Long Gone (film)
Long Gone | |
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HBO Pictures | |
Original release | |
Network | HBO |
Release | May 23, 1987 |
Long Gone is a 1987 baseball film by
Plot
The Tampico
The Stogies are owned by a pair of corrupt and scheming local Tampico businessmen, Hale Buchman (Henry Gibson) and his son, Hale Buchman Jr. (Teller).[3] They refer to themselves as sports moguls, despite the team being heavily mortgaged.
Their star
At a game against the Crestview Cats in
Cantrell signs a slick-fielding but light-hitting
With the addition of these new players, the Stogies go on a red-hot
Brown, poverty-stricken since childhood, is also bribed not to play (with the promise of a fancy car). The team's owners, the Buchmans, are involved in the
While the pennant-deciding game is being played at Tampico, Cantrell and Brown meet at a local bar where they discuss their moral and ethical dilemmas. Brown erupts in anger, smashing his new car with his baseball bat.
They elect to hurry to the park and play, much to the anger and regret of the owners. Cantrell instructs the PA announcer to introduce Brown by his actual name, Joe Louis Brown, revealing his true ethnicity as African-American.
Seeing Cantrell on the field, the Cardinals' owners visibly tear up Cantrell's contract with their organisation. Thanks to the involvement of Cantrell and Brown, the Stogies win the game and the pennant. Even though the Buchmans are complicit in the game-fixing scheme, they are swept up in the crowd excitement and join in the celebration.
Cantrell confesses to Dixie that he doesn't know if he has a future in baseball, and proposes marriage. The film ends with the Stogies hosting a double wedding — Cantrell marrying Dixie and Jamie marrying Esther.
Cast
- William Petersen as Cecil "Stud" Cantrell
- Virginia Madsen as Dixie Lee Boxx
- Dermot Mulroney as Jamie Weeks
- Katy Boyer as Esther Caroline Wrenn
- Larry Riley as Joe Louis Brown (aka José Brown)
- Henry Gibson as Hale Buchman
- Teller as Hale Buchman Jr. (aka Junior)
- Robert Easton as Cletis Ramey
- Joel Murray as Bart Polanski
- Panchito Gómez as Paco Izquierdo
- David Langston Smyrl as Monroe Wright
- Guich Koock as Bump Klein
- Arthur Rosenburg as Peaches Cluff
- Will Zahrn as Knucksie Chappell
- Edward Blatchford as Whiz Whsonant
- Steve Zurk as Buster Smerglia
- Kenneth Eriksen as Bubba Bean
- Neil DeGroot as Pukey Smathers
- Ken Dominguez as Corky Lucadello
- Mike McKown as Scooter Cagle
- Nardi Contreras as Hose Harrigan
- John Bauldrey as Tommy Tatum
- Ken Krannick as Rook Robb
- Kathryn Hasty as Bonnie
- Tracy Roberts as "Redhead"
- Hazen Gifford as J. Harrell Smythe
- William Wohrman as Whitey Connerly (Dothan manager)
- Tony Vila Jr. as Dusty Hoolihan
- Jim Rabe as Rusty Ledbetter (Dothan pitcher – championship game)
- Ronn Allen as Mr. Wrenn
- Monica Moran as Mrs. Wrenn
Reception and home media
Released in 1987 by HBO, Long Gone is a little-known and difficult-to-obtain film which has become somewhat of a sports
A book, The Baseball Filmography, 1915 Through 2001, described Long Gone as one of the most thoroughly enjoyable baseball comedies made in the last two decades.[6] Robert Creamer, a writer for Sports Illustrated, wrote that it was probably the best made-for-television movie he had ever seen.[3]
John O'Connor, a writer for The New York Times, wrote that Long Gone makes classics such as The Pride of the Yankees look like promotional fantasies.[4] The Bleacher Report wrote that this film deserves to be included in anyone's collection of baseball features.[5] Newsday called it one of the best sports movies ever made.[7] Long Gone was ranked 50th in The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies: Featuring the 100 Greatest Sports Films.[2] It also rated a mention in another book, The Great Baseball Films, which stated Long Gone was an above-average comedy-drama that is full of bite, grit, and good feelings.[8]
Long Gone was released on VHS and laserdisc by
Locations: Several scenes were done in the Silver Ring Cafe in Ybor City, Tampa, Fl.
Awards
- Director ACE Awardfor the film under the category, Writing award for Biography.
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-670-43788-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7624-3548-7.
- ^ a b c d e Creamer, Robert (June 1, 1987). Low Minors, High Style. SI Vault. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e O'Connor, John (May 22, 1987). TV Weekend; 'Long Gone,' A Baseball Comedy, The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ^ a b Jones, Joseph (March 28, 2011). HBO's "Long Gone", The Best Baseball Movie Most of You Never Saw. Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-1272-3.
- ^ Holston, Noel (June 25, 2005). Holston 10. Newsday. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-8065-1479-6.
External links
- Long Gone at IMDb
- Long Gone at Rotten Tomatoes
- Long Gone at the TCM Movie Database
- Long Gone at Amazon