BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL STARS & MOTOR KINGS (DVD) DVD

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings
Based on the novel by William Brasher, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings is set in the segregated south of 1939. African-American baseball pitcher Bingo Long (Billy Dee Williams), tired of being jerked around by the less-than-ethical managers of the Negro League teams, forms his own barnstorming ball club. His partner in this endeavor is black catcher Leon Carter (James Earl Jones). Though boycotted by powerful Negro League manager Sallison Porter (Ted Ross), the Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings flourish, gaining a loyal fandom with every new game and cutting into the League's profits. Finally, Porter offers Long a deal: if the Motor Kings can win one big game with the Negro All-Stars, Long's team will be allowed to join the League. Also appearing in Bingo Long is Richard Pryor as a ballplayer who tries to break through the big-league color line by pretending to be everything from a Hispanic to a Native American named "Chief Tokohama"; if Pryor seems to disappear for long periods during the film, it's because his role was written to accommodate his many nightclub appearances. The producers originally wanted young Steven Spielberg to direct, but -- inspired by the success of Jaws -- he turned this down in favor of doing Close Encounters of the Third Kind. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Billy Dee Williams as Bingo Long James Earl Jones as Leon Richard Pryor as Charlie Snow Rico Dawson as Willie Lee Sam "Birmingham" Briston as Louis Jophery Brown as Champ Chambers Leon Wagner as Fat Sam Tony Burton as Isaac John McCurry as Walter Murchman DeWayne Jessie as Rainbow Ted Ross as Sallie Potter Mabel King as Bertha Sam Laws as Henry, Owner of Elite Giants Carl Gordon as Mack Anna Capri as Prostitute John R. McKee as Stranger

Crew Bernard Johnson - Costume Designer Tom Joyner - First Assistant Director John Badham - Director David Rawlins - Editor Berry Gordy, Jr. - Executive Producer Berry Gordy - Composer (Music Score) William Goldstein - Composer (Music Score) Ron Miller - Composer (Music Score) Lawrence G. Paull - Production Designer Bill Butler - Cinematographer Rob Cohen - Producer Michael Chinich - Producer Leonard A. Mazzola - Set Designer Willie D. Burton - Sound/Sound Designer Robert L. Hoyt - Sound/Sound Designer Jophery Brown - Stunts Matthew Robbins - Screenwriter Hal Barwood - Screenwriter William Brashler - Book Author

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings
Ever since its original 1976 release, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings has been warmly regarded but not wildly heralded. Seen years later, it remains a wonderful tale with effortless acting by a top-notch ensemble, but it's not a "big finisher" that stays with you for very long. As a aseball movie, Bingo Long is a superb collection of scenes from the days when African Americans were not permitted to play in major league baseball, so they banded together and barnstormed the country, having a lot of fun while doing it. This conviviality and the romantic aura of the period are the strongest emotions that come across. Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones star in that rarest of films, the nearly all-black cast, lighting up the screen with their antics. The story's structure wobbles a bit, and the drama of the end is obscured by the lack of a clearly delineated villain, but the movie has terrific appeal, particularly to baseball aficionados who will be awestruck by the idea that a pitcher would not let his team take the field in the first inning until after he had pitched to the first batter (apparently, Satchel Paige did this in reality). Try that, Roger Clemens. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD2: Dolby Digital Stereo Additional Features: Feature commentary with director John Badham Theatrical trailer DVD-ROM access Production notes Cast & filmmakers Film highlights DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 111 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. The Universal Newsreel [3:44] 2. Bingo & Leon [3:35] 3. Tyranny in the Clubhouse [7:17] 4. Big Things Is Up [15:29] 5. The Owners Conspire [3:20] 6. Meet Esquire Joe [7:29] 7. White Folks! [10:49] 8. Busted [5:44] 9. Charlie Orders White Meat [4:46] 10. Hard Times [4:15] 11. Seize the Means of Production [8:13] 12. Leon Quits [6:35] 13. One Big Game [2:28] 14. Leon Kidnapped [6:49] 15. Bases Loaded - We're Behind [5:45] 16. The Late Leon [3:14] 17. The Big Break [3:24] 18. End Titles [5:07]