979 he was nominated for best actor in a musical for ballroom. In 1972 he won a tony award for best featured actor in a play for prisoner on 2nd avenue. Based on mark harriss novel, it was partly filmed at yankee and shea. Vincent gardenias final role indulged actors twin passions. For his portrayal of dutch schnell, vincent gardenia received an academy award for best supporting actor nomination. Bang the drum slowly directed by john hancock available on. A nff copy in an attractive nff dust jacket with the price intact on the front flap.
The best thing in bang the drum slowly is vincent gardenia, who plays new. Bang the drum slowly there was a trend in madefortelevision movies beginning in the 1970s that earned the disparaging title disease of the week, a stream of melodramas about people nobly, desperately, or sadly facing the end of their days thanks to one fatal illness or another. Bang the drum slowly by john hancock john hancock, robert. Bang the drum slowly vincent gardenias motivational speech to the team. Bang the drum slowly is a baseball movie adapted from a 1950s live tv drama thats actually about friendship, life and its end. Bang the drum slowly was a sequel to the southpaw 1953, with a ticket for a seamstitch 1957 and it looked like for ever 1979, completing the tetralogy of baseball novels by harris. Starring michael moriarty, robert deniro, vincent gardenia, phil foster, ann wedgeworth, patrick mcvey, tom ligon, heather macrae and selma diamond. The best thing in bang the drum slowly is vincent gardenia, who plays new york mammoths manager dutch schnell.
The flowering of vincent gardenia the new york times. It takes place during the last season on this earth of one bruce pearson, an earnest but dumb catcher from georgia who learns, in the movies first scene, that he is suffering from an incurable disease. Vincent was nominated for the academy award for best supporting actor two times for bang the drum slowly 1973 and moonstruck 1987. He was honored twice offbroadway with distinguished performance obie award, first in 1960 for machinal and again in 1969. Apr 28, 2014 vincent gardenia s character dutch makes a motivational speech. Bang the drum slowly 1973 published by 3 hours ago 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 theyre on the road. He was honored twice offbroadway with distinguished performance obie award, first in 1960 for machinal and again in 1969 for passing through from exotic places. Ill leave it to critics to say which one was better, but i feel like maybe not as many people saw btds. Bang the drum slowly by mark harris first edition 1956. I had read the book at the time of its publication and thought it would make a play in. Rent bang the drum slowly 1973 on dvd and bluray dvd. As in the book of job on which the play is based, god decides to send joe benjamin a. Bang the drum slowly is the ultimate baseball movie and, despite what a plot summary might suggest, i think its more about baseball than death. The latter garnered gardenia his first oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
Hes played by vincent gardenia as a crafty, tough tactician with a. Bang the drum slowly movie simple english wikipedia. Click on a title to look inside that book if available. Buy bang the drum slowly dvd grc import from amazons movies store. Bang the drum slowly is a 1973 american sports drama film directed by john d. Bang the drum slowly john hancock 097360873245 hpb.
The film tells a noble story, although noble is not a particularly welcome characteristic these days. It is based on the 1956 novel of the same name by mark harris and earned one oscar nomination for vincent gardenia. It is based on the 1956 novel of the same name by mark harris and earned one oscar nomination for vincent gardenia other websites. Bang the drum slowly by mark harris, first edition abebooks. Gennaro gardenia scognamiglio emmy 1990 tony 1972 italian ancestry television l. Bang the drum slowly vincent gardenia funny speech youtube. The story of two very different baseball players who learn how to be men and respect themselves and each other. He was nominated twice for the academy award for best supporting actor, first for bang the drum slowly 1973 and again for moonstruck 1987. Bang the drum slowly stars a young robert deniro playing a professional baseball catcher with hodgkins disease.
More than a novel about baseball, bang the drum slowly is about the friendship and the lives of a group of men as they each learn that a teammate is dying of cancer. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Based on mark harriss novel, it was partly filmed at yankee and shea stadiums. A fidgety, hyperparanoid manager who reminds me of casey stengel on medical marijuana, gardenia is the best part of the film. The story of the friendship between a star pitcher, wise to the world, and a halfwit catcher, as they cope with the catchers terminal illness through a baseball season. Vincent gardenia timeline featuring movies and other. January 7, 1920 december 9, 1992 was an italianamerican stage, film, and television actor. Jan 26, 2010 i think bang the drum slowly did not do well because another similar movie came out about the same time. Gardenia s second nomination came in 1987 for his memorable portrayal of chers father in moonstruck. Bang the drum slowlyis an adaptation of the 1956 novel by mark harris. But the film does offer honest schmaltz as a viable alternative to the tasteless kitsch of previous films about dying young. Bang the drum slowly ranks among the best baseball movies, and the music in the film is a big reason for that. Heres the odd story of how the movies only original song came to be.
Bang the drum slowly is the ultimate baseball movie and, despite what a. For his portrayal of dutch schnell, vincent gardenia received an academy. Bang the drum slowly is one of the top 100 baseball novels ever written, and deservedly so. Paramount pictures presents a rosenfield production from anja films, bang the drum slowly. Vincent gardenia is typically strong as the manager, and barbara babcock is an interesting casting choice as the mammoths owner she played a different. The narrator of bang the drum is henry wiggen, ace pitcher for the fictitious new york mammoths, circa 1955. Bang the drum slowly only those with ice water in their veins wont get mistyeyed watching this moving film about the friendship of two professional baseball players, one of whomin every sense. Bang the drum slowly movie simple english wikipedia, the. Wiggens teammates affectionately refer to him as author because hes written a baseball book. It is a baseball novel the way bang the drum slowly is a baseball novelit is about much, much more. It is a film adaptation of the 1956 baseball novel of the same name by american author mark harris. The film is based on mark harris novel a bare bones television adaptation with paul newman had been attempted in 1956. Vincent gardenias character dutch makes a motivational speech. It is a film adaptation of the 1956 baseball novel of the same name by.
Bang the drum slowly 1973 cast and crew when hotshot pitcher henry wiggen michael moriarty is signed to the new york mammoths, his confident ways quickly win over his teammates. The plot builds and builds, the characters are spirals of fault and goodness, the descriptions of action are precise and shining. Bang the drum slowly was a sequel to the southpaw 1953, with a ticket for a seamstitch 1957 and it looked like for ever 1979. Bang the drum slowly is a novel by mark harris, first published in 1956 by knopf. But i find that the chaacterizations in the film are realistic and reminiscent of men that i knew in my youth, both good and bad. Timeout magazine named it 12th best baseball movie of all time. Bang the drum slowly vincent gardenia s motivational speech to the team. One of my personal favorites is bang the drum slowly from 1973. Bang the drum slowly is a 1973 sports drama film directed by john d. I am third, which was a true story about football player brian piccalo and gayle sayers. Gardenia was nominated for an academy award for best supporting actor for his. Vincent gardenia born vincenzo gardenia scognamiglio.
Vincent gardenia as manager dutch schnell received a best supporting oscar nod. It is film adaptation of the 1956 baseball novel of the same name by mark harris. Gardenias second nomination came in 1987 for his memorable portrayal of chers father in moonstruck. Anyone wanting to see a more meditative film about baseball players than say, major league. I first read it in 1959 when i was years old and ive read it again several times.
215 499 1093 217 1160 1205 504 302 1387 862 850 648 101 1427 1163 943 1292 67 249 190 680 614 271 1548 79 293 1296 639 935 966 424 577 847 1368 1263 327 884 278 1384