Half-Assed Internet Research
Origins; box office; salaries; child actors’ ages; language coaching
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:32Read transcript
- The film is described as the first sports comedy centered on children and an early critique of overbearing youth-sports parents. — Bill Simmons
- Matthau’s Tony, supporting Oscar, two lead nominations and ten Lemmon collaborations are recalled. — Bill Simmons
- O’Neal reportedly recalled Tarantino’s first fan letter and an uncomfortable later request to wear her childhood Bears uniform. — Bill Simmons
- A 9 million budget,43 million gross and tenth-place 1976 ranking are reported, alongside Rocky’s success as a sports-film turning point. — Bill Simmons
- The child actors’ ages are listed: Lupus six, Miguel eight, Tanner ten, Ahmad, Amanda and Engelberg twelve, Ogilvie thirteen, and Toby, Kelly and Rudy fourteen. — Bill Simmons
- The Aguilar actors reportedly did not speak Spanish and were taught their lines, despite playing boys who could not speak English. — Bill Simmons
- Reported compensation was $750,000 plus ten percent of theatrical box office for Matthau and $350,000 plus a profit percentage for O’Neal. — Bill Simmons
- Bill Lancaster reportedly based the film on his father, Burt Lancaster; his three screenplays are identified as this film, The Bad News Bears Go to Japan and The Thing. — Bill Simmons