Slap Shot (1977)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writer:

Nancy Dowd (writer)

Release Date:

25 helmikuu 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Slap Shot out slaps... out swears... out laughs...

Plot:

A failing ice hockey team finds success using constant fighting and violence during games.

Plot Keywords:

Ice Hockey | Booster Club | Team Bus | Violence | Small Town

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Reggie 'Reg' Dunlop
Strother Martin	...	Joe McGrath
Michael Ontkean	...	Ned Braden
Jennifer Warren	...	Francine Dunlop
Lindsay Crouse	...	Lily Braden
Jerry Houser	...	Dave 'Killer' Carlson
Andrew Duncan	...	Jim Carr
Jeff Carlson	...	Jeff Hanson
Steve Carlson	...	Steve Hanson
David Hanson	...	Jack Hanson
Yvon Barrette	...	Denis Lemieux
Allan F. Nicholls	...	Johnny Upton (as Allan Nicholls)
Brad Sullivan	...	Morris 'Mo' Wanchuk
Stephen Mendillo	...	Jim Ahern
Yvan Ponton	...	Jean-Guy Drouin

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Singapore:PG | Brazil:16 | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Australia:R | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, New York, USA

Company:

Kings Road Entertainment

Trivia:

The referees in the game scenes wear red-striped jerseys instead of black, as was done in the now-defunct World Hockey Association.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening sequences introducing the players, Ned Braden can be seen wearing blue gloves as he stands by the boards. When he skates out for the introduction, he is wearing old brown gloves. When the next player is introduced, he can be seen wearing new matching blue gloves again.

Quotes:

Hyannisport broadcaster: Look at that. You can't see that, I'm on radio.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Chiefs (2004)

Soundtrack:

Say You Love Me

Toe Blake, Dit Clapper, Eddie Shore & None O' That Stinkin' Root Beer

Every hockey fan I've ever met, no matter how pedestrian, identifies with this profane, but prophetic 1977 cult classic. SLAP SHOT perfectly nailed the circus we know of as the now-defunct Johnstown Jets: a former farm team of the World Hockey Association's Minnesota Fighting Saints. Real life is truly stranger than fiction, but SLAP SHOT seems to combine the best of all worlds.

As legend goes, screenwriter Nancy Dowd got the brainstorm of doing a documentary on minor-league hockey, spending a few months in Johnstown, PA with her brother Ned Dowd. Ned, who was working his way up with the Jets from the U.S. college ranks, toward the WHA Minnesota Fighting Saints, was Nancy's inspiration for Michael Ontkean's Ned Braedon character.

Nancy, whose 1979 screenplay for "Coming Home" would cop her an Oscar, was like a fly on the wall when all of these bizarre events began to play out before her eyes. She managed to capture "the spirit of the thing" and compose what is surely one of the most spectacular sports film plays in the history of cinema.

As the storyline in SLAP SHOT was true to life, names had to be juxtaposed to protect the innocent. The Johnstown Jets became the Charlestown Chiefs. Real-life Minnesota hockey-playing siblings, the Carlsons became the Hansons. Real-life player "Killer" Hanson, inspired the "Killer" Carlson character. Brophy, the tipsy captain of the Hyannisport Presidents was so-named for juxtaposing with the Reggie Dunlop character, allegedly patterned after a career minor-league player named John Brophy, who went on to coach the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs.

Everyone who lived in the seventies reported sightings of one incarnation or another of toupee-wearing sportscaster Jim Carr. And when it comes to sports-writing, Reggie Dunlop said it best: "If Dickie Dunn wrote this, it MUST be true!" Some of the classic character names in this film must be honored also: Barclay Donaldson, Tim "Dr. Hook" McCracken, Andre "Poodle" Lucier, "Ogie" Oglethorpe, Ross "Mad Dog" Madison, Clarence "Screaming Buffalo" Swamptown and Gilmore Tuttle.

With all the other strokes of brilliance and genius SLAP SHOT has become famous for, we cannot forget the contribution of the star Paul Newman, who is believable and sympathetic as washed-up Chiefs player-coach Reggie Dunlop.

Minnesota native, the late George Roy Hill, who also directed "The Sting" and "Slaughterhouse Five," could arguably claim SLAP SHOT as the master stroke in his illustrious career.

Miraculously, several stars of SLAP SHOT would go on to make other hockey movies: Yvon Ponton starred in the French-Canadian TV series "He Shoots He Scores" and the "Les Boys" film series; Paul D'Amato starred in "The Deadliest Season"; Jerry Hauser appeared in "Miracle On Ice."