At less than 80 minutes, The Jackie Robinson Story (1950, directed by Alfred E. Green) isn’t going to be a comprehensive biography. His early life is covered in broad strokes before the movie makes it to the pivotal point where he was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers’ farm team.
Month: April 2023
The Batter’s Eye: Take Me Out to the Ball Game
I’m not sure how this movie is as boring as it is. Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949, directed by Busby Berkeley) stars Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Esther Williams. It’s a musical about baseball! It should work but it does not. The […]
The Batter’s Eye: It Happens Every Spring
Vernon (Ray Milland) is a chemist and baseball superfan. He accidentally creates a chemical that repels wood, so he coats a baseball in it and lies his way onto the St. Louis team as a pitcher, and cheats his way to a World Series win.
The Batter’s Eye: The Pride of the Yankees
We all know how this story ends, even if we don’t know the details. Released not that long after Lou Gehrig died, The Pride of the Yankees (1942, directed by Sam Wood) is less of a biopic and more of a tribute.