The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings: See below for more information about the movie!
Disclaimer: We have no affiliation with this movie and have no rights whatsoever to the images below from the movie. This is for educational and historical value only. Image, video, and audio files are used in accordance with Fair Use and are property of the film copyright holders.
THE BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL-STARS AND MOTOR KINGS (1976)
THANKS TO WIKIPEDIA FOR THE MOVIE REVIEW:
Tired of being treated like a slave by team owner Sallison Potter (Ted Ross), charismatic star pitcher Bingo Long (Billy Dee Williams) steals a bunch of Negro League players away from their teams, including catcher/slugger Leon Carter (James Earl Jones) and Charlie Snow (Richard Pryor), a player forever scheming to break into the segregated Major League Baseball of the 1930s by masquerading as first a Cuban ("Carlos Nevada"), then a Native American ("Chief Takahoma"). They take to the road, barnstorming through small Midwestern towns, playing the local teams to make ends meet. One of the opposing players, 'Esquire' Joe Callaway (Stan Shaw), is so good that they recruit him.
Bingo's team becomes so outlandishly entertaining and successful, it begins to cut into the attendance of the established Negro League teams. Finally, Bingo's nemesis Potter is forced to propose a winner-take-all game: if Bingo's team can beat a bunch of all-stars, it can join the league, but if it loses, the players will return to their old teams. Potter has two of his goons kidnap Leon prior to the game as insurance, but he escapes and keys his side's victory.
Ironically, there is a major league scout in the audience. After the game, he offers Esquire Joe the chance to break the color barrier; with Bingo's permission, he accepts. Leon glumly foresees the decline of the Negro League as more players follow Esquire Joe's lead, but Bingo, ever the optimist, cheers him up by describing the wild promotional stunts he intends to stage to bring in the paying customers.
Tired of being treated like a slave by team owner Sallison Potter (Ted Ross), charismatic star pitcher Bingo Long (Billy Dee Williams) steals a bunch of Negro League players away from their teams, including catcher/slugger Leon Carter (James Earl Jones) and Charlie Snow (Richard Pryor), a player forever scheming to break into the segregated Major League Baseball of the 1930s by masquerading as first a Cuban ("Carlos Nevada"), then a Native American ("Chief Takahoma"). They take to the road, barnstorming through small Midwestern towns, playing the local teams to make ends meet. One of the opposing players, 'Esquire' Joe Callaway (Stan Shaw), is so good that they recruit him.
Bingo's team becomes so outlandishly entertaining and successful, it begins to cut into the attendance of the established Negro League teams. Finally, Bingo's nemesis Potter is forced to propose a winner-take-all game: if Bingo's team can beat a bunch of all-stars, it can join the league, but if it loses, the players will return to their old teams. Potter has two of his goons kidnap Leon prior to the game as insurance, but he escapes and keys his side's victory.
Ironically, there is a major league scout in the audience. After the game, he offers Esquire Joe the chance to break the color barrier; with Bingo's permission, he accepts. Leon glumly foresees the decline of the Negro League as more players follow Esquire Joe's lead, but Bingo, ever the optimist, cheers him up by describing the wild promotional stunts he intends to stage to bring in the paying customers.
Directed by
John Badham
Writing credits
Hal Barwood
William Brashler
novel
Matthew Robbins
Cast
Billy Dee Williams...Bingo Long (P)
James Earl Jones...Leon Carter, All-Star (C)
Richard Pryor...Charlie Snow / Carlos Nevada / Chief Takahoma, All-Star (RF)
Rico Dawson...Willie Lee Shively, All-Star (RF)
Sam 'Birmingham' Brison...Louis Keystone, All-Star (SS)
Jophery C. Brown...Emory 'Champ' Chambers, All-Star (3B)
Otis Day...Rainbow, All-Star (bat boy)
Leon Wagner...Fat Sam Popper, All-Star (1B)
Tony Burton...Issac, All-Star (CF)(C)
John McCurry...Walter Murchman, All-Star (LF)
Stan Shaw...Esquire Joe Callaway, All-Star (CF)
Ted Ross...Sallison 'Sallie' Potter, Owner of Ebony Aces
Mabel King...Bertha Dewitt, Owner of Charcoal Kings
Sam Laws...Henry Dunbar, Owner of Baltimore Elite Giants
Alvin Childress...Horace Quigley, Owner of Atlanta Black Crackers
Ken Foree...Honey, Potter's Goon
Carl Gordon...Mack, Potter's Goon
Ahna Capri...Prostitute at Red Fether Bar in Lafferty Minn.
Joel Fluellen...Mr. J.C. Holland, Storkeeper / Barber in Lafferty
Jester Hairston...Furry Taylor, Has-been player selling souveniers
Emmett Ashford...Umpire
Fred Covington...Mr. Corliss, Auctioneer / Owner Corliss Motors
Greg Oliver...Lafferty Sheriff Gleason
John McKee...White Stranger (as John R. McKee)
Brooks Clift...Older Gentleman
Morgan Roberts..Kiosk Man
Marcia McBroom...Violet, Whore
Lidia Kristen..Nurse in Lafferty
Steve Anderson...One-Armed All-Star
Dero Austin...All-Star Midget Cather
Don Chambers
Sarina C. Grant...Pearline, Leon's Prostitute
Theodore Lehmann...Lars Bostrum, Hotel Owner in Lafferty (as Ted Lehmann)
Produced by
Michael Chinich....associate producer
Rob Cohen....producer
Berry Gordy....executive producer
Janet Hubbard....associate producer
Bennett Tramer....associate producer
Original Music by
William Goldstein
Cinematography by
Bill Butler
Film Editing by
David Rawlins
Casting by
Don Phillips
Production Design by
Lawrence G. Paull
Set Decoration by
Leonard A. Mazzola
Costume Design by
Bernard Johnson
Makeup Department
Annie M. DeMille....hair stylist
Tony Russell....makeup artist
Production Management
Wallace Worsley Jr.....production manager (as Wally Worsley)
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Joyner....first assistant director
L. Andrew Stone....second assistant director
Richard A. Wells....second assistant director (as Richard Wells)
Art Department
Larry Clark Bird....property master
Ed Shanley....construction coordinator
Sound Department
Willie D. Burton....sound
Roger Heman Jr.....sound re-recording mixer
Robert L. Hoyt....sound re-recording mixer
Robert L. Hoyt....sound (as Robert Hoyt)
Earl Madery....sound re-recording mixer
Dennis C. Salcedo....optical sound recordist
Roger Sword....sound editor
James Troutman....sound editor (as Jim Troutman)
Marvin Walowitz....sound editor (uncredited)
John Badham
Writing credits
Hal Barwood
William Brashler
novel
Matthew Robbins
Cast
Billy Dee Williams...Bingo Long (P)
James Earl Jones...Leon Carter, All-Star (C)
Richard Pryor...Charlie Snow / Carlos Nevada / Chief Takahoma, All-Star (RF)
Rico Dawson...Willie Lee Shively, All-Star (RF)
Sam 'Birmingham' Brison...Louis Keystone, All-Star (SS)
Jophery C. Brown...Emory 'Champ' Chambers, All-Star (3B)
Otis Day...Rainbow, All-Star (bat boy)
Leon Wagner...Fat Sam Popper, All-Star (1B)
Tony Burton...Issac, All-Star (CF)(C)
John McCurry...Walter Murchman, All-Star (LF)
Stan Shaw...Esquire Joe Callaway, All-Star (CF)
Ted Ross...Sallison 'Sallie' Potter, Owner of Ebony Aces
Mabel King...Bertha Dewitt, Owner of Charcoal Kings
Sam Laws...Henry Dunbar, Owner of Baltimore Elite Giants
Alvin Childress...Horace Quigley, Owner of Atlanta Black Crackers
Ken Foree...Honey, Potter's Goon
Carl Gordon...Mack, Potter's Goon
Ahna Capri...Prostitute at Red Fether Bar in Lafferty Minn.
Joel Fluellen...Mr. J.C. Holland, Storkeeper / Barber in Lafferty
Jester Hairston...Furry Taylor, Has-been player selling souveniers
Emmett Ashford...Umpire
Fred Covington...Mr. Corliss, Auctioneer / Owner Corliss Motors
Greg Oliver...Lafferty Sheriff Gleason
John McKee...White Stranger (as John R. McKee)
Brooks Clift...Older Gentleman
Morgan Roberts..Kiosk Man
Marcia McBroom...Violet, Whore
Lidia Kristen..Nurse in Lafferty
Steve Anderson...One-Armed All-Star
Dero Austin...All-Star Midget Cather
Don Chambers
Sarina C. Grant...Pearline, Leon's Prostitute
Theodore Lehmann...Lars Bostrum, Hotel Owner in Lafferty (as Ted Lehmann)
Produced by
Michael Chinich....associate producer
Rob Cohen....producer
Berry Gordy....executive producer
Janet Hubbard....associate producer
Bennett Tramer....associate producer
Original Music by
William Goldstein
Cinematography by
Bill Butler
Film Editing by
David Rawlins
Casting by
Don Phillips
Production Design by
Lawrence G. Paull
Set Decoration by
Leonard A. Mazzola
Costume Design by
Bernard Johnson
Makeup Department
Annie M. DeMille....hair stylist
Tony Russell....makeup artist
Production Management
Wallace Worsley Jr.....production manager (as Wally Worsley)
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Joyner....first assistant director
L. Andrew Stone....second assistant director
Richard A. Wells....second assistant director (as Richard Wells)
Art Department
Larry Clark Bird....property master
Ed Shanley....construction coordinator
Sound Department
Willie D. Burton....sound
Roger Heman Jr.....sound re-recording mixer
Robert L. Hoyt....sound re-recording mixer
Robert L. Hoyt....sound (as Robert Hoyt)
Earl Madery....sound re-recording mixer
Dennis C. Salcedo....optical sound recordist
Roger Sword....sound editor
James Troutman....sound editor (as Jim Troutman)
Marvin Walowitz....sound editor (uncredited)