I usually end my blogs with TCM tips. But time is of the essence now. You're in for a treat tomorrow night Mar 22.
TCM airs the original - accept no substitutes! - "Angels in the Outfield" from MGM in 1951. It is directed by Clarence Brown, the man who learned his craft in early days of
silent movies from Maurice Tourneur [father of the Noir director Jacques Tourneur ["Out of the Past", "Easy Living" the 1949 version and many more], Clarence Brown became the man whose craft made Greta Garbo a star and later shepherded Elizabeth Taylor in her first films.
"Angels" stars Paul Douglas, a onetime pro football player and NBC announcer/sportscaster who made his acting name in the Broadway version of "Born Yesterday". He plays Guffy McGovern, the crusty manager of the tailend Pittsburgh Pirates who becomes a winner thanks to the human touch of 24-year-old Janet Leigh playing a Household Hints reporter for a Pittsburgh newspaper. (Pgh natives will love the on-location photography of Forbes Field and its environs - Ralph Kiner hits a home run in one scene and Sam Narron, one of the 8 Narrons in pro ball, has a line as s first base coach.) Douglas's biggest help comes from the orphan girl Bridget played by 8-year-old Donna Corcoran who didn't become the next Shirley Temple but she lives in posterity for this believable part.
Bridget sees angels in the outfield helping the Pirates win games. Her supervising nuns are played by Spring Byington and Ellen Corby. Keenan Wynn plays a nasty broadcaster as only this talented actor can. He leads a crusade to ban Guffy from baseball for being loony enough to see angels. (Bat Guano in "Dr. Strangelove" was a few years ahead in Wynn's future.)
James Whitmore is the uncredited voice of angel Gabriel, coach of the Heavenly Choir. I can't fail to mention Bruce Bennett who plays aging pitcher Saul Hellman/ Bennett is probably the best athlete ever to play in the movies (he won the silver medal in the shot put in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and earlier played for Washington Huskies n 1926 Rose Bowl.) Bennett was notable opposite Ida Lupino in "The Man I Love" (1946) and vital to the success of "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1946).
If you disagree on my enthusiasm for this film, feel free to make comments.
If this film is not enough for the first Sat night of spring, before "Angels" there is a 15-minute short, "Donkey Baseball" (1935), one of promoter Ray Doan's many hustles during the Great Depression. After "Angels", Babe Ruth stars in a 1936 short, "Home Run on the Keys" with Rez Confrey who made a hit with "Kitten on the Keys". Babe is trying to sell a song about baseball to the radio. Have not seen this one and it could be a hoot.
AND NOW SOME EXCITING NYC HOOPS NEWS!
At 4p today Fri Mar 21 NYU men's basketball team plays for Division III title against Trinity from Hartford CT. Also at 4P the women go for their second straight title and their 62nd win in a row in a rematch against Smith of Northampton MA. Use your search engines to find where you can see these games.
My Columbia women's team won their First Four game in thrilling fashion last night (Th Mar 20). Trailing by 13 at the half, aggressive defense and timely offense pulled
off a 63-60 victory. Next up tomorrow Sa Mar 22 at 2P on ESPNEWS is West Virginia University. Followed by Harvard, conquerors of Columbia in the Ivy League tourney.
Wisconsin Badger men live on with a Saturday match against tough Brigham Young tomorrow (Sa Mar 22) 745P CBS - all times are EDT.
It has been a dream college season for yours truly. Columbia women were expected to do well and they have exceeded expectations.
Wisconsin men were picked for 12th in the now-18-team Big Ten. The Badgers are proof that players with the help of coaching preparation win games, not pundits or fans.
But how we love to root them on.
More next time on today's MLB which opened the season in Tokyo earlier this week with two predictable wins of the Dodgers over the Cubs. Baseball should
open the season in Cincinnati where it used to for many many years. And if they claim that Jackie Robinson's debut game on April 15 1947 was the greatest
moment in the sport's history, why not start the season then? Of course, the powers don't believe that about JR's debut. They even purged that story from their website as "DEI infected" until they were shamed to return it.
But I will not end this post on a down snarky note. "It's not my style," Ricky Nelson says to John Wayne in "Rio Bravo". Instead I will give the last word to
Columbia women's coach Megan Griffith in the post-game presser after the 63-60 win over Washington:
"I like to teach young people how to do hard things together - maybe it's something missing in today's society."
Amen sister! Until next time, stay positive test negative and take it easy but take it.