Where Was Major League Filmed? 80’s Classic Sports Comedy Movie!!

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Are you looking for a sports-action film with a serious dose of comedy? Well, look no more, because in this article I will discuss a comedy-drama movie, Major League, and also let you in on where was Major League filmed. 

Major League release in 1989 is the first instalment to the Major League film series, based on sports-comedy genre. The movie is about the chimerical version of a famous baseball team in America – Cleveland Indians. Commercially, the latter versions of the film were not as successful as the first one.

The hysterical events that take place in the film during the baseball games and training are absolutely entertaining. Despite the average ratings the movie received from the critics, it’s still worth a watch.

Allow me to discuss the plot of Major League, in brief just so you may have a better concept of the actual storyline.

Plot Of Major League | What’s It About

Director David S Ward, through his film Major League, captures the love and madness of Americans around the sport of baseball. This highly popular sport in his country, inspired him to make a film that imitates one of the most famous teams of the sport.

The film begins on a rather strange note, where the owner of the Cleveland Indians team – Rachel Phelps, is shown devising a plan to sabotage her own team!

The recently inherited Cleveland Indians team does not make Rachel happy at all as she aspires to be a part of the Miami team. And thus falling prey to her own whims, she ends the contract of the existing pro-players and replaces them by recruiting middle aged amateur players.

Director casts some of the best comic actors of Hollywood such as Wesley Snipes, Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, and Dennis Haybert to play the major roles in his film. The fun twist in the story, where a team is actually competing to lose, is something that you’d have to watch for yourself to witness the absolute craziness. 

Although the characters later, take it in their stride, to not let others make a mockery of their team, and go on to win the league!

The comical dialogues and screenplay in the movie are absolutely entertaining. Now we’ll find out where was Major League filmed, so that you may have a significantly improved experience the next time you watch this sport-action film!

Where Was Major League Filmed? Let’s Know The Movie Closely!!

The principal photography of the film began in July 1988, and was completed in almost 3 months time. Director David S Ward along with the crew decided to shoot the film on several locations in America, despite the movie being set in Cleveland, Ohio.

The major locations used for filming were Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Tucson, Arizona, while the final sequence was filmed in New York City. So without further ado, let’s find out more about these scenic locations!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Where Was Major League Filmed? Let’s Know The Movie Closely!!

The production crew decided on finalizing Milwaukee as their prime location for filming. It was  because they wanted a location that was away from Cleveland Ohio, specifically where locals usually went to watch baseball games.

You might be amused to know that Public Enemies, Bridesmaids and Transformers: Dark of the Moon were also filmed at Milwaukee in Wisconsin. 

The Milwaukee County Stadium featured in the film as the Cleveland stadium, both outdoor and indoor filming in the location was completed in 3 weeks time. It was one of the main reasons that motivated the production team to not choose Cleveland Stadium in Ohio.

Few logistics issues came up while filming the initial sequences such as the first huddle of the new recruits and regular training shown in the movie. However, the production later resolved the issue by coordinating with the transport company and the shooting proceeded smoothly.

General Mitchell International Airport, was used for filming the sequence where the Cleveland Indians team is shown traveling to another state, to commence their Spring Training Camp. 

Tucson, Arizona

Where Was Major League Filmed? Let’s Know The Movie Closely!!

The Spring Training Camp was actually a genius idea by David S Ward, as he made the cast in his film actually go through rigorous yet fun baseball training games and routines. 

The Director and the crew members came to this conclusion to avoid risking any injuries on set, while filming the sports-action sequences. One of the former baseball players who came in as a technical advisor, was later given a character role in the film. 

Reportedly Charlie Sheen, was hurt while filming one of the “home-run” sequences, and he was later replaced by Steve Yeager enacting the same scene.

Some other popular and legendary films like Casablanca, Westworld, Almost Famous and Three Kings were also filmed at this location.

New York City, New York

Where Was Major League Filmed? 80’s Classic Sports Comedy Movie!!

The final scene of the movie, where the Cleveland Indians are shown to defeat the New York Yankees, after conceding 2-0 initially, was filmed at the Yankee Stadium in New York. 

Special permission had to be taken from the board members of the Yankees team, as the director was showcasing their team as the losing side. But later the board decided to capitalize on the publicity that would bring to their team, after being featured in a film.

The production crew struggled in managing the crowd while filming the ending sequence at this location, so they decided to shoot the whole sequence late at night to avoid any disturbance.

Final Words

So, now that you’ve read the narrative of the film and know where was Major League filmed, I hope you’ll give it a watch if you haven’t already. This film will certainly entertain you with the comical story, brilliant screenplay and funny dialogues. 

But if the filming locations excite you more, then you can definitely look them up and plan your next trip to Wisconsin and New York! If you enjoyed this post, please visit Viebly to read more informative and entertaining articles about filming locations of other movies and shows. Until then, peace out!

Who Are The Cast Members Of The Film, Major League?

The cast of  Major League includes Wesley Snipes, Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Dennis Haybert, Rene Russo, James Gammon, and Margaret Whitton.

Who Produced The Film, Major League?

Chris Chesser and Irby Smith were the producers of the film, Major League.

Who Directed The Film, Major League?

David S Ward directed the film, Major League.

Who Wrote The Screenplay Of The Film, Major League?

David S Ward wrote the screenplay for the film, Major League.

What Is The Runtime Of The Film, Major League?

1h 47m is the runtime of the film, Major League.

Ujwal Mattoo
Ujwal Mattoo
With full journalism and half engineering background, Ujwal has hands in both the tech and creative fields. He is a film enthusiast who loves all kinds of genres. As much as he enjoys watching movies, he is always amused to know more and write about the locations to feed his hunger for traveling. In this world of fictional louds, he voices his opinions softly! He is either busy writing or playing with Milo, his dog!

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