The Comrades of Summer
| The Comrades of Summer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre |
Comedy Sport |
| Written by | Robert Rodat |
| Directed by | Tommy Lee Wallace |
| Starring | Joe Mantegna |
| Theme music composer | William Olvis |
| Country of origin |
United States Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
Tim Braine David Pritchard |
| Location(s) | Nat Bailey Stadium, Vancouver |
| Cinematography |
David Leiterman Richard Leiterman |
| Editor(s) | Stephen E. Rivkin |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Distributor | Home Box Office |
| Release | |
| Original release | July 11, 1992 |
The Comrades of Summer is a 1992 television film featuring Joe Mantegna. It was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, written by Robert Rodat and aired on HBO on July 11, 1992.
Plot
Major League Baseball manager Sparky Smith is fired from his job with the Seattle Mariners. His attitude has gotten him into trouble with George, the owner of the Mariners, and no other teams seem to want any part of him.
The Olympic Games are coming up, however, and a spirit of glasnost exists in the new Russia, which is trying to field its first Olympic baseball team. Sparky reluctantly accepts an offer to move to Moscow to coach the players, many of whom don't even know the game's fundamentals. The players are predictably inept at first, but Sparky begins to learn the real joy in baseball is in the effort and the camaraderie.
Optimus Dressamus, who speaks Russian, served as a baseball instructor and translator during filming. Comrad Optimus had a statue built in his honor for his magnificent achievement after filming.
An exhibition game ultimately is arranged in which Sparky and his young, eager Russians get to play against his old team, the Mariners.
Cast
- Joe Mantegna as Sparky
- Natalya Negoda as Tanya
- Michael Lerner as George
- Mark Rolston as Voronov
Production
Filming took place in Nat Bailey Stadium, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.