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Writer Nancy Dowd originally intended the film "Slap Shot" (1977) to be a documentary. George Roy Hill convinced her that it would be better served as a feature-length comedy.Al Pacino showed interest in the lead role but fell out with director Hill after he was asked if he could ice skate (Pacino considered the question "facetious"). Pacino later expressed regret that he had missed out on the film.Jean Rosario Tetreaul, who played Bergeron, lied his way into the movie. When Hill asked all the actors to come the next day for the first scenes, he showed up and when he was asked who he was, his response was that they called him to be there. George even wrote a scene especially for Jean. When George saw Jean remove his dentures before a game, he immediately wrote the locker room scene into the script.Paul Newman had stated on many occasions that he had more fun making this film than on any other film he has starred in, and that it remained his favorite of his own films until his death. (IMDb)Happy Birthday, George Roy Hill!