Soul of the Game
Soul of the Game (also known as Field of Honour) is a 1996 television film about Negro league baseball.
| Soul of the Game | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama History Sport |
| Written by | Gary Hoffman (story) David Himmelstein (teleplay) |
| Directed by | Kevin Rodney Sullivan |
| Starring | Blair Underwood Delroy Lindo Mykelti Williamson Edward Herrmann R. Lee Ermey Harvey Williams |
| Music by | Lee Holdridge |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Kevin Kelly Brown Gary Hoffman Mike Medavoy |
| Producer | Robert Papazian |
| Production locations | Birmingham, Alabama Huntingburg, Indiana League Stadium - 1st & Cherry Streets, Huntingburg, Indiana Los Angeles Ontario Pasadena, California St. Louis Rickwood Field - 1137 2nd Avenue W, Birmingham, Alabama |
| Cinematography | Sandi Sissel |
| Editor | Victor Du Bois |
| Running time | 94 min. |
| Production companies | Gary Hoffman Productions HBO Pictures Mike Medavoy Productions |
| Distributor | HBO |
| Release | |
| Original network | HBO |
| Original release |
|
The film stars Blair Underwood as Jackie Robinson, Delroy Lindo as Satchel Paige, Mykelti Williamson as Josh Gibson, and Harvey Williams as "Cat" Mays, the father of Willie Mays. The film depicts Paige and Gibson as the pitching and hitting stars, respectively, of the Negro leagues in the period immediately following World War II. Robinson is an up-and-coming player on Paige's team, the Kansas City Monarchs.
Directing
Branch Rickey, played by Edward Herrmann, is the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers who is determined to integrate Major League Baseball. He begins sending his scouts to Negro league games to find the best players. Rickey directs his scouts to look not only at playing ability but also at the players' maturity and capacity to withstand the hostility that is sure to be directed
Cast
Main
- Delroy Lindo as Satchel Paige
- Mykelti Williamson as Josh Gibson
- Edward Herrmann as Branch Rickey
- Blair Underwood as Jackie Robinson
- R. Lee Ermey as Wilkie
- Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Lahoma (credited as Salli Richardson)
- Gina Ravera as Grace
- Obba Babatundé as Cum Posey
- Cylk Cozart as Zo Perry
- J.D. Hall as Gus Greenlee
- Jerry Hardin as Happy Chandler
- Brent Jennings as Frank Duncan
- Richard Riehle as Pete Harmon
- Armand Asselin as Rip
- Joey Banks as Link Rudolph
Supporting
- Paul Bates as Orderly #1
- Bruce Beatty as Reporter
- Guy Boyd as Clark Griffith
- Stacye P. Branche as Ella Fitzgerald
- Gregg Burge as Bill Robinson
- Ed Cambridge as Bellhop
- Mimi Cozzens as Jane Rickey
- Daniel Estrin as Paperboy
- Zaid Farid as Clerk
- Edith Fields as Nurse
- Erika Flores as Girl
- Holiday Freeman as Lillian the Secretary
- Jesse D. Goins as John Givens Reporter
- Tracy Holliway as Marian Anderson
- David Johnson as Roy Campanella
- Johnny G. Jones as Hotel Manager
- Jonathon Lamer as Cardinal
- Joseph Latimore as Jesse Williams
- William Bruce Lukens as Umpire #3
- Bob Minor as Goon #2
- Edwin 'EdVanz'd' Morrow as Young Willie Mays (credited as Edwin Morrow)
- Jon Pennell as Steve Buckley
- Alex Rascovar as Boy
- Lou Richards as Baseball Announcer
- Terrence Riggins as Orderly #2
- Joe Rodriguez as Dodger
- Al Rossi as Mayor LaGuardia
- Kevin Sifuentes as Waiter
- Tim Snay as Umpire #1
- Charles C. Stevenson as Supervisor
- Darnell Suttles as Goon #1
- Arthur Tipp as Umpire (Home Plate)
- Isaiah Washington as Adult Willie Mays
- Harvey Williams as Cat Mays
- Oscar Williams as Grays Manager
Cameo appearance
- Sean Blakemore as Grace's husband
- Jeff Coopwood as Stadium Announcer
- Jimmy Ortega as El Gigante (Cuban baseball player)
Reception
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 67% rating based on 6 reviews.[1] Audiences gave the film a 67% rating based on 114 reviews.[1]
References
- "Soul of the Game". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved March 28, 2016.