That's the fabulous Thelma Houston singing the movie's theme song, an uplifting cakewalk strut performed throughout the film that was complete Joy shows their rise from a minor team to a popular traveling team that somehow manages to break racial barriers even if they have to deal with prejudices of the time and ill-treatment. With a cast led by Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, Richard Pryor and Stan Shaw, this film documents the adventures of this minor league team as they become famous (or infamous) for their showy methods for attracting attention, and their many off field exploits as they attempt to rise from the black leagues to integrated leagues, even if their games because of their outlandish behaviors begin attracting white audiences and fans.
The irrepressible Mabel King steals every moment that she's on screen as one of the team's owners, a no-nonsense character who will out-of-the-blue pop in to men's private spaces to make demands. Williams as Bingo is the most subtle of the leads with Pryor at various times pretending to be other nationalities and Jones deliciously cranky, yet big hearted and often joyful. Issues of racism, organized crime influence and integrated audiences enjoying their barnstorming antics together. This is another one of those period nostalgic comedies popular in the mid 70's that has unfortunately become obscure. It's also one of the rare A films with a mainly black cast not to be considered blaxploitation as it has a basic appeal to general audiences because of how it deals with the Great American Pastime. The team, basically the baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters, are fun to watch, and the movie in her task moving, lively account of forgotten history that gives an indication of the changes to come in the major leagues.
The irrepressible Mabel King steals every moment that she's on screen as one of the team's owners, a no-nonsense character who will out-of-the-blue pop in to men's private spaces to make demands. Williams as Bingo is the most subtle of the leads with Pryor at various times pretending to be other nationalities and Jones deliciously cranky, yet big hearted and often joyful. Issues of racism, organized crime influence and integrated audiences enjoying their barnstorming antics together. This is another one of those period nostalgic comedies popular in the mid 70's that has unfortunately become obscure. It's also one of the rare A films with a mainly black cast not to be considered blaxploitation as it has a basic appeal to general audiences because of how it deals with the Great American Pastime. The team, basically the baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters, are fun to watch, and the movie in her task moving, lively account of forgotten history that gives an indication of the changes to come in the major leagues.