Fast Break (film)
Encyclopedia
Fast Break is a 1979
American
comedy
film. Fast Break stars Gabe Kaplan
as David Greene, Harold Sylvester
as D.C. and Bernard King
as Hustler. It was directed by Jack Smight
and produced by Stephen Friedman
. The film was the big screen debut of Kaplan, although he had made earlier appearances on television sitcoms and movies, and was one of the first film appearances of Laurence Fishburne
.
This film also featured the hit song, "With You I'm Born Again" by Billy Preston
and Syreeta. The song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Just when David thinks his dream will forever elude him, he's offered a dubious job coaching the men's basketball team at Cadwallader University, a fictional podunk college in Nevada. The job pays peanuts ($60 dollars for every game he wins), but David is promised a lucrative contract if he can lead Cadwallader to victory over Nevada State (one of the top 10 teams in the country). David accepts the job but is unable to convince his wife to join him in his cross-country quest, and David's marriage is therefore threatened as he pursues his dream.
David begins building his team with his friend Hustler (former NBA star Bernard King
), a talented baller and pool ace whose own fortunes turn sour when his "pigeons" realize they've been sharked. David and Hustler recruit Preacher ( a pre-Hill Street Blues
Michael Warren
), who also has good reason to "get out of Dodge." (He has knocked up a powerful cult leader's 15-year-old daughter, and there's a contract out on him.) Next, David and Hustler ferret out D.C. (Howard Sylvester), an acquaintance of Hustler's, whom David, with his encyclopedic basketball mind, recognizes as a former high school star who has traded his chance at basketball glory to run numbers. Finally, David and Hustler visit Swish, a finesse player with the sweetest jumper in town. Problem is, Swish is a girl. David doesn't see the problem, and convinces the androgynous Swish (Mavis Washington) to pose as a male in order to play on the team.
David and his newly formed quartet head West and immediately set about finding a suitable fifth man among the shallow talent pool of Cadwallader athletes. David settles on Sam Newton "Bull" (Reb Brown
) who makes up in lane-clearing muscle what he lacks in basketball skills. Despite the challenges presented from the culture between the "ethnic" Easterners and the "white bread" Westerners, David develops Cadwallader into a contender. The team ultimately catches the eye of Bo Winnegar (Bert Remson), head coach of the elite team David must beat in order to make his coaching job a viable proposition. David must find a way to get Winnegar to agree to a game, which, as team manager Howard (Richard Brestoff) puts it, will be "like getting the Ohio State Buckeyes to play football with Radcliffe." Nevertheless, after the resourceful coach learns that Bo enjoys billiards, he enlists Hustler in setting up an all-too-transparent sting that forces Bo to agree to the game.
As the impossible match-up becomes a reality, David's team faces even bigger challenges. A hitman has tailed Preacher to Nevada, leaving Preacher to fear for his life as he takes the court. And just prior to tipoff, David makes a deal with a police officer to allow D.C. to play in the big game before answering to the law for his illegal activities. During the game, David's wife and mother show up to share in David's realization of his lifelong dream.
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film. Fast Break stars Gabe Kaplan
Gabe Kaplan
Gabriel W. "Gabe" Kaplan is an American comedian, actor, poker commentator, and professional poker player.He was born in Brooklyn, New York...
as David Greene, Harold Sylvester
Harold Sylvester
Harold Sylvester is an American film and television actor.Sylvester was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. A graduate of New Orleans' St. Augustine High School and Tulane University, Sylvester is best known for his role on the TV series Married... with Children as Griff, the co-worker and friend of...
as D.C. and Bernard King
Bernard King
Bernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
as Hustler. It was directed by Jack Smight
Jack Smight
Jack Smight was an American theatre and film director.Smight was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and went to school with future actor Peter Graves...
and produced by Stephen Friedman
Stephen J. Friedman (producer)
Stephen J. Friedman was an American film producer known for The Last Picture Show and The Big Easy...
. The film was the big screen debut of Kaplan, although he had made earlier appearances on television sitcoms and movies, and was one of the first film appearances of Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
.
This film also featured the hit song, "With You I'm Born Again" by Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
and Syreeta. The song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Plot
David Greene (Gabe Kaplan) is a basketball fanatic living in Brooklyn, NY, who alternates his time between playing in neighborhood pick-up games and managing a delicatessen. He dreams of making his living coaching basketball (David was once a junior high school basketball coach) and has sent numerous letters to colleges in the hope of fulfilling that dream—much to the chagrin of his long-suffering wife Jan (Randee Heller), who wants only to buy a home and start a family.Just when David thinks his dream will forever elude him, he's offered a dubious job coaching the men's basketball team at Cadwallader University, a fictional podunk college in Nevada. The job pays peanuts ($60 dollars for every game he wins), but David is promised a lucrative contract if he can lead Cadwallader to victory over Nevada State (one of the top 10 teams in the country). David accepts the job but is unable to convince his wife to join him in his cross-country quest, and David's marriage is therefore threatened as he pursues his dream.
David begins building his team with his friend Hustler (former NBA star Bernard King
Bernard King
Bernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
), a talented baller and pool ace whose own fortunes turn sour when his "pigeons" realize they've been sharked. David and Hustler recruit Preacher ( a pre-Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
Michael Warren
Michael Warren (actor)
Michael Warren is an American TV actor and former college basketball player, best known for playing Officer Bobby Hill on the NBC television series Hill Street Blues.-College basketball career:...
), who also has good reason to "get out of Dodge." (He has knocked up a powerful cult leader's 15-year-old daughter, and there's a contract out on him.) Next, David and Hustler ferret out D.C. (Howard Sylvester), an acquaintance of Hustler's, whom David, with his encyclopedic basketball mind, recognizes as a former high school star who has traded his chance at basketball glory to run numbers. Finally, David and Hustler visit Swish, a finesse player with the sweetest jumper in town. Problem is, Swish is a girl. David doesn't see the problem, and convinces the androgynous Swish (Mavis Washington) to pose as a male in order to play on the team.
David and his newly formed quartet head West and immediately set about finding a suitable fifth man among the shallow talent pool of Cadwallader athletes. David settles on Sam Newton "Bull" (Reb Brown
Reb Brown
Reb Brown is an American actor.Known as superhero Captain America in the TV pilot/movies, he's also known for the 1983 cult classic, Yor, the Hunter from the Future, as well as the scifi film, Space Mutiny, and for the collaborations with director Bruno Mattei in films Strike Commando and Robowar ...
) who makes up in lane-clearing muscle what he lacks in basketball skills. Despite the challenges presented from the culture between the "ethnic" Easterners and the "white bread" Westerners, David develops Cadwallader into a contender. The team ultimately catches the eye of Bo Winnegar (Bert Remson), head coach of the elite team David must beat in order to make his coaching job a viable proposition. David must find a way to get Winnegar to agree to a game, which, as team manager Howard (Richard Brestoff) puts it, will be "like getting the Ohio State Buckeyes to play football with Radcliffe." Nevertheless, after the resourceful coach learns that Bo enjoys billiards, he enlists Hustler in setting up an all-too-transparent sting that forces Bo to agree to the game.
As the impossible match-up becomes a reality, David's team faces even bigger challenges. A hitman has tailed Preacher to Nevada, leaving Preacher to fear for his life as he takes the court. And just prior to tipoff, David makes a deal with a police officer to allow D.C. to play in the big game before answering to the law for his illegal activities. During the game, David's wife and mother show up to share in David's realization of his lifelong dream.