‘The Sandlot’: Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Nostalgic Classic
The Sandlot is one of the most beloved sports films of all time. Set during the summer of 1962, a group of friends spends their days playing baseball, and the movie has managed to gain an overwhelming cult following for more than two decades.
The movie had so much buzz around it, and we’re here to help fans unclog their memory and take a trip down memory lane. Outside of some lawsuits, film critic Roger Ebert compared it to a summertime version of a classic Christmas film and some cast members ended up sharing screen-time together in other films. If you haven’t seen the movie, well, now’s your chance to read up on some of the stuff that went on behind the scenes.
The Boys Of Summer
From an interview with Sports Illustrated, director David Mickey Evans originally titled the movie The Boys of Summer. Evans admitted that he had changed it to The Sandlot for one specific reason —Roger Kahn threatened to sue him.
Kahn was the author of the book The Boys of Summer. However, the ironic part of it all was that the sandlot in the film wasn’t written as a sandlot at first. Originally, it was written as an elementary school recess yard. Basically, if there wasn’t a sandlot, kids had to improvise.
Partial Autobiography
The movie was inspired by parts of Evans brother’s childhood experiences. Some of the older kids wouldn’t let Evans play baseball with them when he was younger. When they lost a ball over a brick wall, he earned a place on their good side by retrieving the ball for them.
Unfortunately, everytime time Evans brother hopped the wall, a giant dog by the name of Hercules would be there. He was bitten by the dog, and that was the bite that inspired one of the most memorable scenes of the movie. See, not everything has to be fake.
It Took That Long?
It’s not a coincidence that the movie and legendary baseball icon Jackie Robinson have something in common. Believe it or not, the film was shot in an astounding 42 days, which matches the number of Jackson, who was responsible for breaking the color barrier in baseball.
Not even the director or the writers planned for this to happen. Considering the movie was filmed during the summertime, it’s no surprise that it took over a month to film due to the high temperatures. But, it’s cool to say that the film and Jackie have a special bond.
The Gang
Casting directors had a demographic in mind when it came to casting actors for the movie. Originally, the kids were supposed to be about 9-10 years old and just as they started casting, they realized the kids were much too young for the movie.
Evans told Sports Illustrated in an interview that they had to increase the age group to 12-13 years old. He knew it was the right decision moving forward because the first actor they interviewed was Mike Vitar- who went on to play the lead role of Benny Rodriguez.
The Treehouse
It’s pretty interesting how the production crew went about making the iconic treehouse. They were looking to buy an oak tree, a big one if possible, which was going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. When the crew noticed one tree being chopped down, they inquired about it.
The 100-year-old oak tree was interfering with the foundation of the house next to it. The man who removed it agreed to give it to the crew, and Salt Lake City’s utility company took down power and phone lines so the tree could be hauled safely to the empty lot where filming was taking place.
Yeah-Yeah Was Replaced Last Minute
Marty York had a few swings and misses before landing a role in the movie. First, he originally auditioned for the role of Bertram, which ultimately went to Grant Gelt. Not only did York not get the part, but he wasn’t even the first choice for the role he did end up with — Alan “Yeah-Yeah” McClennan.
The actor who won the role of Yeah-Yeah didn’t make it through the first day of filming. The poor kid got sick just as the movie was ready to start filming, so he had to be replaced. Nevertheless, York would be the actor who replaced him after the unfortunate event.
BRRR… It’s Cold Out Here
For a movie that took 42 days to film, it got as hot as 110 degrees when they were shooting. On the other hand, there was one particular day when it felt more like the fall than it did the summer. That day was the day they shot the pool scene at a temperature of 56 degrees.
The day wasn’t like most days since the weather was overcast. Not only that, but the actor who played Squints, Chauncey Leopardi, had the weather get the better of him. You can actually see his teeth chattering when’s he staring at the lifeguard from the pool.
Based On A Bunny
Just about every kid went nuts during the Wendy Peffercorn scene and there’s a reason behind it. Wendy was partly based on a girl Evans remembers from his childhood, which was another lifeguard in a red bathing suit named Bunny.
Speaking of the pool scene, Evans had to give a stern reminder to Chauncey Leopardi. The remainder was to keep his tongue in his mouth when he shot the scene. It was supposed to show him not breathing when Wendy comes to his rescue in the pool.
Everyone Loves Darth Vader
When the name James Earl Jones comes to mind, most people think of his most iconic role as Darth Vader. Jones didn’t need too much of a reminder for the kids in the movie because the man who voiced Vader played junkyard owner Mr. Mertle. Needless to say, the kids were pumped shooting a scene with Darth Vader.
For one thing, it’s impressive that Jones took the time to play such a small role in what became one of the best coming-of-age-movies about baseball. Of course, he didn’t use his Vader voice, but his presence in the movie is still felt by fans to this day.
Sneaking Into Movies
Young, wild, and somewhat free is the perfect description of these kids, both on and off the set. When the kids weren’t filming, they had to find something to kill the time. With kids being kids and causing all sorts of shenanigans, their characters would have been proud of one thing they courageously did.
The young cast actually snuck into see Basic Instinct. While most kids’ parents would do whatever they could to pull them out of the theater, there was no adult stopping the cast from seeing Sharon Stone’s iconic scene. A lot of people forget that Wayne Knight (better known as Newman from Seinfeld) was in the scene, too.
Part Puppet, Part Dog
The Beast, a.k.a, Hercules, was played, in part, by a puppet. It took two people to function the puppet, and it really makes you wonder how they went about doing the so-called magic when it came to animals back in the day.
Some scenes called for a real dog and when Smalls and Hercules make friends at the end, they got the dog to lick his face. That worked easily when Smalls’ face was smothered in baby food on the one side of Tom Guiry’s face. Dog lover or not, you can’t separate man’s best friend from our side.
Sandlot Vs. Lawsuit
The Sandlot was the face of a major lawsuit. Things got so heated that it eventually had a major impact on Hollywood. Michael Polydoros sued 20th Century Fox claiming that director and former classmate, David Mickey Evans, had based the character “Squints” on him.
Polydoros went further and said that it caused him embarrassment and humiliation. A judge would decide that there weren’t too many similarities between the character and Polydoros. Essentially, the movie was allowed to using characters inspired in part by real-life individuals.
Too Gawky Like A Christmas Story
Film critic Roger Ebert was the man who gave a review for every movie possible. When he saw The Sandlot, Ebert wasn’t one to shy away from being honest. Ebert would go as far as comparing the loveable baseball movie to a classic Christmas film, A Christmas Story.
Ebert said that The Sandlot was a summertime version of the same vision as A Christmas Story. He explained that both films were about gawky adolescents trapped in a world they never made and doing their best to fit in. Say what you want Ebert, but this movie is something you know nothing about: a cult classic.
Last One Cast
The day that saw everyone get on a plane to Salt Lake City was the moment when the crew realized they didn’t have anyone playing Ham. Then, Patrick Renner came in for a read and the rest was said and done. He found himself on a plane to Salt Lake City to film for the role of Ham.
Renner would go on to appear in numerous guest-starring roles from CSI to Boston Legal to Judging Amy. He’s married to Jasmin Renna and they have one child together. The only notable movie he starred in was the role of Larry Musgrove in The Big Green.
Wooly Bully
“Tequila” and “Green Onions” are some of the notable songs from the movie. “Wooly Bully” by Sam and the Sham and the Pharaohs was the song originally intended to be used for the vomit scene. However, the use of the song came at a very hefty price.
Sam and the Sham and the Pharaohs wanted too much money, so the crew resorted to using another song. Thanks to the strong demand from Sam and co., “Tequila” was the song of choice that was used for the hilarious scene. I guess some people don’t want their music to be heard by others.
Mighty Ducks Connection
Brandon Adams, who played Kenny DeNunez and Mike Vitar, who played Benny, actually starred in another movie together. One year after The Sandlot, both Adams and Vitar swapped the baseball gloves for hockey sticks. They both appeared in The Mighty Ducks trilogy.
Adams would appear in the first two movies as Jesse Hall. Meanwhile, Vitar’s character, Luis Mendoza was cast in D2: The Mighty Ducks. The only difference is that Adams appeared in the first two movies whereas Vitar would appear in the last two movies.
Babe Ruth References
The scene where Benny encounters Babe Ruth in a dream made a very deep impact. It goes without saying the movie did a great job at referencing one of the best home run hitters baseball has ever seen (Hank Aaron counts as well).
But, the feels really come at the end of the movie when Benny is all grown up and playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s actually wearing number three, which was the same number Ruth wore during his historic tenure with the New York Yankees.
You’re Killing Me, Smalls
Of all the scenes and quotes, the most memorable was when Ham says “You’re killing me, Smalls.” That line will forever be relevant to fans of the movie as much as the cast too. Interestingly enough, most cast members hear the iconic phrase more than once a day.
It really is no surprise that random people stop Evans or the actors in the middle of the street just to say the line. As much as they appreciate the love from the fans of the movie, this just goes to show that the movie will forever be a devotion to America’s pastime.
