Summary
The Boy Who Drank Too Much is a 1980 American made-for-television drama film based on a novel by Shep Greene. The film was initially broadcast on CBS and sponsored by Xerox, and starred Scott Baio as a high school hockey player struggling with alcoholism. While its approach is that of a typical after school special, the film was presented as a prime time made-for-TV movie,[1] which was seen February 6, 1980 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.[2] Taking a form of a 20th-century morality play, the film dealt with a serious issue of alcoholism, that might confront youth in a prescriptive manner.
| The Boy Who Drank Too Much | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama Family Sport |
| Written by | Edward DeBlasio Shep Greene (novel) |
| Directed by | Jerrold Freedman |
| Starring | Scott Baio Lance Kerwin Ed Lauter Mariclare Costello |
| Music by | Michael Small |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jerry McNeely |
| Producers | Donald A. Baer Shep Greene (associate producer) |
| Production locations | Madison, Wisconsin Los Angeles |
| Cinematography | Allen Daviau |
| Editor | Anthony Redman |
| Running time | 99 min |
| Production companies | Company Four MTM Enterprises |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | February 6, 1980 |
Plot edit
Baio stars as Buff Saunders, a teen hockey player well-liked and respected among his coaches and teammates. He battles to hide the truth from his elders and peers that, like his father, he is an alcoholic. He struggles to remain clean and sober in order not to lose his position on the team and the respect of his friends.
Cast edit
- Scott Baio.....Buff Saunders
- Lance Kerwin.....Billy Carpenter
- Ed Lauter.....Gus Carpenter
- Mariclare Costello.....Louis Carpenter
- Stephen Davies.....Alan
- Toni Kalem.....Tina
- Katherine Pass.....Donna Watson
- Dan Shor.....Art 'Artie' Collins
- Michele Tobin.....Julie
- Don Murray.....Ken Saunders
- The Madison Pergolders [hockey team]
- Brian Borgrud
Production edit
Filming for the movie took place in Los Angeles, California and Madison, Wisconsin.
Home media edit
MTM Home Video released the film on VHS in 1993 as a part of the "MTM Home Video Movie Collection."[3]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ The Globe and Mail, Tuesday February 5, 1980, p. 17, Toronto
- ^ Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Wednesday February 6, 1980, p. 6-C, Sarasota, FL
- ^ "The Boy Who Drank Too Much". www.amazon.com. 16 July 1998. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
External links edit
- The Boy Who Drank Too Much at IMDb
- The Boy Who Drank Too Much at Internet Archive
- The Boy Who Drank Too Much at AllMovie
- The Boy Who Drank Too Much at the TCM Movie Database
