Tiger Town
Encyclopedia
Tiger Town is the first made-for-TV movie
produced for the Disney Channel
, produced in 1983. It was awarded a CableACE Award in 1984 for Best Dramatic Film. The film stars Roy Scheider
as Billy Young, an aging baseball
player for the Detroit Tigers
, and Justin Henry
as Alex, a young fan who believes in him. The film was written and directed by Detroit native Alan Shapiro. It was subsequently aired on ABC
's Disney Sunday Movie, and had a limited theatrical release in the Detroit area in June 1984.
Most of the film was shot on location at Tiger Stadium and in the city of Detroit. One notable goof in the film shows Alex racing his bicycle across a bridge over the Detroit River
on the way to the stadium. The bridge is the one leading from the Detroit mainland to Belle Isle Park
, an island park where there is no residential area.
) are devoted Detroit Tigers fans, even now as they are struggling. Alex's favorite player is aging star Billy Young (Scheider), who is having a sub-par season, his last before retiring.
Alex's father dies unexpectedly, but not before he tells Alex that he should always believe. Consequently, Alex decides to visit every Tiger home game. Every time Young comes to the plate, Alex closes his eyes and wishes hard, and Young ends up hitting a home run. Thanks to Young's rejuvenated play, the Tigers start winning again.
But there is a price. Alex, who now believes that if he doesn't go to the games, the team will lose (explaining the Tigers' pitiful road trips); finds himself the subject of ridicule by classmates, since he often sneaks out of school early to watch the Tigers play. Nevertheless, thanks to Billy Young, the Tigers claw their way back into the pennant race. The final game of the season, against the Baltimore Orioles
, would decide the pennant.
Alex has his ticket and school lets out early so kids can watch the game, but as Alex leaves school, he's detained by bullies who take his ticket and his money. Only when Alex gets his principal's attention is he released and forced to run all the way to Tiger Stadium. Bribing a little girl for her bike and hanging onto the back of a city bus gets Alex to the stadium in time for the ninth inning, where Young is up and the Tigers are trailing. Young makes contact with the ball just as Alex gets to the front of the stadium aisle, and Young ends up clearing the bases, giving the Tigers the pennant.
, who was managing the team in real life, appears frequently in the movie. Mary Wilson
, a former Supreme
, sings the national anthem before the final game. Also appearing are the late Ernie Harwell
, the legendary play-by-play radio voice of the Tigers; Ray Lane
, as Ernie's partner; and Al Ackerman as a TV sportscaster. Ernie Harwell and Ray Lane were paired in the radio booth calling games on WJR
radio from 1967 to 1972. Ackerman was a sports anchor for Detroit's WXYZ-TV
and WDIV-TV
in the 1970s and 1980s.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
produced for the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
, produced in 1983. It was awarded a CableACE Award in 1984 for Best Dramatic Film. The film stars Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
as Billy Young, an aging baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, and Justin Henry
Justin Henry
Justin Henry is a former child actor, who since 2000 has been a new media business professional. He appeared in the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer, his first role, in a performance that earned him a nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the youngest actor to ever be nominated in any...
as Alex, a young fan who believes in him. The film was written and directed by Detroit native Alan Shapiro. It was subsequently aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Disney Sunday Movie, and had a limited theatrical release in the Detroit area in June 1984.
Most of the film was shot on location at Tiger Stadium and in the city of Detroit. One notable goof in the film shows Alex racing his bicycle across a bridge over the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
on the way to the stadium. The bridge is the one leading from the Detroit mainland to Belle Isle Park
Belle Isle Park
Belle Isle is a island park in the Detroit River, between the United States mainland and Canada, managed by the Detroit Recreation Department. It is connected to the rest of Detroit, Michigan by the MacArthur Bridge...
, an island park where there is no residential area.
Plot description
Alex (Henry) and his father (Ron McLartyRon McLarty
Ron McLarty is an American actor, playwright and author. He began his career in theatre during the early 1970s with one his earliest professional performances being the role of Lucky in Michael Weller's Moonchildren for the play's American premiere at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. in November...
) are devoted Detroit Tigers fans, even now as they are struggling. Alex's favorite player is aging star Billy Young (Scheider), who is having a sub-par season, his last before retiring.
Alex's father dies unexpectedly, but not before he tells Alex that he should always believe. Consequently, Alex decides to visit every Tiger home game. Every time Young comes to the plate, Alex closes his eyes and wishes hard, and Young ends up hitting a home run. Thanks to Young's rejuvenated play, the Tigers start winning again.
But there is a price. Alex, who now believes that if he doesn't go to the games, the team will lose (explaining the Tigers' pitiful road trips); finds himself the subject of ridicule by classmates, since he often sneaks out of school early to watch the Tigers play. Nevertheless, thanks to Billy Young, the Tigers claw their way back into the pennant race. The final game of the season, against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, would decide the pennant.
Alex has his ticket and school lets out early so kids can watch the game, but as Alex leaves school, he's detained by bullies who take his ticket and his money. Only when Alex gets his principal's attention is he released and forced to run all the way to Tiger Stadium. Bribing a little girl for her bike and hanging onto the back of a city bus gets Alex to the stadium in time for the ninth inning, where Young is up and the Tigers are trailing. Young makes contact with the ball just as Alex gets to the front of the stadium aisle, and Young ends up clearing the bases, giving the Tigers the pennant.
Cameos
Several Detroit broadcasters and celebrities appear as themselves in the movie. Tiger manager, the late Sparky AndersonSparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, who was managing the team in real life, appears frequently in the movie. Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson (singer)
Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure...
, a former Supreme
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, sings the national anthem before the final game. Also appearing are the late Ernie Harwell
Ernie Harwell
William Earnest "Ernie" Harwell was an American sportscaster, known for his long career calling play-by-play of Major League Baseball games. For 55 years, 42 of them with the Detroit Tigers, Harwell called the action on radio and/or television...
, the legendary play-by-play radio voice of the Tigers; Ray Lane
Ray Lane
Ray Lane is a sports broadcasting figure in Detroit, Michigan. During the late 1940s, Ray played baseball and basketball for the Stags of Mackenzie High School...
, as Ernie's partner; and Al Ackerman as a TV sportscaster. Ernie Harwell and Ray Lane were paired in the radio booth calling games on WJR
WJR
WJR is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts a news/talk format. It is a class A clear channel station whose broadcasts can be heard throughout most of the Midwest, eastern United States and Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the...
radio from 1967 to 1972. Ackerman was a sports anchor for Detroit's WXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV, channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Detroit, Michigan, USA. WXYZ-TV is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, and is the media company's largest-market TV station property...
and WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV, virtual channel 4, is an NBC-affiliated television station based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is owned by Post-Newsweek Stations and is the flagship station and home base of the group with the offices of the group located alongside WDIV's studios; the "Local" branding now...
in the 1970s and 1980s.
External links
- TIGER TOWN from iReport.com