History Film / BangTheDrumSlowly

* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:Henry grows up as a person as the film goes along, and famously resolves to never be a {{Troll}} to anyone again.]] The last line was even [[http://americanbookreview.org/PDF/100_Best_Last_Lines_from_Novels.pdf voted the 95th best last line in a novel]] by American Book Review.

[[quoteright:306:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bang_the_drum_slowly_1973.jpeg]]

The story revolves around a pair of UsefulNotes/{{baseball}} players with the fictional New York Mammoths: dim, folksy catcher Bruce Pearson ([=De Niro=]) and snarky pitcher Henry Wiggen (Moriarty). Bruce reveals privately to Henry that he has incurable Hodgkin's Disease and probably won't last the year. Henry promises to help Bruce, since the disease is sapping his ability to play, and to keep it a secret from their teammates and manager Dutch Schnell (Gardenia, who earned an [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole Academy Award]] nomination for his role).

This wasn't the first screen version of Harris' novel; the same year it was published (1956), it was adapted for television as an episode of ''The U.S. Steel Hour'' starring Creator/PaulNewman as Henry, with Creator/AlbertSalmi as Bruce and a young Creator/GeorgePeppard as the ballplayer who sings "Streets of Laredo".

The film is regarded by many as a SpiritualSuccessor to the similarly-themed ''Film/BriansSong'', although the Harris novel and teleplay predated the latter by two decades.

This wasn't the first screen version of Harris' novel; the same year it was published (1956), it was adapted for television as an episode of ''The U.S. Steel Hour'', starring Creator/PaulNewman as Henry, Creator/AlbertSalmi as Bruce, and a young Creator/GeorgePeppard as the ballplayer who sings "Streets of Laredo".

The film is regarded by many as a SpiritualSuccessor to the similarly-themed ''Film/BriansSong'', though the Harris novel and teleplay predated the latter by two decades.

The film is regarded by many as a SpiritualSuccessor to the similarly-themed ''Film/BriansSong'', though the novel and teleplay predated the latter by two decades.

The story revolves around a pair of UsefulNotes/{{baseball}} players with the fictional New York Mammoths: dim, folksy catcher Bruce Pearson ([=DeNiro=]) and snarky pitcher Henry Wiggen (Moriarty). Bruce reveals privately to Henry that he has incurable Hodgkin's Disease and probably won't last the year. Henry promises to help Bruce, since the disease is sapping his ability to play, and to keep it a secret from their teammates and manager Dutch Schnell (Gardenia, who earned an [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole Academy Award]] nomination for his role).

* CharacterDepth: The book and film hit all three dimensions. The entire story is about how Henry deals with Bruce's ailment; the fact that the Mammoths are gunning for the World Series championship is almost incidental.

* SecretlyDying: The entire plot revolves around Henry hiding Bruce's Hodgkin's Disease. Bruce doesn't want [[DontYouDarePityMe to be treated differently]].

* BlandNameProduct: The Mammoths are wearing uniforms ''identical'' to the New York Yankees, while the other teams they play wear the uniforms of the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies. They all apparently play in the same fictional league, since in '73, there's no way the Yankees would be playing the Mets, Pirates or Phillies. The film thanks all of those real MLB clubs at the end, so they did have the option of using the real Yankees name, but the film remained faithful to the book.

''From here on in, I rag nobody.''

The film is regarded by many as a SpiritualSuccessor to the similarly-themed ''Film/BriansSong'', though the novel and '' predated the television movie by two decades.

* TitleDrop: The lyrics of "Streets of Loredo":
-->''Then beat the drum slowly, play the Fife lowly.''\\
''Play the dead march as you carry me along.''\\
''Take me to the green valley, lay the sod o'er me''\\
''I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong''

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bangthedrumslowly1973_4.jpg]]

''Bang the Drum Slowly'' is a 1973 UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} {{Melodrama}} based on the 1956 book of the same name by the film's screenwriter Mark Harris, starring Creator/RobertDeNiro, Creator/MichaelMoriarty, and Creator/VincentGardenia.

The story revolves around a pair of New York Mammoth players: dim folksy catcher Bruce ([=DeNiro=]) and snarky pitcher Henry (Moriarty); Bruce reveals privately to Henry that he has incurable Hodgkin's Disease and probably won't last the year. Henry promises to help Bruce since the disease is sapping his ability to play, and keeps it a secret from the team and manager Dutch (Gardenia, [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole who earned an Oscar nomination for his role]]).

The 1973 film wasn't the first adaptation of Harris' book. In 1956, the book was adapted for television for an episode of ''U.S. Steel Hour'', starring Creator/PaulNewman as Henry, Creator/AlbertSalmi as Bruce, while a young Creator/GeorgePeppard played the ballplayer who sings "Streets of Loredo".

The film is considered a SpiritualSuccessor to the similarly themed ''Film/BriansSong'', though the book and TV movie predated the television movie by two decades.

* ValuesDissonance: There is ''no way'' having a ''loaded gun'' in one of the lockers of a professional player would be PlayedForLaughs these days.

* SocietyMarchesOn: There is ''no way'' having a ''loaded gun'' in one of the lockers of a professional player would be PlayedForLaughs these days.

->''"Sad. Makes you want to cry."''\\
''"Sad. Makes you want to laugh."''
-->'''Joe and Aleck'''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bangthedrumslowly1973_4.jpg]]

The 1973 film wasn't the first adaptation of Harris' book. In 1956, the book was adapted for television, starring Creator/PaulNewman as Henry, Creator/AlbertSalmi as Bruce, while a young Creator/GeorgePeppard played the ballplayer who sings "Streets of Loredo".

The film is considered a SpiritualSuccessor to the similarly themed ''Film/BriansSong'', though the book predated the television movie by two decades.

The film is considered a SpiritualSuccessor to the similarly themed ''Film/BriansSong'', though the book predated the television move by two decades.

The film is considered a SpiritualSuccessor to the similarly themed ''Film/BriansSong''.

The 1973 film wasn't the first adaptation of Harris' book. In 1956, the book was adapted for television, starring Creator/PaulNewman as Henry, Creator/AlbertSalmi as Bruce, while a young Creator/GeorgePeppard played the player who sings "Streets of Loredo".

* FirstPersonNarration: The book and all adaptations have Henry narrating the tale.

* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:Henry grows up as a person as the film goes along, and famously resolves to never be a {{Troll}} to anyone again.]] The last line was even [[http://americanbookreview.org/PDF/100_Best_Last_Lines_from_Novels.pdf voted the 98th best last line in a novel]] by American Book Review.

* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:Henry grows up as a person as the film goes along, and famously resolves to never be a {{Troll}} to anyone again.]]

''I rag nobody.''

* FamedInStory: Henry has already won a Cy Young Award winner and a championship when the story begins.

''Bang the Drum Slowly'' is a 1973 UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} {{Melodrama}} based on the 1956 book of the same name by the film's screenwriter Mark Harris, starring Creator/RobertDeNiro, Creator/MichaelMoriarty, and Creator/VincentGardenia. The story revolves around a pair of New York Mammoth players: dim folksy catcher Bruce ([=DeNiro=]) and snarky pitcher Henry (Moriarty); Bruce reveals privately to Henry that he has incurable Hodgkin's Disease and probably won't last the year. Henry promises to help Bruce since the disease is sapping his ability to play, and keeps it a secret from the team and manager Dutch (Gardenia, [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole who earned an Oscar nomination for his role]]).

* LadyMondegreen: InUniverse. Henry's teammates call him "Author" because he wrote a book. Bruce misheard it and calls Henry "Arthur".