This offbeat little film tells the story of a team at the tail-end of the Negro Leagues and their struggle to fight the corrupt ownership of the league. It is similar in tone to "A League of Their Own" but came earlier and is less glossy and, in my opinion, more fun. There are some good points made in it about racism and the athlete as commodity, but the film doesn't take itself too seriously and is never preachy or heavy-handed. It's an easy-going film which is great fun to watch. The cast is fantastic--Billy Dee Williams was never smoother or more charming, James Earl Jones appears to be having the time of his life, and the supporting cast is full of young versions of actors who went on on to bigger things. If you are used to seeing Jones only as a grand elder statesman of acting, check out this film where he plays his role with a lot of humor and energy and a sexy twinkle in his eye.

This film got great reviews when it came out, but I had to go to a African-American neighborhood theater to see it. That was only where it was being shown. It was not marketed for a general (prodominently white) audience. I believe that it has been overlooked since for the same reason: it is believed to be a movie about African-Americans which can be appreciated only by African-Americans.

This is far from the case. It is a movie about individuals trying to do the work they love while being frustrated by irrational human attitudes and biases. It is a movie about adapting to the perception that your world is changing and the change will be good for others, but not be good for you. It is as good a movie ever made about finding your goals and persisting in reaching them, even as the value of the goal recedes before you.

And it is hilarious. It is done with sly humor as well as laugh-out-loud wild humor.

That's the fabulous Thelma Houston singing the movie's theme song, an uplifting cakewalk strut performed throughout the film that was complete Joy shows their rise from a minor team to a popular traveling team that somehow manages to break racial barriers even if they have to deal with prejudices of the time and ill-treatment. With a cast led by Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, Richard Pryor and Stan Shaw, this film documents the adventures of this minor league team as they become famous (or infamous) for their showy methods for attracting attention, and their many off field exploits as they attempt to rise from the black leagues to integrated leagues, even if their games because of their outlandish behaviors begin attracting white audiences and fans.

The irrepressible Mabel King steals every moment that she's on screen as one of the team's owners, a no-nonsense character who will out-of-the-blue pop in to men's private spaces to make demands. Williams as Bingo is the most subtle of the leads with Pryor at various times pretending to be other nationalities and Jones deliciously cranky, yet big hearted and often joyful. Issues of racism, organized crime influence and integrated audiences enjoying their barnstorming antics together. This is another one of those period nostalgic comedies popular in the mid 70's that has unfortunately become obscure. It's also one of the rare A films with a mainly black cast not to be considered blaxploitation as it has a basic appeal to general audiences because of how it deals with the Great American Pastime. The team, basically the baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters, are fun to watch, and the movie in her task moving, lively account of forgotten history that gives an indication of the changes to come in the major leagues.