Bang the Drum Slowly

"Nothing is more important than friendship. Not fame, not money, not death."

1973 1h 36m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 80

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of a New York pro baseball team and two of its players. Henry Wiggen is the star pitcher and Bruce Pearson is the normal, everyday catcher who is far from the star player on the team and friend to all of his teammates. During the off-season, Bruce learns that he is terminally ill, and Henry, his only true friend, is determined to be the one person there for him during his last season with the club. Throughout the course of the season, Henry and his teammates attempt to deal with Bruce's impending illness, all the while attempting to make his last year a memorable one.

“Nothing is more important than friendship. Not fame, not money, not death.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Michael Moriarty
Henry Wiggen
Robert De Niro
Bruce Pearson
Vincent Gardenia
Dutch Schnell
Phil Foster
Joe
Ann Wedgeworth
Katie
Patrick McVey
Bruce's Father
Heather MacRae
Holly
Selma Diamond
Tootsie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John D. Hancock
Writers: Mark Harris
Languages: Spanish, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

53 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John D. Hancock, shot by Richard Shore. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Stephen Lawrence. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Marks shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael Moriarty and Robert De Niro and Vincent Gardenia carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Nothing is more important than friendship. Not fame, not money, not death.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0069765 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John D. Hancock directs. Richard Shore behind the camera. Stephen Lawrence scores. Richard Marks cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Spanish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

153 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.
3Directed by John D. Hancock, shot by Richard Shore. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Stephen Lawrence. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Richard Marks shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Michael Moriarty and Robert De Niro and Vincent Gardenia carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Nothing is more important than friendship. Not fame, not money, not death.".
8IMDB entry: tt0069765 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 80 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.