Hidden Truths and Mysteries of The Sandlot

The Real Story

Hard to believe, but the movie The Sandlot is based on a true story. The film’s director and co-writer David Mickey Evans used his own childhood experiences of playing baseball during the summer to inspire the storyline. Just like the kids in the film, he too played neighborhood baseball games in the summer. David’s memories sparked the idea for the film when his brother attempted to secure a position in the local baseball game by recovering a lost ball over someone’s wall. Just like in the movie, a big and scary dog, known as Hercules, lived on the other side of that wall. Does this remind you of something? Still, in the actual event, Hercules bit David’s brother. So, it’s safe to say that in the movie, the tale was given a much more lighthearted spin.

Hot and cold

The film, though based in California, was actually shot in Salt Lake City, Utah. The whole process spanned over a period of 42 days. Utah was going through a blistering heatwave at that time with temperatures soaring up to an incredible 111ºF on certain days. The heat was serious, one day Tom Guiry, who portrayed the character of Scotty Smalls, became so disoriented while running in a scene that he bumped into a camera operator. However, there was a sudden drop in temperature on the day they were set to film the well-known swimming pool scene. The weather was predominantly overcast, and the mercury dipped to 55 degrees. That’s why if you look closely, you might catch some of the kids visibly shivering in that scene; because indeed, they were!

The Big Oak

The Sandlot kids had a truly cool treehouse, but it proved difficult for the movie’s set creators and props team to locate the perfect tree. One day, while Evans and his team were cruising around Salt Lake City, they spotted a man chopping down a huge oak tree. They asked if they could have it for their set, and lucky for them, the man said yes. They moved the enormous tree to their filming area, using a big amount of cement to fix it into the soil. And that’s how the foundation of the famous treehouse came into existence.

Hercules

Imagine the movie without Hercules, the dog. Often, a giant puppet dog was used for scenes, but some moments needed a real dog. According to Tom Guiry, the dog who played “The Beast” was just as imposing in real life as he was on screen, which could be a bit scary. To get Hercules to lick Smalls’ face for a scene, they applied an entire jar of baby food on Guiry’s cheek. Thankfully, Guiry, being a dog lover, found the whole scene quite enjoyable and memorable.

Feeling Sick

The unforgettable episode in which a bunch of lads learned the hard lesson that consuming tobacco and going on carnival rides are a terrible combination. The imitation blend that they were compelled to eat was a unique mix of bacon and licorice. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t have to pretend to be nauseous after a certain period. After several turns on the ride and having to endure the unpleasant concoction, some of the boys became just as unwell as they appear in the movie scene. The cast’s recollection of this moment was far from joyous.