This film got great reviews when it came out, but I had to go to a African-American neighborhood theater to see it. That was only where it was being shown. It was not marketed for a general (prodominently white) audience. I believe that it has been overlooked since for the same reason: it is believed to be a movie about African-Americans which can be appreciated only by African-Americans.

This is far from the case. It is a movie about individuals trying to do the work they love while being frustrated by irrational human attitudes and biases. It is a movie about adapting to the perception that your world is changing and the change will be good for others, but not be good for you. It is as good a movie ever made about finding your goals and persisting in reaching them, even as the value of the goal recedes before you.

And it is hilarious. It is done with sly humor as well as laugh-out-loud wild humor.

That's the fabulous Thelma Houston singing the movie's theme song, an uplifting cakewalk strut performed throughout the film that was complete Joy shows their rise from a minor team to a popular traveling team that somehow manages to break racial barriers even if they have to deal with prejudices of the time and ill-treatment. With a cast led by Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, Richard Pryor and Stan Shaw, this film documents the adventures of this minor league team as they become famous (or infamous) for their showy methods for attracting attention, and their many off field exploits as they attempt to rise from the black leagues to integrated leagues, even if their games because of their outlandish behaviors begin attracting white audiences and fans.

The irrepressible Mabel King steals every moment that she's on screen as one of the team's owners, a no-nonsense character who will out-of-the-blue pop in to men's private spaces to make demands. Williams as Bingo is the most subtle of the leads with Pryor at various times pretending to be other nationalities and Jones deliciously cranky, yet big hearted and often joyful. Issues of racism, organized crime influence and integrated audiences enjoying their barnstorming antics together. This is another one of those period nostalgic comedies popular in the mid 70's that has unfortunately become obscure. It's also one of the rare A films with a mainly black cast not to be considered blaxploitation as it has a basic appeal to general audiences because of how it deals with the Great American Pastime. The team, basically the baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters, are fun to watch, and the movie in her task moving, lively account of forgotten history that gives an indication of the changes to come in the major leagues.

Having once stumbled onto this movie on TV years ago but not watching past the opening credits, I finally got to see the whole thing on YouTube right now. A fictional account of one Negro League baseball team during the late '30s, this is quite a fun picture despite some occasionally serious issues permeating some of the narrative. Billy Dee Williams plays the title character, James Earl Jones is his charismatic buddy who's also good at batting as seen in the early scenes when Billy pitches at him. And Richard Pryor does a funny turn pretending to be Cuban in order to break in the white national teams. Unfortunately, the YT upload skipped on some of his lines and maybe scenes. Still, this was quite a fun movie to watch especially near the end which I won't reveal. So on that note, I highly recommend The Bing Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings.