Actor Gene Hackman remembered fondly by those involved in Hoosiers

Over the course of the past week, Brad Long has been inundated with interview requests from a multitude of state and national media sources eliciting his reaction to the death of legendary actor Gene Hackman, whose body was found at his Santa Fe home on Feb. 26.

“It has been a little crazy with newspapers, television and radio reaching out to me,” said Long, who played Hickory Husker player Buddy to Hackman’s coach Norman Dale in the movie “Hoosiers.”

“It is a testament to the impact Gene had as one of Hollywood’s greatest actors,” he said.

Hackman’s passing at the age of 95 evoked senses of sadness and nostalgia throughout the American public. He became a screen icon during a career that spanned more than five decades.

Hackman (photo, left) received Academy Awards for his portrayals of detective “Popeye” Doyle in 1971’s “The French Connection” and villainous sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett in “Unforgiven” in 1992.

He also won acclaim for his memorable roles as Lex Luther and Buck Barrow in three Superman productions and Bonnie and Clyde, respectively.

However, Hackman will be forever associated, especially in Indiana, with his definitive representation of Indiana high school basketball coach Norman Dale in the 1986 movie Hoosiers.

Brad Long and his father, Gary, a former Shelbyville High School and Indiana University basketball standout, secured acting roles in the film that is considered a classic and universally ranks as one of the best sports movies of all time.

“Gene was very unassuming and humble,” said Brad. “He never behaved like a movie star. There was not a hint of arrogance to him. From the time he arrived, he was focused on making the best movie possible. This role was new to him so one of the first things he did was to visit area high school practices to observe how basketball coaches moved and spoke; their mannerisms and vocabulary.”

Hackman’s rise to the pinnacle of the cinematic world was certainly improbable. He was born in San Bernadino, California, and grew up in Danville, Illinois, approximately 45 miles west of Terre Haute. His mother was a waitress and his father ran the presses at a local newspaper before abandoning the family when Hackman was 13.

He lied about his age to join the Marine Corps at 16. After a four-year hitch in the service, Hackman studied acting with Dustin Hoffman in California at the Pasadena Playhouse where he and Hoffman were voted “Least Likely to Succeed” by their fellow students. He eventually found work performing in the theatre in New York and gradually began his professional ascension that culminated in a movie stardom that has stood the test of time.

Brad Long earned his role in Hoosiers through an open casting call.

“They were looking for a sense of realism, so they wanted experienced, fundamental basketball players,” said Long, who was a starting guard at Center Grove High School and a four-year letterman at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. “That was their priority. They taught us to act later. Gene held some improvisational training sessions for us. He told us that acting was really ‘not acting,’ just being yourself with a little more energy. That advice always stuck with me.”

“Gene never really told us specifically what to do as actors,” continued Brad. “He would make suggestions.”

There is one early practice scene where Brad’s character is thrown out of practice and walks out of the gym.

“Gene said that he thought I should possibly have a somewhat angry response as I left the gym,” he recalled. “So, I improvised and pounded my fist against the door as I went out. Gene said, ‘Very good.’”

Gary Long had a very small part in Hoosiers. The elder Long found his way to his acting debut through a stroke of serendipity.

“Hoosiers’ screenwriter, Angelo Pizzo, grew up in Bloomington and would come to the gym to rebound for us IU players when we were warming up before practice,” said Gary. “He was only 12 or 13 at the time (the late 1950s) but he said he appreciated us being nice to him and letting him participate. After Brad was selected to be in the movie, Angelo asked him if I was any relation. When he learned that I was Brad’s dad he said, ‘I want him to be in the film.’ A strange coincidence to be sure.”

Gary plays the assistant coach for the Jasper Wildcats, the team Hickory defeats on its way to the state finals. He was originally scheduled to have a close-up on the bench and was to direct his players to foul Ollie, Hickory’s weakest player who was in the game only because Buddy had fouled out and the Huskers had no other reserves.

“I was supposed to say, ‘Foul the runt,’” said Gary. “I also was supposed to stay seated or maybe I ‘hammed’ it up too much, but my one line never made it in the movie. I am visible standing by the bench in a couple scenes. That was the extent of my acting career.”

Gary remembers Hackman and himself engaging in small talk several times during filming.

“I never realized how much time is spent just standing around and waiting on a movie set,” said Gary. “There are long delays, but Gene was always very nice. He was a very humble man who was often quiet but never rude or condescending. If you did not know better, you would never think he was any kind of celebrity.”

Brad perceived that Hackman never fully appreciated the gravity of his Hoosiers role and the movie in general or what a monumental historical impact it would ultimately have.

“I don’t believe any of us could have foreseen the remarkable legacy of Hoosiers,” said Brad. “But we still thought it would be generally accepted as good. I think Gene thought it might be average or even less.”

Director David Anspaugh agreed.

There is a scene in the movie during Hickory’s run to the championship where the team is winning games and gaining momentum. Music is playing and the camera is shooting from across the floor.

Hackman and his assistant coach “Shooter,” played by award-winning actor Dennis Hopper, are sitting on the bench during a game. Hackman leans over and says something to Hopper and Hopper responds by laughing and slapping his leg. Hopper told Anspaugh years later that Hackman had just commented, “Dennis I hope you’ve invested well because we’ll never work again after this.”

The Hoosiers’ director said that Hackman admitted to him in later years that the public would most often mention “Popeye” Doyle, Lex Luther, or Norman Dale when they approached him. Hence, as time passed, Hackman, perhaps grudgingly, developed a greater appreciation for Hoosiers and the significance of the Norman Dale character.

It is difficult for people outside Indiana to comprehend the profound nature of Indiana high school basketball and what it means to Hoosiers. Brad believes that just how deeply-held that sentiment is among the Indiana population might have escaped Hackman’s understanding as well.

“My favorite line in the movie is when Coach Norm Dale says to himself before he goes onto the court for his first game: ‘Welcome to Indiana basketball,’” said Brad. “I believe that line encapsulates the whole movie. That says it all.”

Hackman presented each Hickory player with a commemorative plaque inscribed with one of the player’s more familiar lines from the film.

“My plaque said, ‘He was Dentyne,’” said Brad, “because if you remember, coach told Buddy to stick to his defensive assignment like he was chewing gum and when the game was over, he wanted to know what brand he was.”

Brad said that through the years, Hackman never made it back for any of the Hoosiers reunions.

“He always sent a kind note expressing his regrets,” said Brad. “And in recent years, since his retirement from acting, he has experienced some health issues that prevented him from traveling a lot. I communicated with his agent a few times, but we never could set anything up with Gene.

“I will always remember him as a kind advisor to all of us. He never made us feel inadequate; we always felt that we were valued. It would have been nice to see him one last time.”

The 1954 Indiana state championship for tiny, rural Milan High School is the premise for the film, however the Hoosiers storyline is completely fictional. Angelo Pizzo once stated that there was no serious drama related to the true 1954 Milan title journey, so the writers were tasked with creating an interesting, intriguing human story as subtext.

The themes of redemption and renewed opportunity are recurring and central to the Hoosiers story. Norman Dale is an individual in disrepute, banned from college coaching and Hickory offers him one final chance.

Star player Jimmy Chitwood returns to lead the team and, in a larger sense, once again embraces life after suffering the devasting loss of his father figure, the previous Huskers coach.

And Brad Long’s character becomes an integral part of the Hickory team’s magical season after receiving a second chance from Coach Dale.

Ironically, Gene Hackman’s life journey is, in many aspects, analogous to the Hoosiers adventure. He was abandoned as a child and discounted in his quest to become an actor. In fact, his success was so implausible that it defied description.

Janet Maslin wrote in the New York Times in 1988: “There is no identifiable quality that makes Mr. Hackman stand out. He simply makes himself outstandingly vital and real.”

Hackman’s tremendous success, undeniably authentic, remains in large part a mystery.

Following Hackman’s death, Robert Berkvest, in the same newspaper, stated that Hackman played “seemingly ordinary characters with deceptive subtlety, intensity and often charm.”

He brought the mundane and commonplace to life on the screen, however no one could ever really tell us how he did it.

“I see Gene approaching heaven and St. Peter saying, ‘I know you,’” said Brad. “I see Gene responding, ‘Yeah, Yeah, I know ‘Popeye’ Doyle, Lex Luther and St. Peter saying, ‘No, no, ‘You’re Norman Dale.’”

Gene Hackman would probably never admit it; but maybe he really was.

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