It Happens Every Spring (1949)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Valentine Davies (screenplay)
Valentine Davies (story)

Release Date:

8 August 1949 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi | Sport

Plot:

A scientist discovers a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. He promptly sets out to exploit his discovery.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Leave Of Absence | St. Louis | Discovery | Professor

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Ray Milland	...	Prof. Vernon K. Simpson aka King Kelly
Jean Peters	...	Deborah Greenleaf
Paul Douglas	...	Monk Lanigan
Ed Begley	...	Edgar Stone
Ted de Corsia	...	Manager Jimmy Dolan
Ray Collins	...	Prof. Alfred Greenleaf
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Mrs. Greenleaf
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Schmidt
William Murphy	...	Tommy Isabell (as Bill Murphy)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Wrigley Field - 1060 W. Addison St., Lake View, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

All the baseball teams are identified by their city but never by their nicknames. Even the home team uniforms, which should have the team nicknames, list the city instead. The reason is because the commissioner of baseball, Happy Chandler, would not sanctioned the movie because of the cheating element in the movie. So 20th Century could not use the the name of the teams or even use cameo baseball player walk ons like the studio wanted to do.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Vernon first discovers that the baseball is repelled by wood, the second piece of wood is two inches from the edge of the counter so that the ball jumps over but then, without being touched, it is six inches from the edge allowing the ball to go around the end of the wood as opposed to jumping over.

Quotes:

Prof. Vernon K. Simpson aka King Kelly: [all were in Edgar Stone's office] No, I don't think so, Mr. Stone, I know it.
Edgar Stone: Know it? I have never met such bland conceit.
Manager Jimmy Dolan: I told you, he's a crackpot.
Edgar Stone: No he's not. He's just a conceited jackass.
Manager Jimmy Dolan: All right. you talk to him. I'm going to batting practice.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sports on the Silver Screen (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

It Happens Every Spring

Thankfully, It Happens Every Spring

Not quite in the league of "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," but a great fantasy story of the egghead professor in the hard boiled world of baseball.

Paul Douglas steals the movie as the craggy old pro catcher, Monk Lanigan. Watch for a young Alan Hale, Jr., later to be the Skipper in "Gilligan's Island." Take a look at the writing credits for the writer of this one. Sterling. Also, a great feel for 40's baseball fans, baseball stadiums, just baseball. I loved this film as a kid, still love it now.

This film should be as much a harbinger of spring as the first robin. Don't miss it!