The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Sam Wood

Writers:

Paul Gallico (story)
Jo Swerling (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 March 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Family | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

THE Private LIFE OF A GREAT Public HERO! (original print ad - mostly caps)

Plot:

The story of the life and career of the famed baseball player, Lou Gehrig.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Speech | Hero | Marriage | Retirement

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 nominations

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Henry Louis 'Lou' Gehrig
Teresa Wright	...	Eleanor Twitchell
Babe Ruth	...	Babe Ruth
Walter Brennan	...	Sam Blake
Dan Duryea	...	Hank Hanneman
Elsa Janssen	...	Christina 'Mom' Gehrig
Ludwig Stössel	...	Henry 'Pop' Gehrig (as Ludwig Stossel)
Virginia Gilmore	...	Myra Tinsley
Bill Dickey	...	Bill Dickey
Ernie Adams	...	Miller Huggins
Pierre Watkin	...	Frank Twitchell
Harry Harvey	...	Joe McCarthy
Bob Meusel	...	Bob Meusel (as Robert W. Meusel)
Mark Koenig	...	Mark Koenig
Bill Stern	...	Bill Stern
Addison Richards	...	Jim
Hardie Albright	...	Van Tuyl
Edward Fielding	...	Clinic doctor
George Lessey	...	Walter Otto, Mayor of New Rochelle
Edgar Barrier	...	Hospital doctor
Douglas Croft	...	Lou Gehrig, as a boy
Gene Collins	...	Billy
David Holt	...	Billy, at 17
Ray Noble and His Orchestra	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ed Agresti	...	Barber (uncredited)
Ernie Alexander	...	Bellhop with flowers (uncredited)
Walter Anthony	...	Merril (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley	...	Lathered man in barber shop (uncredited)
Bettye Avery	...	Nightclub singer (uncredited)
Rebecca Bohannen	...	Little girl (uncredited)
Lynton Brent	...	Photographer in hospital (uncredited)
Roy Brent	...	Yankee ballplayer (uncredited)
Betty Brewer	...	Little girl (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Girl show barker (uncredited)
Charles Cane	...	Plumber (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Plumber (uncredited)
Burr Caruth	...	Village storekeeper (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Motorcycle cop #2 (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Mark, Yankee player in locker room (uncredited)
Bill Chaney	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Jack Chapin	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Janet Chapman	...	Tessie (uncredited)
Spencer Charters	...	Mr. Larsen (uncredited)
Porter Chase	...	Weight guesser (uncredited)
Dane Clark	...	Fraternity boy (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Wallpaper hanger (uncredited)
Hal Cooke	...	Man in cab (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Motorcycle cop #1 (uncredited)
John Daheim	...	Reporter in hospital (uncredited)
Eva Dennison	...	Mrs. Worthington (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Disappointed fan #1 (uncredited)
Lorna Dunn	...	Clinic nurse (uncredited)
Peter Du Rey	...	Photographer in hospital (uncredited)
Jim Farley	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Yankee third base coach (uncredited)
Walter Fenner	...	Dentist (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Yankee ballplayer (uncredited)
Charles Flynn	...	Fraternity boy (uncredited)
Rosina Galli	...	Mrs. Fabrini (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Tunnel of Love barker (uncredited)
Vaughan Glaser	...	Doctor in Gehrig home (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Maid (uncredited)
George Guhl	...	Second paper hanger (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Reporter in hospital room (uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Department store manager (uncredited)
Vinton Hayworth	...	Fraternity boy (uncredited)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian	...	Furniture mover (uncredited)
John Hiestand	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins	...	Bottle game operator (uncredited)
Fay Holderness	...	Spectator (uncredited)
John Ince	...	Man in box seat (uncredited)
Mitchell Ingraham	...	Barber (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Carnival batting game operator (uncredited)
Jack Irwin	...	Photographer in hospital (uncredited)
Sheldon Jett	...	Sportsman at ballgame (uncredited)
Payne B. Johnson	...	Boy in ball park (uncredited)
John Kellogg	...	Fraternity boy (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Richard Kipling	...	Broker (uncredited)
Pat Lane	...	Wheel of Chance barker (uncredited)
Larry Lawson	...	Barker (uncredited)
Rex Lease	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Theodore Lorch	...	Neighbor leaning through window (uncredited)
Frank Lyman	...	Fraternity boy (uncredited)
Dave Manley	...	Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (uncredited)
Francisco Marán	...	Rathskeller headwaiter (uncredited)
Ralph McCullough	...	Reporter in hospital (uncredited)
George McDonald	...	Wally Pipp, Yankee first baseman (uncredited)
Matt McHugh	...	Strength machine operator (uncredited)
James McNamara	...	Rathskeller manager (uncredited)
John Merkyl	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Sportsman at ballgame (uncredited)
Irving Mitchell	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Pat Moriarity	...	Policeman in 1915 (uncredited)
Tom Neal	...	Fraternity boy (uncredited)
Ray Noble	...	Himself (uncredited)
Patsy O'Byrne	...	Scrubwoman (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Freshman (uncredited)
John B. Old	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Scorecard vendor (uncredited)
Sarah Padden	...	Mrs. Roberts, Gehrig neighbor (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Chicago policeman O'Doul (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore	...	Disappointed fan #2 (uncredited)
Art Rowlands	...	Telephone man (uncredited)
William Roy	...	Joe Fabrini (uncredited)
Rip Russell	...	Laddie (uncredited)
Francis Sayles	...	Cab driver (uncredited)
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Sasha's mother (uncredited)
C. Montague Shaw	...	Mr. Worthington (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Hammond (uncredited)
John Sheehan	...	First paper hanger (uncredited)
Jack Stewart	...	Ed Barrow (uncredited)
Ben Taggart	...	Conductor (uncredited)
Walter Tetley	...	Cake delivery boy (uncredited)
Jimmy Valentine	...	Sasha, boy playing baseball (uncredited)
Gohr Van Vleck	...	Furniture mover (uncredited)
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Eleanor's landlady (uncredited)
Veloz	...	Specialty dancer (uncredited)
Malcolm Waite	...	Big strength machine contestant (uncredited)
James Westerfield	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Sportsman at ballgame (uncredited)
Max Willenz	...	Mr. Colletti (uncredited)
Buddy Williams	...	Bootblack (uncredited)
Charles Williams	...	Little strength machine contestant (uncredited)
Robert Winkler	...	Murphy (uncredited)
Allen Wood	...	Freshman telling Lou that Sam wants him (uncredited)
Yolanda	...	Specialty dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Wood

Writing credits
Paul Gallico		(story)
Jo Swerling		(screenplay) and
Herman J. Mankiewicz		(screenplay)
Damon Runyon		(prologue)
Paul Gallico		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
Vincent Lawrence		contributor to dialogue (uncredited)
Casey Robinson		uncredited

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer

Original Music by
Leigh Harline

Cinematography by
Rudolph Maté

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell

Production Design by
William Cameron Menzies

Art Direction by
Perry Ferguson

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Costume Design by
René Hubert

Production Management
Lonnie D'Orsa	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Sherwood	....	assistant director

Art Department
McClure Capps	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Frank Maher	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Ray Binger	....	special photographic effects (as R.O. Binger)
Jack Cosgrove	....	special photographic effects

Visual Effects by
Albert Simpson	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hal McAlpin	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Fletcher Henderson	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Mr. Ed Barrow	....	advice and cooperation: New York Yankees
Pat Flaherty	....	technical advisor: baseball
Samuel Goldwyn	....	presenter
Christy Walsh	....	liaison: New York Yankees cooperation
Babe Herman	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Lefty O'Doul	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Babe Ruth	....	double: Gary Cooper in longshot (uncredited)

Thanks
Eleanor Gehrig	....	appreciation to (as Mrs. Lou Gehrig)

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Fox Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Hosh Posh Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Hosh Posh Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Key Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Radius Films (1946) (France) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• New York Yankees  appreciation for their co-operation

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #8295) | USA:Passed

Filming Locations:

Pelham Parkway, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

Ranked #3 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Sports" in June 2008.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the wedding in Gehrig's apartment, the crowd of workers and family waves goodbye to Lou and Eleanor. As the couple leaves, the worker sitting on a ladder painting the white wood beam raises his hand to wave goodbye. The man shoves his hand into the ceiling of the set, pushing the apparently solid ceiling inward, thus exposing the ceiling as nothing but fabric.

Quotes:

Lou Gehrig: All the arguing in the world can't change the decision of the umpire.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mad About You: I'm Just So Happy for You (#1.6)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Always

Moving biography of legendary baseball player

In today's era of greedy athletes and their employers, the story of Lou Gehrig seems almost quaint. Here's a young man who by all accounts was selfless, kind-hearted, and rather introverted. And, of course, it didn't hurt that he was also a very good baseball player too. Put him on a lineup card today and he might not be the same player. Up until a few years ago, Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played was a record, a record that many thought would stand forever. For 16 years he was in the lineup as the Yankees' first baseman, never asking out for any reason. That alone should show you how special a person Gehrig was.

This biography is pretty straightforward. Unlike many of its kind, it doesn't show its protagonist somehow succeeding against all odds. Gehrig didn't have an abusive mother, he wasn't beaten up by kids at school, he wasn't learning-disabled, he didn't have attention-deficit disorder, he didn't come from abject poverty. He was simply a son in a working-class, immigrant family, as many were during the early decades of this century. And that's why Gehrig is so special to so many people - he symbolises their own hopes.

Gary Cooper is aces as Gehrig, and Teresa Wright is wonderful as his wife, Eleanor. If there's anything imperfect about the movie, it's that it is...well, a little predictable. That's something biopics can't avoid, of course, so it's no big problem. But even if most of the film doesn't impress you, the final speech at Yankee Stadium - when Gehrig was suffering visibly from the disease that would eventually be named after him - will move you past tears. And even better, when Gehrig's done his brief speech, he walks offscreen. If that movie were written today, he'd play another game and hit a game-winning home run. It's this film's honesty and sincerity that win you over.