Just in time for the major Grand Slam summer tournaments, Jonathan Baker’s newly remastered comedy short Dirty Tennis will debut on all streaming platforms Amazon Prime, Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play and VUDU/FandangoNow on June 3, 2023.
Dirty Tennis is a parody of tennis instructional videos, starring the late Dick Van Patten (Eight is Enough), Bruce Jenner (Caitlyn Jenner) and Nicollette Sheridan (The Sure Thing, Knots Landing). The Van Patten family members, wife Pat and sons James, Vincent and Nels are also featured.
In the wonderful world of Dirty Tennis, where it’s not how you win, but how badly you humiliate your opponent. Fed up with those hard-hitting tennis snobs, with their top spin, their perfect form and designer attire?
The short was written by James Van Patten and produced and directed by Baker (Inconceivable) and George J. Bloom (Stranger Things VR) in 1989. Watch the trailer below:
REELated:
“Dirty Tennis lives to see another day. Jonathan’s relentless journey to keep his tennis show alive in the public eye has been as fun to watch as is this comedy itself,” Jenner tells Reel 360 News.
“Back in the good old days in Hollywood, Jonathan Baker thought it was hilarious how my dad Dick Van Patten beat every major celebrity he invited to his home to play tennis. He said to me, ‘This is too funny, people have to see this. We need to film this comedy’,” comments actor/writer/filmmaker James Van Patten.
World-class tennis champion/actor Vincent Van Patten adds, “On the tennis court, our dad, Dick Van Patten wore the wrong clothes, held the racquet the wrong way, had no tennis etiquette, but never lost… He played ‘dirty tennis.’”
The comedy was first released on VHS in 1989, with the June 3, 2023 release marking the debut of this remastered version on all major streaming platforms.
The short depicts in a comedic fashion how Dick Van Patten, known most as the beloved father in the hit TV series Eight is Enough, is able to defeat a skilled opponent, played by Jenner, in a tennis game by using poor sportsmanship cheats.
“When we released Dirty Tennis on VHS in the late 80s, it was very well received by critics and viewers,” says Baker. “We’re excited to bring the comedy to a whole new generation of viewers, fans of tennis and comedy, via the top streaming and VOD platforms.”
Professional tennis coach Nels Van Patten adds, “I teach players how to hit like a pro and look great out there… but if you want to beat athletic snobs, watch Dirty Tennis. Bruce Jenner was the greatest athlete in the world, but my dad beat him over and over.”
