It's a baseball comedy set around 1940 and later and follows an all-star team of former Negro League baseball players.
"Sallie" Porter (Ted Ross) is a stingy owner of a Negro League baseball team. His best player, pitcher Bingo Long (Billy Dee Williams), quits and forms a team of all-stars drawn from various Negro League players to barnstorm from town to town. The other big star is catcher Leon Carter (James Earl Jones). Lesser known players include Charlie Snow (Richard Pryor) and center fielder "Esquire Joe" Calloway (Stan Shaw).
The film shows the team utilizing comedy and trick plays in addition to playing serious baseball. In addition, it shows the All-Stars playing teams of all backgrounds, including the House of David. Conflict with the players' former owners is pre-eminent, but inter-racial tensions are also present.
There are entertaining moments in the movie, but it falls well short of what it could have been. It's pretty dated, and some references are no longer funny. Three of the players are loosely based on real Negro League players. Bingo Long imitates Satchel Paige, Leon Carter resembles Josh Gibson, and Esquire Joe Calloway is patterned on Jackie Robinson, who played briefly in the Negro Leagues.
"Sallie" Porter (Ted Ross) is a stingy owner of a Negro League baseball team. His best player, pitcher Bingo Long (Billy Dee Williams), quits and forms a team of all-stars drawn from various Negro League players to barnstorm from town to town. The other big star is catcher Leon Carter (James Earl Jones). Lesser known players include Charlie Snow (Richard Pryor) and center fielder "Esquire Joe" Calloway (Stan Shaw).
The film shows the team utilizing comedy and trick plays in addition to playing serious baseball. In addition, it shows the All-Stars playing teams of all backgrounds, including the House of David. Conflict with the players' former owners is pre-eminent, but inter-racial tensions are also present.
There are entertaining moments in the movie, but it falls well short of what it could have been. It's pretty dated, and some references are no longer funny. Three of the players are loosely based on real Negro League players. Bingo Long imitates Satchel Paige, Leon Carter resembles Josh Gibson, and Esquire Joe Calloway is patterned on Jackie Robinson, who played briefly in the Negro Leagues.