Bang The Drum Slowly

Director: John D. Hancock (1973)

Cast: Michael Moriarty, Robert De Niro

This is a fantastic movie superbly acted by both Michael Moriarty and Robert De Niro just before they ascended the top of their acting profession. Moriarty would go onto TV stardom. Moriarty starred on TV’s Law and Order and DeNiro would win Oscars and become an acting icon. DeNiro reprises the original 1956b pual Newman TV version and really gives a memorable performance as a dying baseball catcher.

Bang the Drum Slowly is a 1973 American sports drama film directed by John D. Hancock, about a baseball player of limited intellect who has a terminal illness and his brainier more skilled teammate. It is a film adaptation of the 1956 baseball novel of the same name by American author Mark Harris. It was previously dramatized in 1956 on Television the U.S. Steel Hour with Paul Newman, Albert Salmi and George Peppard.

The 1956 version was done live to tape, more like a play, with Newman taking lead as as pitcher Henry Wiggen and also serving as the narrator of the story.

The 1973 version stars Michael Moriarty and a then little known Robert De Niro as baseball teammates. De Niro's performance in this film and in Mean Streets, released two months later, brought him widespread acclaim and and the attenion of Francis Ford Coppola, who would cast him as the the young Vito Corleone in "the Godfather, Part Two."

The 1973 version looks like a 1973 movie, a little dated, but the two actors carry the film well.

Fun Facts:
Moriarty was a seasoned theatre actor and DeNiro was a budding superstar, yet the only acting nomination would go to character actor Vincent Gardenia as the team's manager, Max.

Except for "The Bad News Bears" and "The Bingo Long Traveling All Stars and Motor Kings," Baseball movies were not in vogue in the 1970's
So, "Bang The Drum Slowly" is probably best baseball best baseball film of that era.