Big Leaguer (1953)

Edward G. Robinson (John B. "Hans" Lobert), Vera-Ellen (Christy), Jeff Richards (Adam Polachuk), Richard Jaeckel (Bobby Bronson), William Campbell (Julie Davis), Carl Hubbell (himself), Paul Langton (Brian McLennan), Lalo Rios (Chuy Aguilar), Bill Crandall (Tippy Mitchell), Frank Ferguson (Wally Mitchell), Mario Siletti (Polachuk), John McKee (Dale Alexander), Robert Caldwell (Pomfret), Donald "Chippie" Hastings (Little Joe Polachuk), Al Campanis, Bob Trocolor, Tony Ravish (themselves), Bing Russell.Narrated by Paul Langton.Director: ROBERT ALDRICH. Screenplay: Herbert Baker. Story: John McNulty, Louis Morheim. Photography: William C. Mellor. Film editor: Ben Lewis. Art directors: Cedric Gibbons and Eddie Imazu. Set decorator: Edwin B. Willis. Make-up: Jack Dawn. Hair styles: Sydney Guilaroff. Music director: Alberto Colombo. Technical adviser: John B. "Hans" Lobert. Assistant director: Sid Sidman. Sound supervisor: Douglas Shearer. Producer: Matthew Rapf. Executive producer: Charles Schnee. Location scenes photographed at the New York Giants training farm in Melbourne, Florida.Copyright 13 July 1953 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 21 August 1953. U.K. release (in a 53-minute version): January 1956. Australian release: 4 November 1953. 70 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Two weeks with young recruits in a big-league baseball training camp.COMMENT: Although not highly regarded by connoisseurs, director Aldrich's first cinema feature has a lot to recommend it, not least the excellent performance of Edward G. Robinson as real-life baseball pro, "Hans" Lobert. In fact, with the exception of glumly stolid Jeff Richards, all the players (including of course the lovely Vera-Ellen and the talented Richard Jaeckel) are lively and likable. Although constrained by a conventional plot, Aldrich's direction is never less than highly competent, occasionally even inventive. Most of the film (if not all of it) has been attractively lensed on actual training camp locations by William C. Mellor, and the screenplay manages to arouse a fair amount of interest in both the characters and their background even for those of us who don't take Big League seriously.

Baseball fans, which are many, will not be the only ones to enjoy this light-hearted fare of a baseball rookie camp where the pro's are weeded out from the amateurs. Told through the narration of a sports columnist, this is slice-of-life drama at its most all American, almost Disney-esque in nature. Edward G. Robinson is a former professional player ("Your grandfathers used to watch me play third base", he tells the young men upon their arrival. Now one of the trainers who must stay on and who moves back home to attempt other ambitions, he is assisted by his pretty daughter, a non-dancing Vera-Ellen. She takes an interest in a strong but silent loner (Jeff Richards) while other players show ego, provide comic relief, or attempt to improve their English while dreaming of a future in the great American pastime.It's nice to see a film like this that doesn't resort to any violence or sexual or romantic intrigue, or even show any back-stabbing in a very team-oriented sport. This is a film that doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, and it is a film that works through "moments", not through an over-stuffed plot. Comic moments include a not-so-attractive close-up of the middle-aged Robinson, hair askew, after a rookie yet cocky pitcher, almost knocks his lights out, and another where the team's comic mimes a slow-motion pitch. Richards is touching in his quite role, dealing with an indifferent father and a hero-worshiping younger brother whom you know will one day attend the same camp. So don't judge too harshly for being witness to a film almost sweet in its vision of hopeful youngsters becoming men by attempting to achieve the goals millions of kids have only dreamed of.

No wonder the beginning scenes shows Bobby Thompson's dramatic home run in 1951 to lead the Giants against the Dodgers.Vera-Ellen did not dance in this film, but rather played the niece of Edward G. Robinson, a Giant scout, evaluating prospective players for minor league contracts. Robinson gives a subdued, but still another good performance in this film.The guys arrive at training camp and begin a regimen of activities to prove their dexterity for the game.Jeff Richards is one of those players who Ellen shows an interest for outside of baseball. Working at the front office, the Ellen character strongly hints to Robinson that the office may be calling for his retirement. While this is never further discussed in the film, the end of the movie seems to explain what would occur.Truly a heartwarming tale of what prospective players have to go through. Certainly an inspiration for aspiring young stars, especially children.

Big Leaguer (1953) ** (out of 4) There have been quite a few good baseball films over the years but sadly this isn't one of them even though we do get a fine performance from Edward G. Robinson. In the film he plays John Lobert, a former baseball player who currently runs a training camp in Florida for the New York Giants. Each year he judges new talent trying to find the next great player but the team is getting a little fed up with him not finding any All Stars so the pressure is on to find someone to save his job. BIG LEAGUER has a few good moments in it but in the end you can't help but feel rather bored and letdown. I'm sure there could have been a very good movie made about these young kids who come to this camp to try and fulfill their dreams but this film is so child like that you can't help but feel you're watching something fake. The ball players are all stereotypes as you have one whose father was a baseball great and of course he can't live up to his father. You have another who thinks he's the greatest thing on Earth yet he's not. You have another who doesn't want his hard working father to know he's missing college to try and play ball. All the stereotypes are on hand here and not one of them comes across as a real character. Robinson at least keeps the film moving as he has that great energy that only he could get across. There was a quick scene where I thought we were going to get to see him bat but that ended up not happening. Vera-Ellen appears as his niece and makes for the love interest to one of the players played by Jeff Richards. I really wasn't overly impressed with either of them but apparently Vera-Ellen was a very big name back in the day but I really couldn't see why. Frank Ferguson, Richard Jaeckel and William Campbell also star. Carl Hubbell plays himself in a quick cameo.