The Kid from Left Field (1979 film)

{{Infobox television

| image = The Kid from Left Field 1979 VHS cover.png

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption = Cover of VHS release of movie

| genre = Comedy
Family
Sport

| writer = Katharyn Powers
Jack Sher

| director = Adell Aldrich

| starring = Gary Coleman
Robert Guillaume
Gary Collins
Ed McMahon

| music = David Michael Frank

| country = United States

| language = English

| producer = David Vreeland

| executive_producer = Deena Silver-Kramer

| location =

| editor = Robert Hernandez
Peter Kirby

| cinematography = Frank Thackery

| runtime = 100 minutes

| company = Gary Coleman Productions
Zephyr Productions

| budget =

| network = NBC

| released = {{Start date|1979|09|30}}

}}

The Kid from Left Field is a 1979 American made-for-television baseball comedy film starring Gary Coleman and Robert Guillaume. Coleman's first film, it is a remake of the 1953 film of the same name.

Plot

Jackie Robinson "J.R." Cooper is a kid who loves baseball, and also the son of a former major leaguer now down on his luck (and now a vendor working the stands at games). J.R. parlays his baseball knowledge into becoming manager of the San Diego Padres and leading them to the World Series.(1 October 1979). [http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-the-kid-from-left-field-vol-12-no-14/ Picks and Pans Review: The Kid from Left Field], People

Cast

Gary Coleman - Jackie Robinson "J.R." Cooper
Robert Guillaume - Larry Cooper
Gary Collins - Pete Sloane
Ed McMahon - Fred Walker
Tricia O'Neil - Marion Fowler
Tab Hunter - Bill Lorant

Production

Filming took place at San Diego Stadium.(1983-12-01). Spotlight on filming in SD County. Daily Times-Advocate, 52, 56-57.

Production

The television film was made by NBC to enhance Coleman's name recognition and boost his commercial valuePearlman, Jeff (11 June 2010). [https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/06/11/coleman Remembering Gary Coleman as The Kid From Left Field], Sports Illustrated

Vince Edwards had originally been picked to direct, but quit after two days because he didn't want to work with children.

Director Adell Aldrich said "I was a mother, and that's part of the reason they hired me. Gary was brilliant. Just a natural actor who could memorize his lines after one reading. But his people -- his parents and his representatives -- didn't care how long the kid worked or what he was doing. So it was my job to direct, but also to make sure he was OK. I hugged him every day and let him know I was there for him."

On the project se commented "we weren't trying to win awards, but we did want to make something people would enjoy."

Release

NBC held a special preview of the film after a San Diego Padres game on September 21, 1979.(20 September 1979). [https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/20/archives/briefs-on-the-arts-russianborn-american-wins-kreisler-violin-prize.html Crowd at Ball Game to See Preview of a TV Movie], The New York Times Oddly enough, the day after the film first aired on television, the Padres hired their announcer Jerry Coleman (who also appeared in the film as the team's announcer) as their new manager.(2 October 1979). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19791002&id=kWEgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xWUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3608,274884 Jerry Coleman to Manage Padres], Lewiston Sun (Associated Press) This led to some jokes that the team had meant to hire Gary Coleman.Kenney, Kirk & Randy Jones. [https://books.google.com/books?id=mksHDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT295 100 Things Padres Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die], p. 295 (2016)Strasberg, Andy. [https://books.google.com/books?id=hf9kAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA48 San Diego Baseball Fantography], p. 48 (2014)

The television movie first aired on Sunday, September 30, 1979.Erickson, Hal. [https://books.google.com/books?id=qZg-CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA257 The Baseball Filmography, 1915 through 2001, 2d ed.], pp. 257-59 (2010)

Reception

= Ratings =

It was the 15th highest-rated prime time show of the week, with a Nielsen rating of 21.4.Brown, Les. (3 October 1979). [https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/03/archives/nbc-a-close-2d-to-abc-in-tv-ratings-fight-carries-friday-night.html?_r=0 NBC a Close 2d to ABC in TV Ratings], The New York Times

= Critical reception =

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times liked it, while finding it highly sentimental, he praised the actors and said that Guillaume and Coleman gave winning performances. He also praised director Aldrich as capable of making good films regardless of style and showed range from her previous output which was a darker film, while this one was positive and up lifting.{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Kevin |date=September 28, 1979 |title='Kid from left field' win in 9th |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=Part IV: 34}}

Tom Shales of The Washington Post did not like it and wrote "Instead of constructing a vehicle designed to display the amazing talents of this youngster while he's at his winning, naturalistic peak, everyone involved elected to make do with a slovenly and underwritten bore."Shales, Tom (29 September 1979). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/09/29/james-earl-jones-sizzling-in-paris/24c58a5a-9920-4eea-935c-2a96adce316c/ James Earl Jones, Sizzling in 'Paris'], The Washington Post

Accolades

At a dinner ceremony, Sunday evening, December 7, 1980, Gary Coleman, on behalf of the film, accepted the Image Award for "Best Children's Special or Episode in a Series," at the 13th NAACP Image Awards at the Hollywood Palladium.

Home media

The film was released on VHS by Vestron Video in 1984.

References

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

"13th Image Awards Named," Los Angeles Times, December 9, 1980 (photo of Gary Coleman accepting award from presenters Danielle Spencer & Kim Fields)

(accessible via {{URL|https://www.newspapers.com/image/387193612|Newspapers.com}}, part 6, p. 1 & {{URL|https://www.newspapers.com/image/387193624|Newspapers.com}}, part 6, p. 2; subscription required)

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