''The Comeback Kid'' is a 1980 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the spor ...

starring

John Ritter Johnathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American actor. Ritter was a son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason and Tyler Ritter. He is known for playing Jack Tripper on the ...

Susan Dey Susan Hallock Dey (born December 10, 1952) is a retired American actress, known for her television roles as Laurie Partridge on the sitcom ''The Partridge Family'' from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on the drama series ''L.A. Law'' from ...

and

Doug McKeon Doug McKeon (born June 10, 1966) is an American actor who first achieved notability as a child actor. Early life and career McKeon was born on June 10, 1966, in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, and raised in Oakland, New Jersey, where he attended ...

which was broadcast on ABC on April 11, 1980. The film features many actors well known from their TV appearances: Ritter (''

Three's Company ''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom ''Man About the House''. The story revolves around three single roomma ...

''), Dey (''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from Se ...

''), Gregory (''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...

''), Licht (Valerie/The Hogan Family), Lembeck ('' One Day at a Time''), McKeon ('' On Golden Pond''), and Kim Fields ('' The Facts of Life''). It also stars Patrick Swayze in an early minor role.

Plot

Bubba Newman, a minor league baseball player, decides to quit the sport and do something else with his life because he feels "down and out." He renews his outlook on life when he becomes a coach for a group of underprivileged kids and finds romance. Then, one of the youngsters gets hit by a car while racing to meet Bubba when he returns to the team. The kid's death ultimately brings the group and their coach even closer.

Cast

as Bubba Newman *

as Megan Barrett *

as Michael * James Gregory as Scotty *

Jeremy Licht ''The Hogan Family'' (originally titled ''Valerie'' and later ''Valerie's Family'') is an American sitcom television series that began airing on NBC on March 1, 1986, and finished its run on CBS on July 20, 1991, for a total of six seasons. It ...

as Paul *

Dick O'Neill Richard Francis O'Neill (August 29, 1928 – November 17, 1998) was an American stage, film and television character actor best known for playing Irish cops, fathers, judges and army generals. He began his acting career as an original company ...

as Phil *

Rod Gist Rod, Ror, Ród, Rőd, Rød, Röd, ROD, or R.O.D. may refer to: Devices * Birch rod, made out of twigs from birch or other trees for corporal punishment * Ceremonial rod, used to indicate a position of authority * Connecting rod, main, couplin ...

as Ray Carver *

Michael Lembeck Michael Lembeck (born June 25, 1948) is an American actor and television and film director. Best known as Max Horvath in '' One Day at a Time'' (1979-1984). Life and career Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Caroline Dubs and ...

as Tony *

Patrick Swayze Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...

as Chuck *

Angela Aames Angela Aames (born Lois Marie Tlustos; February 27, 1956 – November 27, 1988) was an American actress known for her buxom blonde bombshell image. Career Angela Aames's first film role was as Little Bo Peep in the adult film ''Fairy Tales'' ...

as Sherry *

Tan Adams Tan or TAN may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...

as Shirley * Abraham Alvarez as Frank * Kevin King Cooper as Tank *

Kim Fields Kim Victoria Fields-Morgan ( Fields, formerly Freeman; born May 12, 1969) is an American actress and director. Fields is best known for her roles as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey on the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' (1979–1988), and as Regine Hu ...

as Molly * Hank Robinson as the Umpire

External links

* American television films 1980 television films 1980 films 1980 romantic comedy films Films scored by Barry De Vorzon Films directed by Peter Levin American romantic comedy films {{sport-film-stub