The Boy Who Drank Too Much
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(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jerry McNeely |
| Producer(s) | Donald A. Baer Shep Greene (associate producer) |
| Production location(s) | Madison, Wisconsin Los Angeles |
| Cinematography | Allen Daviau |
| Editor(s) | Anthony Redman |
| Running time | 99 min |
| Production company(s) | Company Four MTM Enterprises |
| Distributor | CBS |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release |
|
Plot
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
- 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
Production
Filming for the movie took place in Los Angeles, California and Madison, Wisconsin.
References
- The Globe and Mail, Tuesday February 5, 1980, p. 17, Toronto
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Wednesday February 6, 1980, p. 6-C, Sarasota, FL
External links
- The Boy Who Drank Too Much on 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