Encyclopedia of sports films

565 Pages·2010·17.985 MB·English

by  Edgington, K.;Erskine, Thomas L.;Welsh, James Michael

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
S P O R T S F I L M S
K Edgington
Thomas L. Erskine
with
James M. Welsh
THE SCARECROW PRESS, INC.
Lanham (cid:129) Toronto (cid:129) Plymouth, UK
2011
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Published by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
http://www.scarecrowpress.com
Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2011 by K Edgington, Thomas L. Erskine, and James M. Welsh
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic
or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written
permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
All images from the Literature/Film Quarterly archives.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Edgington, K, 1946–
Encyclopedia of sports films / K Edgington, Thomas L. Erskine with James M. Welsh.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8108-7652-1 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-8108-7653-8 (ebook)
1. Sports films—Catalogs. I. Erskine, Thomas L. II. Welsh, James Michael. III. Title.
PN1995.9.S67E34 2011
791.43'6579—dc22 2010030840

™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National
Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
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CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
V
INTRODUCTION
VII
FILMS A TO Z
1
APPENDIX A: FILMS BY SPORT
495
APPENDIX B: CHRONOLOGICAL TITLE LIST
501
APPENDIX C: MOVIES MADE FOR TELEVISION OR DIRECT TO VIDEO
507
APPENDIX D: MOVIES INSPIRED BY OR BASED UPON ACTUAL EVENTS
511
APPENDIX E: SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES
515
APPENDIX F: ESPY AWARDS FOR BEST SPORTS MOVIE
517
BIBLIOGRAPHY
519
INDEX
525
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
551
■ III
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
K
AND TOM would like to thank Jim internship; Margaret Benner, for assis-
Welsh for his assistance and sup- tance with esoteric grammar questions;
port, not only in supplying some of and Professor Emerita Jo-Ann Pilardi,
the entries, but also for securing photos and for her thoughtful comments and valued
working with Scarecrow Press. We would encouragement.
also like thank our editor at Scarecrow, Tom would also like to express his
Stephen Ryan, whose faith and patience appreciation to his grandchildren, Carly
enabled us to complete what turned out and Caleb Erskine, for providing a youthful
to be a much broader field than we had perspective on films about gymnastics and
initially envisioned; Blackwell Library at skateboarding.
Salisbury University, for allowing us access
to the Literature/Film Archives, with its —K Edgington and Tom Erskine
extensive collection of press kits; Wendy
Samuels, for proofreading the manuscript;
our student intern, Jeff Goldstein, for an I would also thank acquisitions editor Ste-
excellent job of copyediting and fact check- phen H. Ryan, for working long and hard
ing; and Edna Quinn, who helped with the on personal time in order to design the
bibliography and supplied the perseverance book’s appendices, and production editor
necessary for what seemed at times to be a Jessica McCleary, who is one of the very
never-ending task, especially in light of the best in the business.
spate of sports films that have been pro-
duced in the last five years. —Jim Welsh
K is grateful to her Towson University Salisbury University Emeritus
colleagues Carl Behm, for arranging Jeff’s
■ V
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INTRODUCTION
S
PORTS AND FILM have been opening title cards connecting Gehrig’s
coupled since the early days of the death with the heroic sacrifices of Ameri-
motion picture, when filmed sports can soldiers. Following World War II, a
proved enormously popular. The first gaggle of biopics was produced as well
feature-length film, produced in 1894, was as screwball comedies, like Pat and Mike
a staged boxing match between Michael (1952) and Rhubarb (1951) and the musi-
Leonard and John Cushing, shot by the cals Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1949)
Edison Company with a single stationary and Damned Yankees (1958). In the sixties
camera. Later that year, Edison produced few sports films—comedy or drama—were
pieces on wrestling and body building. being made, but in the bicentennial year,
In France, the Lumiere Brothers followed The Bad News Bears hit the silver screen, as
suit. In America, where the motion picture did Rocky, which won an Academy Award
industry would develop as entertainment for Best Picture, triggering a resurgence
for the masses rather than as an art form, of sports films. Advances in technology
“story films” featuring fans as well as ath- have enabled moderately well-coordinated
letes amused audiences. Perhaps the earliest actors to look like professional athletes,
of the sports story films is Casey at the Bat thereby allowing studios to take even
(1899), which takes its title from a poem; greater advantage of star appeal in casting.
it shows a batter striking out and arguing The proliferation of sports films since
with the umpire. In the first decade of the the 1970s coincides with the emergence of
twentieth century, newsreels including African American studies, women’s studies,
sporting events appeared in Europe and the and cultural studies as distinct academic
United States. disciplines, and not surprisingly, a growing
During the era of silent film, Harold body of scholarship has been devoted to
Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin sports films. Scholars, such as Aaron Baker,
all built comedies around sports, showcas- C. Richard King, David Leonard, and David
ing their athletic abilities. Sports comedies Rowe, provide provocative readings of
continued into the 1930s with the Marx sports films and raise sometimes troubling
Brothers and W. C. Fields, while boxing questions about race, gender, sexuality,
dramas attracted audiences who identi- class, and cultural values. Academics gen-
fied with working class heroes. During erally agree that cinematographic represen-
World War II, Pride of the Yankees (1942), tations of sports embody and reinforce cul-
the story of Lou Gehrig, was released with tural values in powerful ways, a power that
■ VII
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VIII ■ INTRODUCTION
derives in part from the realism with which for The Wrestler (2008). Although stunt
athletic events are filmed. doubles performed the high-risk moves,
Rourke faced professional opponents from
Reel Sports the ultraviolent Combat Zone Wrestling
No matter what the sport and no matter League, and scenes were filmed during a
whether slapstick comedy or gut-wrenching regular event at the New Alhambra Arena
drama, sports films go to great lengths to in New Jersey.
present athletic action realistically. Athletes Cameos by sports figures and scenes
have been employed as actors in the roles of featuring commentary by noted sportscast-
athletes from the very first. The argument ers contribute to the realism, as do settings,
has been made that boxer “Gentleman” Jim sometimes elaborately reconstructed: For
Corbett, whose staged bout against Peter 61* (2001), producer-director Billy Crys-
Courtney was filmed in 1896, is the first tal’s tribute to the home run duel between
movie star; following his retirement from Yankees Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle,
the ring, he signed an exclusive film contract Crystal transformed Detroit’s old Tiger
and played himself in scripted shorts before Stadium into Yankee Stadium, even dupli-
moving on to low-budget features. High cating the color of paint on the seats and
school athlete Rob Brown (Finding Forrester, adding a digital skyline. Action scenes from
2000; Coach Carter, 2005; The Express, 2008) the futuristic Rollerball (1975) were filmed
had given no thought to a career in acting in a refurbished stadium used for bicycle
when he tried out for Finding Forrester—he races during the Munich Olympics. Direc-
was just hoping to earn some quick cash to tor Norman Jewison kept his film creepily
pay his phone bill by landing a nonspeaking within the realm of believability, avoiding
role. (Between his next films, he played foot- the usual trappings of science fiction in
ball at Amherst College.) terms of sets and costumes.
Real athletes from Babe Ruth to Babe Camera work and editing reinforce
Didrikson have portrayed themselves, and verisimilitude as well. Camera operators
real actors have trained with professional have shot sequences on ice skates during
athletes to prepare for their parts, some- hockey games and on roller skates during
times undergoing physical transformations. boxing matches. They’ve filmed on skis
Production on Raging Bull came to a halt and on motorcycles; they’ve been strapped
in order for Robert De Niro to add fifty into race cars and dangled from platforms.
pounds for scenes set after his character’s Sometimes cranes are used and sometimes
retirement from the ring. Hilary Swank robots, but these are expensive. For captur-
gained twenty pounds of muscle training ing the action of sports like football, basket-
for her role in Million Dollar Baby (2004). ball, and soccer, directors often rely on tele-
Will Smith put on thirty pounds during the vision crews from Fox or ESPN, which use
year he spent learning to box for the role twenty cameras to capture live field action
of Muhammad Ali. Executing Ali’s famous during regular broadcasts. Editing can
“rope-a-dope” tactic against George Fore- place the viewer in the ring or behind the
man, played by professional boxer Charles wheel—racing films are notorious for their
Shufford, Smith absorbed real punches. realism, sometimes at the expense of plot
(Director Mann instructed Shufford to hit since dialogue can’t be heard over engine
hard, but not knock Smith out.) Mickey noises. James Taylor and Beach Boy costar
Rourke, who took a sabbatical from act- Dennis Wilson barely open their mouths
ing to box professionally, needed to retrain in Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), and the first
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INTRODUCTION ■ IX
forty minutes of Steve McQueen’s Le Mans work ethic comes into play. Natural talent
(1971) pass without a word of dialogue. must be developed through effort for the
Editing on Le Mans required two months individual to prevail, and an athlete who
to match engine noises to vehicles and relies solely on talent is often portrayed as
another six months for carving up almost a immoral, unethical, and/or merely unpleas-
hundred miles of footage. ant. In team sports, individual effort some-
Digital technology has expanded the times is carried through the figure of the
director’s toolkit, sometimes easing rather coach. The training montage, often with
than taxing the budget. A single location dramatic or energetic musical accompani-
can be used to shoot a season’s worth— ment, and the inspirational locker room
or a career’s worth—of contests by digi- speech are staples in sports films, as is
tally altering skylines and weather. Sellout the soul-searching scene in the darkened
crowds can be created with a relatively arena or on the empty field, which conveys
small group of extras and without relying religious overtones and underscores the
on cardboard cutouts in the upper tiers. character-building aspect of athletics.
Clint Eastwood used two thousand extras Athletes and coaches sometimes fall
to fill Ellis Park to its sixty-two-thousand prey to greed and ambition, or they neglect
capacity for the World Cup finals in Invic- family; at other times athletes are pushed
tus (2009). Blue screen and green screen too hard by coaches or family, or coaches
technologies allow actors to complete ath- are pressured by owners or fans. Most
letic movements—triple spins, slam dunks, emerge better people for having faced
leaping catches, diving saves—and digi- adversity. Traditionally, sports films are
talization can insert actors into footage of uplifting and upbeat, even the ones like
actual games (a common practice in soc- Brian’s Song (1971) and The Express (2008)
cer and American football movies). Actors that end with an athlete’s death.
portraying baseball players or tennis players The formulaic nature of mainstream
need learn only the motions: the balls get sports films lends itself to parody, and a
added later. rich subgenre has emerged. Blades of Glory
While it has often been said that (2007) spoofs the romantic comedy The
people don’t go to sports films to watch Cutting Edge (1992); Ben Stiller’s farce
sports, it is a truism that movie audiences about competition between male models,
expect to be entertained, and the artistry Zoolander (2001), incorporates a num-
of action sequences carries a bundle of ber of sports film clichés, as does Dodge-
entertainment value. Audience enjoyment ball: A True Underdog Story (2005), whose
also comes from vicarious identification original ending—in which the under-
with underdogs, from come-from-behind dogs lost—proved too unpopular during
victories, from the winning score at the screenings and was altered to meet audi-
end of the game. Not surprisingly, the ence expectations. Woody Allen takes a
plots of many sports films fall into pat- swipe at The Stratton Story (1949) in Radio
terns of predictability. Days (1987) with a one-armed, one-legged,
blind pitcher who continues his winning
Plots and Themes: The Winning Formula ways beyond the grave. Academy Award–
Winning isn’t everything, but moviemak- winning documentarian Jessica Wu turned
ers almost always allow the underdogs to to table tennis (Ping Pong Playa, 2007) to
triumph after overcoming adversity. In poke fun at the immigrant experience.
the United States especially, the Protestant Balls of Fury (2007), another table tennis
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