MY BASEBALL WEEK DAY 5: MOVIES

Damon Runyon's Prologue to Pride of the Yankees

by the Editor

(Pictures also by the Editor; reflection on each picture is of our stained glass lighthouse window)

I was a movie fan way before I was a baseball fan. And by movie fan I mean movie fanatic; I made movies when I was a kid (my first film was a stop-motion action epic about cowboys and dinosaurs; yes I was ahead of my time), continued making them in high school, and even did one or two in college. A couple of college courses really turned me around and I began educating myself regarding world cinema. And this was going on in the Seventies, so if you know anything about cinema, you know that there were incredible films coming out on a regular basis. About a year ago, I decided that it was time to catch up on the “important” films I'd missed, you know, the Sight and Sound Top 50, that sort of thing. So in the last 10 months or so I've been watching La Dolce Vita, Stalker, The Rules of the Game, and many more – and my movie love has just been growing.

Very first shot of the film immediately after the Prologue

Among sports movies, the only ones I really liked were baseball movies, and this was before I became a baseball fan. Bang the Drum Slowly (Robert De Niro), Fear Strikes Out (Anthony Perkins), Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Eight Men Out, The Sandlot, the list goes on. (I think the only non-baseball sports film I've ever enjoyed was Hoosiers?!) But one baseball movie I've never seen and always wanted to, because of its huge reputation, was Pride of the Yankees. I'm not sure why I never saw it, probably something to do with my well known distaste for that particular team and even greater distaste for what I thought would be unbearable corn. But this is my year to catch up, so I decided to finally see it today. 

“Maybe I ain't cut out to be an engineer.”

The prologue sets things up quite nicely. I was drawn in by Damon Runyon's simple words. I figured this was going to be a simple story about a “simple” man, and it starts out right on cue. This film was released in 1942, the first full year of America in WWII. It's also about a year after Gary Cooper starred in Sargeant York. Hollywood was happy to give us the heroes it thought we needed, and patriotism was high. Though the powers that be didn't manage to sneak in God Bless America, Irving Berlin was nonetheless well-represented by this film's theme song, “Always”. Though it should be noted that the song played over the opening credits is – what else? - Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Lou opens a can of Whup Ass on some fraternity scum

“He's nutty enough to play with the Brooklyn Dodgers!”

This said regarding the “peculiar” Lou Gehrig. (I'll take that as a compliment.)

“Athletes do everything well.”

Ellie (Teresa Wright), very suggestively, to Lou on one of their first meetings.

I gotta say I was completely drawn in to the first hour or so of this movie. Solid build-up, terrific acting, Walter Brennan truly fantastic as Lou's newspaperman buddy, some interesting staging and lighting, like when Lou proposes to Ellie, and that amazing dance number by Veloz and Yolanda! Not to mention Babe Ruth appearing as himself, and not just a brief cameo but in several scenes, usually with his mouth full of food or preening about in a new hat. But the corn kicks in pretty heavy at the “Billy in the hospital” scene, and doesn't really let up. Okay, okay, maybe I teared up just a little at the end, but even in 1942 they could've pulled back just a little, don't you think?

Veloz and Yolanda do their thing in a nightclub Lou and Ellie visit

Anyway, Pride of the Yankees wasn't half bad and it reminded me of my love for baseball films. When the season's over, and the cold days stop the swing of the bat, there's some incredible movies to bide the time until April (or February if you're of that mind.) Be sure to check out the ones I mentioned above, and if you have any other recommendations, send a comment.

I'll be loving you always.
With a love that's true, always.

When the things you've planned
Need a helping hand,
I will understand, always... always.
Days may not be fair always.
That's when I'll be there, always.
Not for just an hour.
Not for just a day.
Not for just a year,
But always.