As someone else who grew up in the 70s I completely agree. I've been telling people younger than us, for years, to watch this movie if they want to see what it was like for us.
Same as you I was 6 when this came out, it is actually the very first movie my parents took me to a movie theater for. If anyone wants to know what it was like to be a late 60s or early 70s baby this is the movie.
Yes! We crammed into cars with no seat belts, wore no helmets, out all day, and came home when the street lights came on. We survived, and with great memories! 😄
I’m telling you right now I was 12 years old in the 70s and this is exactly what our childhood looked like. I played girls softball and you couldn’t get a better portrayal of what life was like in the 70s for us. We were raised on drinking water out of the garden hose and parental neglect pretty much but we are tough as nails.
Hard to believe Tatum O’Neal is now 60 years old. She was already an Academy Award winner when she made this movie. Set the record as the youngest person to win an Oscar. (Best Supporting Actress- Paper Moon - 1973). She was the highest paid child actor in history when she made The Bad New Bears.
Walter Matthau was only 56 when he made this film and at the time also had an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for 1966's 'The Fortune Cookie.' He was also nominated for Best Actor in 1971 and 1975.
I was born in 1965 and the older I get the more I realize just how lucky I was to have grown up in the 70s and 80s. I know the comedy is exaggerated but it really was this carefree as a kid. I had a blast growing up.
I'm stoked that you appreciate what it was like to grow up in the 70s. It was leave the house in the morning and come home when the streetlights come on and mom and dad had no idea where you were the whole day. We were left to our own devices and came out the other side.
@@patron40silverStill happening to a certain extent. Key in my car now, my grand daughter spotted a bear down a farm path last weekend. (Very unusual) NC is getting smaller. Trying our best to encourage free roam with ours. Times are changing 😢
@@sparky6086 I was born in 70 and the "everyone gets a trophy" BS had already started by the end of the decade...and most of us kids hated it. It made getting a trophy totally meaningless.
I'm 50 and this was my childhood. It was rough but we survived. The life lessons we learned are priceless. We had patents and coaches who were rough, but most of us turned out better for it. It wasn't a perfect time, but I wouldn't change a thing. I miss those days.
Notice that Buttermaker had tears in is eyes when Amanda left the dugout. He yelled at her because he felt that he wasn't good enough for her or her Mom.
That is the thing, isn't it? Buttermaker's has always felt himself inferior ever since the minor leagues. I have a theory that Kelly Leek was a former Yankees player, and that's the reason for the bad blood between him and the Yankee's coach.
I was 8 when this came out. Girls we’re finally allowed to play little league in 74’ when the ban on girl was lifted . I was the first girl to sign up in my town and play in 74’ . I was taught shortstop since birth. It showed⭐️☑️
Before the 2005 remake, there were two sequels to this original 1976 movie: in 1977 there was “Bad News Bears in Breaking Training,” and in 1978 “The Bad News Bears go to Japan.”
I never saw the third one, but the second one is a guilty pleasure. I bet I saw it 20 times on HBO alone. It was one of those movies they played all the time for about three years.
Best line spoken after watching the Bad News Bears. 'God I wish I grew up in the 70s'. As someone who grew up in the 70s all I can say is. Yeah, you really do because it was GREAT!
Hey listen! 70’s kid here, We were ferrel kids Man. Our parents wanted us out the door right after breakfast and didn’t want us back home until the streetlights came on. We had the run of the streets! We drank from the hose because if you went in the house to get a drink, your Momma put you to work in the house! We were sent to the store on our bikes to buy our parents cigarettes and a few groceries. When Dad said go get me a beer, he let us have the first sip! Oh!…….those were hella good times!
Paper Moon, along with What’s Up, Doc? are landmark 70s comedies by Peter Bogdonavich paying homage to comedies from the 30s. Best work done by Ryan O’Neal for sure but the supporting cast in each one is superlative.
I think we were much better off when we treated kids like they weren't made of glass that would shatter if they were told "no" or got their little feelings hurt. Life was so much simpler then.
Nobody had "team moms" until the mid 90s. It was the kids responsibility to look out for themselves. Snacks, juice boxes and play dates would have been laughed off the field
Exactly 💯 percent. We were left to fend for ourselves. We went to hockey games, baseball fields without our parents hanging around. If your parents were there, you got laughed at or beat up.
@@MD-gw4rk That is definitely true. We didn't want our parents around. It was a time of maturing, when I went to the pitcher's mound for a chat it usually turned into a convo about some girl in the stands that you hoped to talk to after the game.
We had a playground where there was a field for football, and basketball and tennis courts. There was a house nearby that had an outdoor tap for a water hose (no hose). If we needed to get a drink we would go there and use it without asking. Often times we didn't have anything like that all and got dehydrated, no one cared. No one ever brought water although I can remember rare occasions when someone had a jug of Kool Aid. That was purely for a treat and not thought of as hydration. That word wasn't in our vocabulary. In fact it was often said not to drink too much water or you would get "water logged" and get sick.
A “sleeper” hit of the ‘70’s was a bit of a sports movie called “Breaking Away.” A portion of the story was about bicycle racing. One of the supporting actors was Jackie Earle Haley, who played juvenile delinquent Kelly Leak in “The Bad News Bears.” I recommend “Breaking Away.”
Breaking Away is acknowledged to be one of the best sports movies. I still get a kick out of Slap Shot but it might be a little too racy for this channel unless they get an edited version. Otherwise they'll be editing every scene :)
Back in the mid-70's my uncle would be watchin' football and everytime he got up to take a leak, my 6yr old cousin and I (8yrs) would take huge swallows of his beer. He had to have known. 😆 Just a lil trivia. The coach that slapped the kid pitcher was actor Vic Morrow. He was the actor that was tragically killed along with 2 Vietnamese children by a helicopter, in that horrifying accident during the filming of "The Twilight Zone movie" in 1982. The timid lil blonde haired kid "Lupus", is the dark haired kid in the schoolhouse window during the flagpole scene in "A Christmas Story".
Growing up in the 70s was magical. Yes, Gen X is resilient, we had to be, lol. Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol were the power kid stars back in the day. This was one of my favorite movies. Love to rewatch whenever I can.
The opposing coach is played by Vic Morrow. He was in a series back in the day called " Combat". In 1982 Morrow was filming the movie "Twilight Zone: The Movie". In one of the scenes involving a helicopter Morrow and a child actor were decapitated when the coptrr crashed. Another child actor was crushed to death from the copyer wreckage. RIP to all three of them. 🤔
Yes. Seeing Vic Morrow here reminded me of that tragedy. As a kid in the early '60's, I remember him in the TV series "Combat". He starred as a juvenile delinquent in the 1954 film "Blackboard Jungle".
You got me beat by a couple of years, I think I was 8 when this was released and playing in the little league. My dad idolized Walter Mathews and some of his behavior wasn't too different than what we saw from him in the movie, but he was more of an assistant coach.
I absolutely loved Jay's reaction to Tanner! He was a tough kid. Did you notice that all the other kids wanted to hand in their uniform and quit and Buttermaker said, "Do you want to quit Tanner?" and Tanner said, "Crud no, I wanna play ball." Even with a bloody lip, and gettin beat up by the whole 7th Grade, he wasn't going to give up, he wanted to keep going. He was a fighter. Gotta love him.
Back in the day, in my home state of North Carolina the legal age to drink was 18 but, that only applied in public. There was a common understanding that, you could drink at any age at home under the guidance of your parents (smile...smile).
I was right in the wheelhouse for the Bad News Bears movies. My LL years started in '77, right after this came out. Every team had a Lupus, a Tanner, a girl and their own version of a Kelly Leak. And yes there was the dad that coached his kid and was way too competitive and there was a tamer Buttermaker. Nobody will convince me there was a better time to be a kid than in the 1970's. We had freedom no youth had ever been given before, or ever will again.
I bet the kids before us had a lot of freedom too - esp. those kids in the 60s whose parents were into all the drugs & "free love" - not that this was better for the kids though, probably mess them up more esp. the little girls. Don't have any clue what it would have been like for kids to grow up in the 50s & 40s. I bet they had a lot of freedom too - in fact I am pretty sure, from watching "Leave it to Beaver" that the kids of the 50s also had a lot of freedom (even if I bet language - by BOTH the kids & adults - was more careful.) Can people who grew up as kids in the 1940s, 1950s & 1960s respond & let us know?
@@Carrie-so3ro Black and Hispanic kids did not have the freedoms those born in the late 60's did. This is historical fact. Sure, suburban and rural white kids did whatever. It didn't include going to the movie theater or arcades or roller rinks for dark skinned kids. Not the case since the late 60's on. Everybody got to go where ever, doing whatever....until the streetlights came on.
@@maceomaceo11Depends on where you grew up: the west coast was vastly different than the south. Sure, my dad had run-ins with local cops that had racial tendencies when he was younger, and while cops in certain areas often stopped me, it wasn't because of skin color, it was because I was passing through very high crime areas (between work & home) - they stopped almost everybody in those areas! That said, demographics even where this was filmed, have changed: in the '70's, the San Fernando Valley was mostly white: today, it looks like Mexico City - and I'm not being racist, and I'm not exxagerating, either. The one funny thing about this film, is that while I did know of a few Mexican kids in my neighborhood that didn't speak English, it was the other way 'round for the most part - the majority didn't speak Spanish, because their parents didn't teach it to them. (Just like Cheech Marin's character, in "Born In East L.A.": they did have an accent that they got from their parents, but they didn't know Spanish)
Our coach was the all encompassing 70s man. Customized Chevy van. Chain link steering wheel, shag carpet interior. lol. Blonde girlfriend. But he would always take us to 7/11 for slurpees after a game. Great times in the mid 70s.
Ah the memories!!! I was the girl pitcher, short stop and center fielder on the boys baseball team in the 70’s. It wasn’t as uncommon as it seams because girls softball wasn’t a thing in most places lol hahaha yep got bats thrown at me on the mound after a strikeout
Every school had a Tanner (and a Lupus and a Rudy). I swear that kid who played Tanner should have won an academy award. And yes, the 70s were absolutely like that. I played baseball as a kid just like this but hockey was our (🇨🇦) primary focus and I can remember parents getting into scuffles in the parking lot after games and so much stuff that’s not fit to print. Good times. Speaking of hockey and classic sports movies, you’re ready for Slap Shot now!
I was part of a "Bad News Bears" team when I played minor league hockey (we were Atom division under 12). We were one third of the way through the season with zero wins when our coach quit, the assistant coach took over and changed up all our lines, we wound up playing for the championship that year, and lost by 1 goal (our starting goalie was out for the final game with chicken pox). I actually learned that if you concentrated on your strengths and teamwork, a great deal could be accomplished.
Beer with a shot is called a boilermaker. Perfect for coach Buttermaker. 🍺 I just spent as much time reading the comments as I did watching the reaction. So much love for this movie. Nice to have reactions of two coaches who appreciated the touches that point out how bad they started out to how much they improved. ❤❤
50s and 60s too! These were the times of distributive parenting. Most all mothers stayed at home while the dads worked. These mothers across neighborhoods took an active role parenting whatever kids showed up around their houses, in the vacant lot next toor, or even out in the street they'd rush out and spank ANY kid who got out of line. It wasn't just okay, it was expected! These were the days before everyone had airconditioning so all windows were open and you heard everything going on nearby. All summer long our mothers shooed us out of the house after breakfast and didn't necessarily expect to see us again until dinnertime. We'd head out on our bikes until we found where everyone stopped to play that day. Wherever we were at lunch time that mom would feed us all sandwiches or snacks in the yard. No one worried about the expense; it all evened out over time. We'd drink water from someone's hose when thirsty -- no one minded. Sometimes a group of us would ride to the river and swim off of the pier. Other times we'd ride 7 or 8 miles to some attraction for the day. Didn't matter as long as we were back home for dinner. The freedom and mobility our bikes gave us was so amazing that later, in high school, getting our drivers licenses wasn't such a cultural change (except fot the dating!) Growing up in the 50s through 60s was a whole differet world from what today's kids have, what with Helicoptering parents, streets too choked with traffic for safe bike riding, gated comminities with sculptured yards too small to play in, etc. No wonder they're addicted to their tablet computers and phones. So sad.
Met some of these 'kids' a couple years back. They were so much fun to hang out with and all of them said Matthau was so sweet and kind, and so much fun to work with.
Those were the days of the “latchkey kids.” Single parent and dual working parent families. The kids had to get themselves off to school and back home with no parental supervision and often had to fix our own dinner (usually sandwiches, frozen pizza or spaghettios). Homework done to get a couple hours of TV time before bed. We were practically raising ourselves, and I think we did a damn sight better than a lot of the “hovering” parents of the last 20 years.
There was nearly always one parent at home at my house while us kids were there -- two on weekends and when papa wasn't on the road. But spending so much time outdoors (even in winter), the come-and-go-freely vibe just seemed to define that whole generation. The only real rule about leaving the property at my house was to tell a parent where we were going. It didn't even matter by what route, or how long we'd be gone, because we were trusted to not do foolish things and to be home at a decent time. How ironic that the very same generation become such uptight parents. People stopped knowing their neighbors. The "24-hour news cycle" made every tragedy in every dark corner of the planet seem like an imminent threat. I once told my niece and nephew that their parents would probably have not let them play together with their cousins if I'd ever had any children -- because mine would be barefoot all spring and summer, in grass-stained trousers with patched and re-patched and re-re-patched holes in the knees, dirt perpetually under their fingernails, picking up worms and beetles, popping wheelies on their bikes and skateboarding without elbow and knee pads, and there would be boxes of Cap'n Crunch in the cabinet for breakfast instead of steel-cut oats and All-Bran.
I was this age in the 70’s and this movie hits way close to home. My dad drove around in his truck with the entire team in the back, tailgate down. Nobody thought anything of it.
I was 9 when this came out & it was a snapshot of my childhood. Gen X grew up fast & we were self reliant at an early age. We were the Latchkey Kids & started working before we reached our teens. I was left alone all day when I was 5 years old. I was given household chores (feed pets, make beds, wash dishes & empty trash) & once they were done I was free to play & roam. At the age of 8 I was dropped off at the local laundromat with the dirty laundry & a roll of quarters & picked up 3 hours later. By the time I was 10 I was doing most of the housework. When I was 11 my mother went to FL for a week & I was left home alone. Gen X were given lots of responsibility & freedom. Responsibility & Freedom are the two sides of a coin. If you can handle one you are given the other.
I'm from that era born in 68. It was great. Don't be too hard on today's parents. Things that didn't happen in the 70s, school shootings, cyber bullying, child abduction was rare, I never saw a homeless person. Kids today are exposed to a lot of stuff we didn't have to deal with. I understand the apprehension of not watching your kid in today's world.
You should watch Tatum O’Neal’s first movie “Paper Moon”. She made it with her dad Ryan O’Neal and she’s the youngest Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for her role - at age 10!
OMG, you guys, that was Tatum O'Neal as Amanda, one of the best kid actors of the '70s. She was paired with Kristy McNichol at summer camp in "Little Darlings" a few years later.
The kid who played Kelly Leak is Jackie Earle Haley, he is still working today, was in Breaking Away (1979) and was Rorschach in Watchmen (2009), his performance in Little Children (2006) got him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
It's about damn time that somebody watches this!!! Gen X-ers in our natural habitat! My mom took me to see this when it came out (I was 11), and we never laughed so hard! Walter Matthau was a legend: you really need to see more of his films. The transformation of his not wanting to be there to becoming obsessed with winning, is a sight to see. All the kids were great, though most of them didn't do much more acting after this, and everybody always loved Tanner - he was quite the scrapper, lol! No helmets when riding motorcycles, no seatbelts, we said what we thought: you two missed out on some great times. Oh, kids with cigarettes - back then, anybody with 4 quarters could buy them out of a cigarette machine! (I even have a '76 AMF Harley like the one in the film - complete with the Bicentennial stripes on the tank, except mine is black, not blue) Oh - interesting & funny fact: the baseball field used in this film is still there, but ironically, the parking lot isn't...guess they had too many broken windshields! 🤣 Oh, there are 2 sequels to this... EDIT: I have NEVER realized before now, that Brandon Cruz (of "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" fame) played Joey Turner! (the Yankees pitcher that is the son of Vic Morrow's character) Maybe I knew it & forgot, but just read something about him, and it was mentioned that he was in this.
As a GenX kid, this movie is so relatable. I'm not sure that many parents showed up to games, though. Lol. I remember walking home from swimming lessons in January with wet hair in the snow when it was dark.
“He probably just made his son hate the sport of baseball.” He probably just made his son hate his father, everything his father loves or even enjoys, and everything his father stands for. Every lesson that father ever taught and ever wanted to teach evaporated in that moment. BTW, Coach Turner was played by Vic Morrow, the father of Jennifer Jason Leigh. He had a very respectable career before he was killed on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie.
At the time I first saw "Bad News Bears", as both a baseball kid and a member of the school orchestra and string quartet, I might have had a hard time deciding which was more fun to play -- third base or Bizet's "Carmen" score. They're each a "workout" of art.
GenXer here, this was pretty spot on. When I was about 13, our little league team piled into the bed of our coaches pick up truck for a trip down the 101 freeway to the batting cages in Van Nuys. No body even thought this was wrong. Never told my folks though, I'm sure they would have not been happy. Latch key kids home alone. This was how we did it in the 70s and 80s. Getting old sucks, but I'm glad I was a kid during this era.
The music is from the opera Carmen. Tatum O’Neal won an Oscar earlier in a movie starring her father Ryan called Paper Moon. Paper Moon was a famous song from the thirties and has been covered by everybody.
Fun movie. We 70's kids were something. I'll add my voice to recommending "Breaking Away," another endearing 70' kids growing up with sports movie. And also "Paper Moon," the movie that made Tatum O'Neal a star. Real stories about real people, with laughs, tears, heartbreak and joy. Everything you want.
I was 9 years old when this came out, and my Little League baseball experience in Hopkins, Mn was damn close to this movie. It was the best times of my life. Kids talked like this, when their parents weren’t around. Spent everyday at the ball fields, and when you weren’t playing, you watched your friends games. Then got on your bike and went home. Great times!!
I'm a few years younger, but I was right up the road in Plymouth. I never played organized baseball, but I was on some soccer and hockey teams that were very similar. I couldn't really call it good hockey, but still good times.
@@nunyabizness5391 I played a lot of big softball tournaments, as an adult, at Zachary Fields up there. Teammates were a lot of my friends from our baseball days, as kids.
When we weren't playing, we played cup ball in a make-shift field next to the baseball field. We did watch some games though while stuffing ourselves with snacks from the concession stand.
I was a 70s kid and it was great. We had a perfect mix of smartassery and innocence going on, and the freedom to enjoy it. I asked my grandma once why she never seemed worried we'd get snatched, and she said that nobody wanted our nasty asses. I guess not; we ran in loud, obnoxious, dirty packs.
My grandma said the same! 😂 In fact, she told us they hoped we would get kidnapped because we would annoy the kidnappers so much they would pay our family to give us back! They were looking for a payout. I'm 54 years old and still terrified about being kidnapped! 😅 It was so fun growing up in the 70s and 80s!
Grannies didn't give a shit. I'm a southern boy and one of my closest friends was a yankee transplant. He southerned up quick but that's a different story. His grandmother was a 5' Italian granny. Friend or grandchild you didn't disobey her or cross her. She definitely didn't care about anyone's feelings. The bonus was it didn't matter the time or day there was always a table full of food and five desserts. Now here's the best part once we turned 18 we found out granny toked up. Then our relationships took on a whole new level. Miss you granny Allen
You enjoy the tough little guy Tanner watch the second film The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training. He didn't give up when the stadium crew called the game early due to time restraints. "Its not over, we only played two innings."
Tatum is the daughter of actor Ryan O’Neal whom we lost not to long ago. They were in a movie called Paper Moon in 1973 for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress. Ryan was also in one of the most romantic tear jerkers Love Story
A classic from 1976 and wonderful cast. And after the two sequel movies... The Bad News Bears was a television series for 2 seasons. Times were different then. Many were surprised by that hitting scene, the Yankees pitcher and coach's son was played by Brandon Cruz and many in 1976 would have known him as little Eddie Corbett in the series "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" staring Bill Bixby... and remember the show's theme lyrics 🎵"People let me tell you 'bout my best friend, He's a warm hearted person who'll love me till the end..." 🎶
Don't know if you guys know this, but the actor who plays the trouble tween, "Kelly", is actor Jackie Earle Haley. He the actor who plays 'Rorschach' in the popular superhero movie"Watchmen" (2009), and he also played Freddy Krueger in the 2010 remake of "A Nightmare On Elm Street". He also plays a prominent role in the 2014 reboot of "Robocop". All great movies, and Haley gives great performance in each film.
He had a guest appearance on so many TV shows in the 70s: Partridge Family, Waltons, Shazam!. He was everywhere. I'm glad he still has an acting career.
Those were crazy times, we were like smaller versions of adults- our parents taught us how to mix their drinks, all we had to do was walk up to a cigarette machine to buy a pack, many jr highs & high schools were built w/courtyards in the middle where teens were allowed to smoke, schools taught more life skills like home ec, wood shop, auto machanics & many kids started working earlier than 16 w/work permits, babysitting or cutting grass or helping in their parents’ small businesses like retail stores or restaurants. Although the language used is kinder now & there is more protection of kids, they don’t have the freedom we had back then as well as the expectations of responsibility & accountability for our own behavior. It may have something to do w/our fathers being of the generations who had a mandatory draft, they didn’t refer to us as babies or say “But they’re just a child!”- Whether you were a boy or a girl you were told to “Man up, do what needs to get done” similar to a military approach.
Was born in the early 1960's and a teenager in the 2070's, and what, I like to tell others is during the summer after breakfast, you would get on your bike and go out to explore your town/city. If something happen, you had to learn to deal with it on your on. For example, you got a flat-tire and it is a 4-hour walk back home .... then you just started walking to bake it back home by dinner time (smile...smile).
I have very vivid and fond memories of laying down and falling asleep in the back window of our car (so cozy warm), our elementary school sports teams piling in the back of our old orange Chevy van (no seats let alone seat belts), or riding in the open box of pick-up trucks. 😃 Playing sports at the school or just hanging out until the street lights came on, sometimes even later (but then Mom would come with the wooden spoon so it had to be worth it 🤣). Now that was the good life.
My childhood. I was 11 when this came out. Played baseball. Had the biggest crush on Tatum O'Neil (Paper Moon is a Must, She won an Oscar for her role)...This is true life to 70's kids.
@@PGHDude I only recently found out the song "Life is Looking Good" uses the same melody as Tchaicovsky's 1812 Overture as a nod to the classical music in the first movie.
Yeah, the 3rd one was weird, didn't get through it. The 2nd one, while not the gem this one, is a great kid road trip movie, and even though Tatum O'Neal wasn't in it, Jackie Earle Hailey's acting had stepped up. Both fun movies.
Saw this in the theater when I was a kid and yes, very representative of the 70’s. We are a resilient generation because of it all. So glad you watched this!
A small look at how the kids of early Gen X were raised. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun. Tanner is the embodiment of F around and find out. Remember Gen X will SQUARE UP!!! and if you meet a Gen X who doesn't hurt faces, damn sure they know how to hurt FEELINGS!
This is a great reaction! As a child of the 70s I can attest to the tone of this film. It's just how it was, we didn't know any different. Is there a full length reaction to this?
I loved growing up in the 70's. I played short stop and second base because I had an arm but no legs! I was always the smallest on the team and Tanner was always my favorite character because I identified with him so much. Great times in the day.
The actor that plays the Yankees coach was killed on a film set in 1982 during a scene on twilight zone. He was decapitated by a helicopter propeller while doing a stunt for a war scene. Crazy stuff!!
What were we doing in the '70s? EXACTLY THIS. We weren't crying on our mommy's shoulder, spending daily visits to psychiatrists and counselors, and looped out and drooling from meds; like kids these days. BRING BACK PARENTING FROM OUR GENERATION and get our youth a backbone and pride.
he was kind of typecast as a "Grumpy Old Man" wasn't he:"The Odd Couple","The Bad News Bears","Grumpy Old Men","Grumpier Old Men". He was hilarious in all of those movies. Was his character "grumpy" in "Out To Sea"?
Amber, glad you appreciated the talents of the great Walther Matthau as Buttermaker. You will enjoy any of his films, trust me! Jay, before they remade this film they actually made 2 sequels to this original film. Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) reunites much of the young cast but no Walter Matthau or Tatum O'Neal. William Devane does a serviceable job taking the reins as the coach. Plus you get to see the champ game in the Houston Astrodome!! Don't bother with the last movie in the series, they never even played a game!
One thing I love about a lot of 1970s movies, is many of them did not have the fairy tale or miracle ending. Sometimes the hero just feel short, which is also the way life works. Yes the 1970s were a great time to grow up. (Even though the adults, who grew up in the 1950s called us soft 😀) If you want to see Tatum O’Neil a few years before TBNBs, check out “Paper Moon”. She won the Oscar for that movie, at 8 years old. Thank you for the smiles and all the work you put in your channels.
In 1976, I was 9 going on 10. I played softball. Beer was around but not for us. As kids, we were left to use our own judgment most of the time. My parents let me take off on my horse by myself all day. I would never cuss in front of a grown-up. My parents were strict but trusted me to be responsible at a young age. By 10, I could cook, do laundry, iron, vacuum and take care of the animals. This is a great little movie. Thank you for sharing it.
Jackie Earle Haley, who played Kelly, was in another must see sports movie, “Breaking Away.” It’s about 4 friends who’ve graduated high school and are facing the challenges of being young adult. One of the 4 friends is obsessed with cycling, which is why this is a sports movie. One of the dad’s is played by the actor who was the dad in 16 Candles.
I also just remembered that one of the boys ( Cyril ) was played by Daniel Stern . He is the actor who played Marv in the first two Home Alone movies .
I was the age of these kids when this movie came out. I also played little league in California. This perfectly encapsulates what it was like back then. Every time I watch this movie it just reminds me of how it use to be. It was so great.
I was 11 when this came out. same age as these kids. we Lived on the baseball diamond back then, and snuck our dads beers when we could. Life was WAY different back then. for the better in my opinion. ⚾⚾⚾
Heck, in the 70s, beer was cheaper than the pop. When we went fishing, my dad would pack a a six pack of pop and a twelve pack of beer. If my brother and I ran out of pop, there was always beer, lol. We could also get our parents' cigarettes at the store with our parents note to the cashier telling them it was OK to sell them to us.
@@Summermute7 yeah, those were at the gas stations and clubs that my dad would go to. Ones like the Elks club or Eagles club. They were in the pool halls as well.
THANK YOU!! Bad News Bears did NOT need to be remade. It was perfect.
Exactly. I have never seen nor play to see the remake.
I avoided any exposure to the remake when it came out. Nuts that they even thought about doing that.
@@patron40silver Yet you took the time to comment....odd
@@johnglue1744 I am a BNB purist but the remake is damned funny too
Correct! I watched the new one out of curiosity. Original much better
This is the realest representation of growing up in the 70's as you can get!
So true
As someone else who grew up in the 70s I completely agree. I've been telling people younger than us, for years, to watch this movie if they want to see what it was like for us.
You got that right.
I miss the days before the Internet took over...
That's pretty much the way I remember it, swearing and all. "Dazed and Confused" is also a great depiction of the high school years.
I was 6 years old when this came out. It's like a time capsule of what it was like to be a kid in the 70s.
Same as you I was 6 when this came out, it is actually the very first movie my parents took me to a movie theater for. If anyone wants to know what it was like to be a late 60s or early 70s baby this is the movie.
If said the name Kelly Lee to someone now who grow in 70’s they would know exactly who that is.
Yes! We crammed into cars with no seat belts, wore no helmets, out all day, and came home when the street lights came on. We survived, and with great memories! 😄
Lol, me too. GenX, Baby!
Perfectly said
I’m telling you right now I was 12 years old in the 70s and this is exactly what our childhood looked like. I played girls softball and you couldn’t get a better portrayal of what life was like in the 70s for us. We were raised on drinking water out of the garden hose and parental neglect pretty much but we are tough as nails.
When they say they don't make them like they used to. This movie is what they're talking about. An absolute masterpiece.😊
Masterpiece? And that comment has elicited 46 thumbs up votes? What an indictment of how rotten people are.
Hard to believe Tatum O’Neal is now 60 years old. She was already an Academy Award winner when she made this movie. Set the record as the youngest person to win an Oscar. (Best Supporting Actress- Paper Moon - 1973). She was the highest paid child actor in history when she made The Bad New Bears.
Walter Matthau was only 56 when he made this film and at the time also had an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for 1966's 'The Fortune Cookie.' He was also nominated for Best Actor in 1971 and 1975.
❤ Paper Moon ❤
She was my crush. 🥰
Paper Moon is such an awesome movie!! Tatum O'Neal was fantastic and at once a star! Ryan O'Neal a great actor but his daughter stole the show.
Kelly (the punk on the Harley) was played by Jackie Earle Haley who is best known for playing Rorschach in the Watchmen movie.
I was born in 1965 and the older I get the more I realize just how lucky I was to have grown up in the 70s and 80s. I know the comedy is exaggerated but it really was this carefree as a kid. I had a blast growing up.
Born in 63. I totally agree.
Same here! This is how life was before the internet took over.
This was life before video games and home computers.
Me too man
I'm stoked that you appreciate what it was like to grow up in the 70s. It was leave the house in the morning and come home when the streetlights come on and mom and dad had no idea where you were the whole day. We were left to our own devices and came out the other side.
The 1970's are why it's so strict, maybe overly strict, with kids nowadays!
In the early 1970's, my brother chose "Fermentation" for his 8th grade science project. He made beer, bottled it, & got an "A+"
@@patron40silverStill happening to a certain extent. Key in my car now, my grand daughter spotted a bear down a farm path last weekend. (Very unusual) NC is getting smaller. Trying our best to encourage free roam with ours. Times are changing 😢
@@sparky6086 I was born in 70 and the "everyone gets a trophy" BS had already started by the end of the decade...and most of us kids hated it. It made getting a trophy totally meaningless.
Dang dude. You just gave me remembrance chills, reading this.
I'm 50 and this was my childhood. It was rough but we survived. The life lessons we learned are priceless. We had patents and coaches who were rough, but most of us turned out better for it. It wasn't a perfect time, but I wouldn't change a thing. I miss those days.
Notice that Buttermaker had tears in is eyes when Amanda left the dugout. He yelled at her because he felt that he wasn't good enough for her or her Mom.
That's it👍🏼 it is a very sad moment... You can tell he cares about her.
That is the thing, isn't it? Buttermaker's has always felt himself inferior ever since the minor leagues.
I have a theory that Kelly Leek was a former Yankees player, and that's the reason for the bad blood between him and the Yankee's coach.
A GenX classic! Walter Mattau as "Buttermaker" is an iconic 70s comedy role!
Saw it ten times at the movies.
Nah. These kids are Tweeners. One foot in the Boom gen and one foot in the GenX.
@@thegodlessvulcan lol. That’s me. The first year of GenX 1965. I consider myself boomer adjacent.
I was 8 when this came out. Girls we’re finally allowed to play little league in 74’ when the ban on girl was lifted . I was the first girl to sign up in my town and play in 74’ . I was taught shortstop since birth. It showed⭐️☑️
@@petercourtien4581 Yeah born in 63 so I guess I'm GenX adjacent. :)
Growing up in the 70s, was magical.
Totally 💯
Yep..class of being born 70' LOL...
Before the 2005 remake, there were two sequels to this original 1976 movie: in 1977 there was “Bad News Bears in Breaking Training,” and in 1978 “The Bad News Bears go to Japan.”
Without Buttermaker and Amanda, they don't hit the same.
I hope you get a chance to watch them both
@@MrKeychangeagreed but they’re not bad. I mean, Tony Curtis was pretty funny if I remember correctly
I never saw the third one, but the second one is a guilty pleasure. I bet I saw it 20 times on HBO alone. It was one of those movies they played all the time for about three years.
Don't forget a short lived TV series on CBS from 1979-1980.
Best line spoken after watching the Bad News Bears. 'God I wish I grew up in the 70s'. As someone who grew up in the 70s all I can say is. Yeah, you really do because it was GREAT!
Hey listen! 70’s kid here, We were ferrel kids Man. Our parents wanted us out the door right after breakfast and didn’t want us back home until the streetlights came on. We had the run of the streets! We drank from the hose because if you went in the house to get a drink, your Momma put you to work in the house! We were sent to the store on our bikes to buy our parents cigarettes and a few groceries.
When Dad said go get me a beer, he let us have the first sip! Oh!…….those were hella good times!
I hope they react to some of those How-Did-GenX-Even-Survive-Childhood? videos out there.
I agree! They would love to have had our childhood. Good times.
Exactly. And yes, it was common for an 11 year old to be making cocktails for their parents and the parent’s friends.
You must see Paper Moon . The little girl , Tatum O’Neal starred in it before this movie and was nominated for an Oscar . You would love it
WON the Oscar.
Great movie! - "I want my two-hundred dollars!"
Stars with her dad Ryan O'Neal 🌙❤
Paper Moon, along with What’s Up, Doc? are landmark 70s comedies by Peter Bogdonavich paying homage to comedies from the 30s. Best work done by Ryan O’Neal for sure but the supporting cast in each one is superlative.
RIP Ryan O'Neal ....
Tanner was a Rock Star. He was the true personality of that team.
Lucas looked like Rod Stewart
"Harley Davidson. That turn you on?"
Walter Matthau is phenomenal...his grumpy character is challenged by his feisty pitcher (Tatum O'Neal) The original is the classic!!
I think we were much better off when we treated kids like they weren't made of glass that would shatter if they were told "no" or got their little feelings hurt. Life was so much simpler then.
Whiskey and beer is called a “boilermaker” … this got Buttermaker his nickname of Boilermaker
Nobody had "team moms" until the mid 90s. It was the kids responsibility to look out for themselves. Snacks, juice boxes and play dates would have been laughed off the field
Exactly 💯 percent. We were left to fend for ourselves. We went to hockey games, baseball fields without our parents hanging around. If your parents were there, you got laughed at or beat up.
Every team had a team mom when i played in the mid-late 70s
@@MD-gw4rk That is definitely true. We didn't want our parents around. It was a time of maturing, when I went to the pitcher's mound for a chat it usually turned into a convo about some girl in the stands that you hoped to talk to after the game.
We had a playground where there was a field for football, and basketball and tennis courts. There was a house nearby that had an outdoor tap for a water hose (no hose). If we needed to get a drink we would go there and use it without asking. Often times we didn't have anything like that all and got dehydrated, no one cared. No one ever brought water although I can remember rare occasions when someone had a jug of Kool Aid. That was purely for a treat and not thought of as hydration. That word wasn't in our vocabulary. In fact it was often said not to drink too much water or you would get "water logged" and get sick.
A “sleeper” hit of the ‘70’s was a bit of a sports movie called “Breaking Away.” A portion of the story was about bicycle racing. One of the supporting actors was Jackie Earle Haley, who played juvenile delinquent Kelly Leak in “The Bad News Bears.” I recommend “Breaking Away.”
I loved Breaking Away!
Absolutely, they should watch it!
An early Kevin Costner feature. Brotherly "love" in the end but not necessarily all throughout. That is a good film.
Breaking Away is acknowledged to be one of the best sports movies. I still get a kick out of Slap Shot but it might be a little too racy for this channel unless they get an edited version. Otherwise they'll be editing every scene :)
@@jethro1963 Definitely! Amber would be horrified by the language!
Tatum & Ryan, her father, in
“Paper Moon” is an absolute MUST.
Academy Award recipient, she is.
A Classic!! Loved it.
100%
My uncle gave me my first beer in ‘81 when I was 9. But at least said, “don’t tell your dad”.
Different world
Same age/year-and mine had us drink the foam off the top every time he opened a new can 😂
@@kelly_kpb hilarious…god bless them
Back in the mid-70's my uncle would be watchin' football and everytime he got up to take a leak, my 6yr old cousin and I (8yrs) would take huge swallows of his beer. He had to have known. 😆
Just a lil trivia. The coach that slapped the kid pitcher was actor Vic Morrow. He was the actor that was tragically killed along with 2 Vietnamese children by a helicopter, in that horrifying accident during the filming of "The Twilight Zone movie" in 1982.
The timid lil blonde haired kid "Lupus", is the dark haired kid in the schoolhouse window during the flagpole scene in "A Christmas Story".
My dad gave me my 1st beer. Just don't tell your mom
yes it was
Growing up in the 70s was magical. Yes, Gen X is resilient, we had to be, lol. Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol were the power kid stars back in the day. This was one of my favorite movies. Love to rewatch whenever I can.
My first thought when I saw this upload:
“Oh, they are going to love Tanner Boyle.”
He was extreme, even for the kids at the time.
Tanner Boyle was the best!
That’s the beauty of that character. He’s so laughably over the top.
But still believable. I’m sure just about everyone from this generation knew someone like Tanner.
The opposing coach is played by Vic Morrow. He was in a series back in the day called " Combat". In 1982 Morrow was filming the movie "Twilight Zone: The Movie". In one of the scenes involving a helicopter Morrow and a child actor were decapitated when the coptrr crashed. Another child actor was crushed to death from the copyer wreckage. RIP to all three of them. 🤔
Yes. Seeing Vic Morrow here reminded me of that tragedy. As a kid in the early '60's, I remember him in the TV series "Combat". He starred as a juvenile delinquent in the 1954 film "Blackboard Jungle".
Vic Morrow's daughter is Jennifer Jason Leigh who played Stacy Hamilton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
I used to watch Combat! and Rat Patrol religiously.
I was 12 when this came out, it felt so genuine. So many things about this show are incredibly accurate.
You got me beat by a couple of years, I think I was 8 when this was released and playing in the little league. My dad idolized Walter Mathews and some of his behavior wasn't too different than what we saw from him in the movie, but he was more of an assistant coach.
Me too ☮️
This was my childhood 😅😂. Don't mess with our generation, we're built different
True!
I absolutely loved Jay's reaction to Tanner! He was a tough kid. Did you notice that all the other kids wanted to hand in their uniform and quit and Buttermaker said, "Do you want to quit Tanner?" and Tanner said, "Crud no, I wanna play ball." Even with a bloody lip, and gettin beat up by the whole 7th Grade, he wasn't going to give up, he wanted to keep going. He was a fighter. Gotta love him.
Alpha Male in the making 👍
This 70s kid is having great memories right now. 😆
I love how Buttermaker gets one of the kids , to make him a Martini . Now that is what you call team bonding
Back in the day, in my home state of North Carolina the legal age to drink was 18 but, that only applied in public. There was a common understanding that, you could drink at any age at home under the guidance of your parents (smile...smile).
Kelly (on the motorcycle) grew up to be Rorschach in The Watchmen (2009). Great actor with some interesting roles.
He was so wicked you couldn't take your eyes off him 🖤
Was also Dukes in Semi-Pro. Hit the full court shot.
Wow, I don’t know how I didnt notice that, love Kelly and love Rorschach
i believe he played freddy krueger in the updated nightmare on Elm Street.
Another Jackie Earle Haley movie that I think that Jay and Amber would enjoy is "Breaking Away".
Kids drank beer in the 70s. My father and I would share Miller's watching the Mets. I was about 6 yrs old. The 70s were crazy 😅
I can confirm that childhood in the 70s was Wild!
I was right in the wheelhouse for the Bad News Bears movies. My LL years started in '77, right after this came out.
Every team had a Lupus, a Tanner, a girl and their own version of a Kelly Leak.
And yes there was the dad that coached his kid and was way too competitive and there was a tamer Buttermaker.
Nobody will convince me there was a better time to be a kid than in the 1970's. We had freedom no youth had ever been given before, or ever will again.
I bet the kids before us had a lot of freedom too - esp. those kids in the 60s whose parents were into all the drugs & "free love" - not that this was better for the kids though, probably mess them up more esp. the little girls.
Don't have any clue what it would have been like for kids to grow up in the 50s & 40s. I bet they had a lot of freedom too - in fact I am pretty sure, from watching "Leave it to Beaver" that the kids of the 50s also had a lot of freedom (even if I bet language - by BOTH the kids & adults - was more careful.)
Can people who grew up as kids in the 1940s, 1950s & 1960s respond & let us know?
@@Carrie-so3ro Black and Hispanic kids did not have the freedoms those born in the late 60's did. This is historical fact.
Sure, suburban and rural white kids did whatever. It didn't include going to the movie theater or arcades or roller rinks for dark skinned kids. Not the case since the late 60's on.
Everybody got to go where ever, doing whatever....until the streetlights came on.
This movie nailed playing little league at that time. We had coaches sipping beer and the over aggressive dads. The 70's really was a different time.
@@maceomaceo11Depends on where you grew up: the west coast was vastly different than the south. Sure, my dad had run-ins with local cops that had racial tendencies when he was younger, and while cops in certain areas often stopped me, it wasn't because of skin color, it was because I was passing through very high crime areas (between work & home) - they stopped almost everybody in those areas!
That said, demographics even where this was filmed, have changed: in the '70's, the San Fernando Valley was mostly white: today, it looks like Mexico City - and I'm not being racist, and I'm not exxagerating, either.
The one funny thing about this film, is that while I did know of a few Mexican kids in my neighborhood that didn't speak English, it was the other way 'round for the most part - the majority didn't speak Spanish, because their parents didn't teach it to them. (Just like Cheech Marin's character, in "Born In East L.A.": they did have an accent that they got from their parents, but they didn't know Spanish)
Our coach was the all encompassing 70s man. Customized Chevy van. Chain link steering wheel, shag carpet interior. lol. Blonde girlfriend. But he would always take us to 7/11 for slurpees after a game. Great times in the mid 70s.
I can't imagine a better time to grow up than the late 70's/early 80's. It was the best! I can't imagine growing up now.
This was the mid 70s I was 15 big ones lol
And I would not want to
The 1960's, was also a fun time to grow up (smile...smile).
I agree i was conceived early 1960
Born in 72 . They were fun times. Way different from today.This movie really brings back memories.
Same here!
Ah the memories!!! I was the girl pitcher, short stop and center fielder on the boys baseball team in the 70’s. It wasn’t as uncommon as it seams because girls softball wasn’t a thing in most places lol hahaha yep got bats thrown at me on the mound after a strikeout
The Sandlot - How adults _remember_ being a kid in the 60s.
The Bad News Bears 1976 - What it was _actually like_ to be a kid in the 70s
Every school had a Tanner (and a Lupus and a Rudy). I swear that kid who played Tanner should have won an academy award. And yes, the 70s were absolutely like that. I played baseball as a kid just like this but hockey was our (🇨🇦) primary focus and I can remember parents getting into scuffles in the parking lot after games and so much stuff that’s not fit to print. Good times. Speaking of hockey and classic sports movies, you’re ready for Slap Shot now!
The Mighty Ducks
I was part of a "Bad News Bears" team when I played minor league hockey (we were Atom division under 12). We were one third of the way through the season with zero wins when our coach quit, the assistant coach took over and changed up all our lines, we wound up playing for the championship that year, and lost by 1 goal (our starting goalie was out for the final game with chicken pox). I actually learned that if you concentrated on your strengths and teamwork, a great deal could be accomplished.
Beer with a shot is called a boilermaker. Perfect for coach Buttermaker. 🍺
I just spent as much time reading the comments as I did watching the reaction. So much love for this movie.
Nice to have reactions of two coaches who appreciated the touches that point out how bad they started out to how much they improved. ❤❤
The. 70's. Were. INSANE! Loved being a kid during this decade. Great review, guys!!!
From the 70's thru to the mid 80's THIS was what being a kid was like.
You guys missed out on a strange time to be a kid. I loved it. Ahahahaha.
50s and 60s too! These were the times of distributive parenting. Most all mothers stayed at home while the dads worked. These mothers across neighborhoods took an active role parenting whatever kids showed up around their houses, in the vacant lot next toor, or even out in the street they'd rush out and spank ANY kid who got out of line. It wasn't just okay, it was expected! These were the days before everyone had airconditioning so all windows were open and you heard everything going on nearby.
All summer long our mothers shooed us out of the house after breakfast and didn't necessarily expect to see us again until dinnertime. We'd head out on our bikes until we found where everyone stopped to play that day. Wherever we were at lunch time that mom would feed us all sandwiches or snacks in the yard. No one worried about the expense; it all evened out over time. We'd drink water from someone's hose when thirsty -- no one minded. Sometimes a group of us would ride to the river and swim off of the pier. Other times we'd ride 7 or 8 miles to some attraction for the day. Didn't matter as long as we were back home for dinner.
The freedom and mobility our bikes gave us was so amazing that later, in high school, getting our drivers licenses wasn't such a cultural change (except fot the dating!) Growing up in the 50s through 60s was a whole differet world from what today's kids have, what with Helicoptering parents, streets too choked with traffic for safe bike riding, gated comminities with sculptured yards too small to play in, etc. No wonder they're addicted to their tablet computers and phones. So sad.
The 1970's are why it's so strict, maybe overly strict, with kids nowadays!
It was too free, the pendulum swung waay over the other way.@stevesilsby5288
@@sparky6086 That's not true at all. If you want to know why parents are the way they are now check out Jonathan Haidt of NYU's work.
@sparky6086 the 80s drug use and first mass shootings is why things changed.
Met some of these 'kids' a couple years back. They were so much fun to hang out with and all of them said Matthau was so sweet and kind, and so much fun to work with.
Those were the days of the “latchkey kids.” Single parent and dual working parent families. The kids had to get themselves off to school and back home with no parental supervision and often had to fix our own dinner (usually sandwiches, frozen pizza or spaghettios). Homework done to get a couple hours of TV time before bed. We were practically raising ourselves, and I think we did a damn sight better than a lot of the “hovering” parents of the last 20 years.
I just re-posted a meme a while back.
Gen X: The only generation that became 30 at the age of 10 and is still 30 at 50.
@@mikegoodwin2386 😂👍
There was nearly always one parent at home at my house while us kids were there -- two on weekends and when papa wasn't on the road. But spending so much time outdoors (even in winter), the come-and-go-freely vibe just seemed to define that whole generation. The only real rule about leaving the property at my house was to tell a parent where we were going. It didn't even matter by what route, or how long we'd be gone, because we were trusted to not do foolish things and to be home at a decent time.
How ironic that the very same generation become such uptight parents. People stopped knowing their neighbors. The "24-hour news cycle" made every tragedy in every dark corner of the planet seem like an imminent threat. I once told my niece and nephew that their parents would probably have not let them play together with their cousins if I'd ever had any children -- because mine would be barefoot all spring and summer, in grass-stained trousers with patched and re-patched and re-re-patched holes in the knees, dirt perpetually under their fingernails, picking up worms and beetles, popping wheelies on their bikes and skateboarding without elbow and knee pads, and there would be boxes of Cap'n Crunch in the cabinet for breakfast instead of steel-cut oats and All-Bran.
@@merriemisfit8406 Nailed it. 😎👍
@@mikegoodwin2386 Oldest ones are in 60s. It’s crazy how time flies.
I was this age in the 70’s and this movie hits way close to home. My dad drove around in his truck with the entire team in the back, tailgate down. Nobody thought anything of it.
I was 9 when this came out & it was a snapshot of my childhood. Gen X grew up fast & we were self reliant at an early age. We were the Latchkey Kids & started working before we reached our teens.
I was left alone all day when I was 5 years old. I was given household chores (feed pets, make beds, wash dishes & empty trash) & once they were done I was free to play & roam. At the age of 8 I was dropped off at the local laundromat with the dirty laundry & a roll of quarters & picked up 3 hours later. By the time I was 10 I was doing most of the housework. When I was 11 my mother went to FL for a week & I was left home alone. Gen X were given lots of responsibility & freedom. Responsibility & Freedom are the two sides of a coin. If you can handle one you are given the other.
I was 9 too. Playing on the PBS baseball team.
I'm from that era born in 68. It was great. Don't be too hard on today's parents. Things that didn't happen in the 70s, school shootings, cyber bullying, child abduction was rare, I never saw a homeless person. Kids today are exposed to a lot of stuff we didn't have to deal with. I understand the apprehension of not watching your kid in today's world.
The kids' performances were MASTERFUL. And each character was really carefully drawn and unique.
The Odd Couple (1968) with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Same guys from Grumpy Old Men. They were BFFs in real life.
You should watch Tatum O’Neal’s first movie “Paper Moon”. She made it with her dad Ryan O’Neal and she’s the youngest Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for her role - at age 10!
Then watch Ryan O'Neal in Whats Up Doc with Barbra Streisand. Very funny movie from the 70's
OMG, you guys, that was Tatum O'Neal as Amanda, one of the best kid actors of the '70s. She was paired with Kristy McNichol at summer camp in "Little Darlings" a few years later.
“Little Darlings” is such a good film! I wish it would get a DVD release.
I adore Little Darlings. As a teen at the time, I had total girl crushes on both O'Neal and McNichol. Such a bittersweet coming of age movie.
One of the girls in my hometown was an extra in Little Darlings. She went missing in the 80's and she was never found.
@@PaulaPates-ce1jd That's so sad. The actress who plays bookworm Dana--Alexa Kenin--met an untimely end as well.
@@aweaver6895 That's funny, I had guy crushes on Matt Dillon and Armand Assante. Well, mostly Assante. "Mr. Callahan!!"
The kid who played Kelly Leak is Jackie Earle Haley, he is still working today, was in Breaking Away (1979) and was Rorschach in Watchmen (2009), his performance in Little Children (2006) got him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
It's about damn time that somebody watches this!!! Gen X-ers in our natural habitat! My mom took me to see this when it came out (I was 11), and we never laughed so hard!
Walter Matthau was a legend: you really need to see more of his films. The transformation of his not wanting to be there to becoming obsessed with winning, is a sight to see.
All the kids were great, though most of them didn't do much more acting after this, and everybody always loved Tanner - he was quite the scrapper, lol!
No helmets when riding motorcycles, no seatbelts, we said what we thought: you two missed out on some great times. Oh, kids with cigarettes - back then, anybody with 4 quarters could buy them out of a cigarette machine!
(I even have a '76 AMF Harley like the one in the film - complete with the Bicentennial stripes on the tank, except mine is black, not blue)
Oh - interesting & funny fact: the baseball field used in this film is still there, but ironically, the parking lot isn't...guess they had too many broken windshields! 🤣
Oh, there are 2 sequels to this...
EDIT: I have NEVER realized before now, that Brandon Cruz (of "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" fame) played Joey Turner! (the Yankees pitcher that is the son of Vic Morrow's character)
Maybe I knew it & forgot, but just read something about him, and it was mentioned that he was in this.
As a GenX kid, this movie is so relatable. I'm not sure that many parents showed up to games, though. Lol. I remember walking home from swimming lessons in January with wet hair in the snow when it was dark.
Me too! Frozen hair was almost my trademark.
“He probably just made his son hate the sport of baseball.”
He probably just made his son hate his father, everything his father loves or even enjoys, and everything his father stands for. Every lesson that father ever taught and ever wanted to teach evaporated in that moment.
BTW, Coach Turner was played by Vic Morrow, the father of Jennifer Jason Leigh. He had a very respectable career before he was killed on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie.
This movie was an important movie in 1976, I was 11, Tanner is pretty intense! Buttercrud!
I was 18
In the early 1970's, my brother chose "Fermentation" for his 8th grade science project. He made beer, bottled it, & got an "A+"
The music is from the opera "Carmen" by Bizet, 1875. The 2 songs are The Habanera and The March of the Toreadors...
At the time I first saw "Bad News Bears", as both a baseball kid and a member of the school orchestra and string quartet, I might have had a hard time deciding which was more fun to play -- third base or Bizet's "Carmen" score. They're each a "workout" of art.
GenXer here, this was pretty spot on. When I was about 13, our little league team piled into the bed of our coaches pick up truck for a trip down the 101 freeway to the batting cages in Van Nuys. No body even thought this was wrong. Never told my folks though, I'm sure they would have not been happy. Latch key kids home alone. This was how we did it in the 70s and 80s. Getting old sucks, but I'm glad I was a kid during this era.
Alright. The original!!! ❤😊
The music is from the opera Carmen. Tatum O’Neal won an Oscar earlier in a movie starring her father Ryan called Paper Moon. Paper Moon was a famous song from the thirties and has been covered by everybody.
I particularly like Nat King Cole's version.
@Amber yes the 1970's were a different era lol. Loved seeing you both fall in love and discuss this classic. It had such heart
Fun movie. We 70's kids were something. I'll add my voice to recommending "Breaking Away," another endearing 70' kids growing up with sports movie. And also "Paper Moon," the movie that made Tatum O'Neal a star. Real stories about real people, with laughs, tears, heartbreak and joy. Everything you want.
I was 9 years old when this came out, and my Little League baseball experience in Hopkins, Mn was damn close to this movie. It was the best times of my life. Kids talked like this, when their parents weren’t around. Spent everyday at the ball fields, and when you weren’t playing, you watched your friends games. Then got on your bike and went home. Great times!!
I'm a few years younger, but I was right up the road in Plymouth. I never played organized baseball, but I was on some soccer and hockey teams that were very similar. I couldn't really call it good hockey, but still good times.
@@nunyabizness5391 I played a lot of big softball tournaments, as an adult, at Zachary Fields up there. Teammates were a lot of my friends from our baseball days, as kids.
When we weren't playing, we played cup ball in a make-shift field next to the baseball field. We did watch some games though while stuffing ourselves with snacks from the concession stand.
I was a 70s kid and it was great. We had a perfect mix of smartassery and innocence going on, and the freedom to enjoy it. I asked my grandma once why she never seemed worried we'd get snatched, and she said that nobody wanted our nasty asses. I guess not; we ran in loud, obnoxious, dirty packs.
My grandma said the same! 😂 In fact, she told us they hoped we would get kidnapped because we would annoy the kidnappers so much they would pay our family to give us back! They were looking for a payout. I'm 54 years old and still terrified about being kidnapped! 😅
It was so fun growing up in the 70s and 80s!
Grannies didn't give a shit. I'm a southern boy and one of my closest friends was a yankee transplant. He southerned up quick but that's a different story. His grandmother was a 5' Italian granny. Friend or grandchild you didn't disobey her or cross her. She definitely didn't care about anyone's feelings. The bonus was it didn't matter the time or day there was always a table full of food and five desserts. Now here's the best part once we turned 18 we found out granny toked up. Then our relationships took on a whole new level. Miss you granny Allen
@allenruss2976 I grewup in Tennessee, but my grandma - and yes, I called her granny - was pure Arkansas. And no, you didn't mess with her.
@@robynmontgomery9826 granny Allen would cuss you out in Italian while popping you upside the head.
You know you want more! You've gotta see "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training" (1977)
You enjoy the tough little guy Tanner watch the second film The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training. He didn't give up when the stadium crew called the game early due to time restraints. "Its not over, we only played two innings."
Tatum is the daughter of actor Ryan O’Neal whom we lost not to long ago. They were in a movie called Paper Moon in 1973 for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress. Ryan was also in one of the most romantic tear jerkers Love Story
A classic from 1976 and wonderful cast. And after the two sequel movies... The Bad News Bears was a television series for 2 seasons. Times were different then.
Many were surprised by that hitting scene, the Yankees pitcher and coach's son was played by Brandon Cruz and many in 1976 would have known him as little Eddie Corbett in the series "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" staring Bill Bixby... and remember the show's theme lyrics 🎵"People let me tell you 'bout my best friend, He's a warm hearted person who'll love me till the end..." 🎶
That theme was written by none other than Harry Nillsen.
@@farmerbill6855Did you know Harry Nillson did a guest appearance on the TV Show The Ghost and Mrs. Muir?
Adult Cruz was frontman of a punk band called Dr. Know, and also did a stint with the Dead Kennedys, too.
Don't know if you guys know this, but the actor who plays the trouble tween, "Kelly", is actor Jackie Earle Haley. He the actor who plays 'Rorschach' in the popular superhero movie"Watchmen" (2009), and he also played Freddy Krueger in the 2010 remake of "A Nightmare On Elm Street". He also plays a prominent role in the 2014 reboot of "Robocop". All great movies, and Haley gives great performance in each film.
He was "Mookie" in "Breaking Away" too.
And he was in one of the best movies of 1979, “Breaking Away”.
And the spaced out hippie, Dukes, who made the $10,000 free-throw in "Semi-pro"
@@frndofbear,Boss(talking to Mookie):"Don't forget to punch the time clock.".
He had a guest appearance on so many TV shows in the 70s: Partridge Family, Waltons, Shazam!. He was everywhere. I'm glad he still has an acting career.
Holy crap, you are actually reacting to The Bad News Bears!!!! lol...I did not see this coming. Fantastic.
It's AWESOME ❤❤❤
Those were crazy times, we were like smaller versions of adults- our parents taught us how to mix their drinks, all we had to do was walk up to a cigarette machine to buy a pack, many jr highs & high schools were built w/courtyards in the middle where teens were allowed to smoke, schools taught more life skills like home ec, wood shop, auto machanics & many kids started working earlier than 16 w/work permits, babysitting or cutting grass or helping in their parents’ small businesses like retail stores or restaurants. Although the language used is kinder now & there is more protection of kids, they don’t have the freedom we had back then as well as the expectations of responsibility & accountability for our own behavior. It may have something to do w/our fathers being of the generations who had a mandatory draft, they didn’t refer to us as babies or say “But they’re just a child!”- Whether you were a boy or a girl you were told to “Man up, do what needs to get done” similar to a military approach.
Was born in the early 1960's and a teenager in the 2070's, and what, I like to tell others is during the summer after breakfast, you would get on your bike and go out to explore your town/city. If something happen, you had to learn to deal with it on your on. For example, you got a flat-tire and it is a 4-hour walk back home .... then you just started walking to bake it back home by dinner time (smile...smile).
I have very vivid and fond memories of laying down and falling asleep in the back window of our car (so cozy warm), our elementary school sports teams piling in the back of our old orange Chevy van (no seats let alone seat belts), or riding in the open box of pick-up trucks. 😃
Playing sports at the school or just hanging out until the street lights came on, sometimes even later (but then Mom would come with the wooden spoon so it had to be worth it 🤣).
Now that was the good life.
My childhood. I was 11 when this came out. Played baseball. Had the biggest crush on Tatum O'Neil (Paper Moon is a Must, She won an Oscar for her role)...This is true life to 70's kids.
I have seen all four Bad News Bears movies. This movie and the second one are the best ones.
That second movie had a banger soundtrack too.
@@PGHDude I only recently found out the song "Life is Looking Good" uses the same melody as Tchaicovsky's 1812 Overture as a nod to the classical music in the first movie.
Yeah, the 3rd one was weird, didn't get through it.
The 2nd one, while not the gem this one, is a great kid road trip movie, and even though Tatum O'Neal wasn't in it, Jackie Earle Hailey's acting had stepped up. Both fun movies.
The writer of the second movie went on to write and direct RISKY BUSINESS with Tom Cruise.
@@PGHDudeabsolutely! I still listen to it.
Saw this in the theater when I was a kid and yes, very representative of the 70’s. We are a resilient generation because of it all. So glad you watched this!
A small look at how the kids of early Gen X were raised. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun. Tanner is the embodiment of F around and find out. Remember Gen X will SQUARE UP!!! and if you meet a Gen X who doesn't hurt faces, damn sure they know how to hurt FEELINGS!
This is a great reaction! As a child of the 70s I can attest to the tone of this film. It's just how it was, we didn't know any different. Is there a full length reaction to this?
"The Odd Couple" Walter Matthau & Jack Lemon and "Hopscotch" 😉
They were the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck of that era
Never heard of Hopscotch. I'll have to check it out.
Yes, the "Odd Couple" is a must watch!
It's a hoot! @@markferone4653
I loved growing up in the 70's. I played short stop and second base because I had an arm but no legs! I was always the smallest on the team and Tanner was always my favorite character because I identified with him so much. Great times in the day.
I was there. The 70's were the BEST man.
The actor that plays the Yankees coach was killed on a film set in 1982 during a scene on twilight zone. He was decapitated by a helicopter propeller while doing a stunt for a war scene. Crazy stuff!!
I absolutely loved this movie as a kid. Haven't seen it for at least 30 years but I still know most of the lines 🤗
What were we doing in the '70s? EXACTLY THIS. We weren't crying on our mommy's shoulder, spending daily visits to psychiatrists and counselors, and looped out and drooling from meds; like kids these days. BRING BACK PARENTING FROM OUR GENERATION and get our youth a backbone and pride.
And none of that "safe space" crap, either!
And our playground equipment was made out of American STEEL - not Chinese plastic.
Or getting participation trophies
Whatever we were doing, if we weren't in bed or class, we were outside ‼️🌳🚴🌳⛹️♀️🌲🤸🌳🌞
I grew up playing youth sports in the late 70's throughout the 80's in Southern California and this film is 100% true to the times.
If you have loved Walter in the movies you have seen you will really love him in The Odd Couple with Jack Lemon.
he was kind of typecast as a "Grumpy Old Man" wasn't he:"The Odd Couple","The Bad News Bears","Grumpy Old Men","Grumpier Old Men". He was hilarious in all of those movies. Was his character "grumpy" in "Out To Sea"?
I grew up down the street from Mason Park in Chatsworth, where this was filmed. I was 10 years old watching the filming of this movie.
Amber, glad you appreciated the talents of the great Walther Matthau as Buttermaker. You will enjoy any of his films, trust me! Jay, before they remade this film they actually made 2 sequels to this original film. Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) reunites much of the young cast but no Walter Matthau or Tatum O'Neal. William Devane does a serviceable job taking the reins as the coach. Plus you get to see the champ game in the Houston Astrodome!! Don't bother with the last movie in the series, they never even played a game!
Bad News Bears in Breaking Training is my favorite.
One thing I love about a lot of 1970s movies, is many of them did not have the fairy tale or miracle ending.
Sometimes the hero just feel short, which is also the way life works.
Yes the 1970s were a great time to grow up. (Even though the adults, who grew up in the 1950s called us soft 😀)
If you want to see Tatum O’Neil a few years before TBNBs, check out “Paper Moon”. She won the Oscar for that movie, at 8 years old.
Thank you for the smiles and all the work you put in your channels.
Walter Matthau stars with Jack Lemon in a comedy classic "THE ODD COUPLE"!
Fantastic movie!
Yep, and starred with him again as much older men in Grumpy Old Men, and Grumpier Old Men!
In 1976, I was 9 going on 10. I played softball. Beer was around but not for us. As kids, we were left to use our own judgment most of the time. My parents let me take off on my horse by myself all day. I would never cuss in front of a grown-up. My parents were strict but trusted me to be responsible at a young age. By 10, I could cook, do laundry, iron, vacuum and take care of the animals. This is a great little movie. Thank you for sharing it.
Jackie Earle Haley, who played Kelly, was in another must see sports movie, “Breaking Away.” It’s about 4 friends who’ve graduated high school and are facing the challenges of being young adult. One of the 4 friends is obsessed with cycling, which is why this is a sports movie. One of the dad’s is played by the actor who was the dad in 16 Candles.
I also just remembered that one of the boys ( Cyril ) was played by Daniel Stern . He is the actor who played Marv in the first two Home Alone movies .
I was the age of these kids when this movie came out. I also played little league in California. This perfectly encapsulates what it was like back then. Every time I watch this movie it just reminds me of how it use to be. It was so great.
I was 11 when this came out. same age as these kids. we Lived on the baseball diamond back then, and snuck our dads beers when we could. Life was WAY different back then. for the better in my opinion. ⚾⚾⚾
Heck, in the 70s, beer was cheaper than the pop. When we went fishing, my dad would pack a a six pack of pop and a twelve pack of beer. If my brother and I ran out of pop, there was always beer, lol. We could also get our parents' cigarettes at the store with our parents note to the cashier telling them it was OK to sell them to us.
We didn't even need a note.
@sandrajewitt6050 Life was so much more fun then.
They had cigarette vending machines in every lobby. No note needed. 😂😂😂
@@Summermute7 yeah, those were at the gas stations and clubs that my dad would go to. Ones like the Elks club or Eagles club. They were in the pool halls as well.
@@Uriahjw, my first job was at the Dairy Queen and we had cigarette machines in the waiting area. 😮😂😂
Boy, this brings back memories of Little League baseball in the 70s.
Yes adults didn’t always care about our feelings but they weren’t always cold blooded. Did make our skins thicker.