[Editor’s Note: The Card of the Week fact-checking team is unavailable this week, suffering as they are from collective nervous exhaustion brought on by Card of the Week’s consistently tenuous grasp of the very facts that they are sworn to uphold. As a result, we cannot vouch for the complete accuracy of this week’s installment.]
While it might be off-season for baseball, it’s on-season for the motion picture industry, what with the Academy Awards looming in late February.
We here at Card of the Week love the movies almost as much as we love our national pastime, so we present for your consideration a brief history of baseball-themed films.
Bride of the Yankees, 1942
A horror classic, this gem revolves around Babe Ruth‘s demand that the Yankees create him a mate. The ensuing creature is called “Gehrig” and he can only communicate with Ruth via short grunts and sibilant hisses.
Abbott and Costello in “Who’s on First?”, 1946
Many are familiar with the beloved “Who’s on First?” comedy routine, but only the most dedicated cinephiles have seen the original full-length movie version. The three-hour film was a huge influence on both Sam Peckinpah and Quentin Tarantino, particularly the last 30 minutes, wherein Costello is finally driven irretrievably mad by Abbott’s linguistic trickery and shoots him square in the face.
Fehr Strikes Out, 1960
Twelve-year-old little leaguer Donnie Fehr strikes out to end the 1959 Kansas Klassic and vows that he will one day have his revenge by canceling the World Series.
The Bad News Bears, 1977
The original is still the best, although it must be said that some have a soft spot for the first two sequels, Beneath the Bad News Bears and Escape from the Bad News Bears. The less said about the 2005 remake starring Billy Jo Robidoux, the better…
Eight Men Out, 1988
Never seen this one, but I think it’s a porno.
Bull Durex, 1988
Again, porno.
Fidel of Dreams, 1989
Tells the story of the young baseball-loving leader of the Cuban revolution, who one day in 1962 hears a voice whispering to him, “If you build sites capable of launching Soviet-supplied SS-4 and R-14 missiles, he will come.” Longing to just have one chance to play catch with John Kennedy, Fidel heeds the voice…
Men in Black, 1997
According to IMDB, this is apparently some kind of sci-fi movie, but most people know it best as the place where Bernard Gilkey got his start as an actor, with his memorable depiction of Befuddled Bernard Gilkey.
Doug,
I guess spring training can’t come too fast for you.
I loved Gilkey…very underrated player. He and Ray Lankford scared the heck out of me when they came up with St. Louis.
Befuddled Bernard Gilkey, in such works as Men in Black and Hamlet. He got big into theater, so I’m told.
Funny stuff, Doug. Get well quickly.
Lou
hiya doug,
great article, but you missed a few.
The Slugger’s Wife , 1985 ( reboot 2015 )
starring Katherine Reyes & Jose Reyes.
Katerine’s continued hero worshipping of old ballplayer Ted Williams finally sends Jose over the edge when she tells him ” perhaps if you stayed in the game and won the batting title honestly”, you wouldn’t be traded every 15 minutes. movie ends with cops breaking down the door while Jose is screaming ” Badges!!!! We Don’t Need No Stinking Badges!!!!
The Jackie Robinson Crusoe Story , 1950
Tells the story of a young African American man who finds himself stranded in Ebbets Field & survives by teaching the local natives how to stay above their own division. also starring Tuesday Weld, Wednesday Addams, and some guy named Friday.
Mr. Baseball , 1992
Tom Selleck stars as an over the hill street blues baseball player traded to a japanese baseball team. hits over .300 for the season, and after games, puts on golf shirts and solves local crimes. movie ends with him drowning after getting on a horse and trying to ride across the pacific ocean towards australia to answer a classified ad.
Good stuff, JB! I’d pay to see those…