Baseball movies I have seen
A short list of the baseball films I have seen. I have included a few documentaries.
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42 titles
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsBilly Dee WilliamsJames Earl JonesRichard PryorIn the late 1930s during racial segregation, a star of the Negro League Baseball, Bingo Long, leaves his team and convinces other stars of the league to join him as free agent players touring the towns of the Midwest.Funny treatment of a serious subject. Billy Dee Williams is amazing in this as is Richard Pryor but James Earl Jones steals the show. The film has lush cinematography and a real feel for the 1930s. I consider this to be one of the top 3 baseball movies of all time.
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsJoe E. BrownPatricia EllisFrank McHughCountry bumpkin Elmer Kane joins the Chicago Cubs as the greatest hitter in baseball. His skill with a bat takes the team to the World Series, but on the way to the championship he has to deal with gamblers and crooked pitchers.Joe E. Brown is very funny but the film takes a long time to get going.
- DirectorLloyd BaconStarsRay MillandJean PetersPaul DouglasA scientist discovers a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. He promptly sets out to exploit his discovery.Silly baseball movie with a very silly premise. That being said, Ray Milland plays for laughs. The baseball sequences are good. Look fast for Alan hale Jr. as one of Milland's students.
- DirectorAlfred E. GreenStarsJackie RobinsonRuby DeeMinor WatsonBiography of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player in the 20th century. Traces his career in the negro leagues and the major leagues. Restored in original Black and White.Low, low budget biopic with Jackie Robinson playing himself. This is much better than expected. Well staged baseball sequences plus a natural performance by Robinson make this well worth watching, just don't expect anything resembling 42's budget. I should also point out the good work by Minor Watson as Branch Rickey and Richard Lane as the manager of the Montreal Royals. Ruby Dee as Rae Robinson doesn't get a lot to do but is fine. Worth your time.
- DirectorTommy Lee WallaceStarsJoe MantegnaNatalya NegodaMichael LernerTo teach a team of Russian wanna-be baseball players the finer points of the all-American game is no easy task, but for a grudgingly resentful, recently fired baseball manager from the States, the task is formidable. In fact, there are many times when he considers chucking the whole thing and going back home and forgetting baseball entirely. But he perseveres... to the point where he finally believes that his players may be good enough to represent the Soviet Union in the upcoming Olympics in America. However, performing in this Country under such pressures not only shows these Russian players something about themselves, it also makes their American manager aware of something rather special about himself, as well.Average made-for-TV film with a funny performance from Joe Mantegna. Many, many schmaltzy moments balanced, thankfully, by quite a few funny moments.
- DirectorFred SchepisiStarsTom SelleckKen TakakuraAya TakanashiJack Elliot, once a great baseball player, is forced to play in Japan where his brash, egotistical ways cause friction with his new teammates and friends.Tom Selleck is great and the film a lot of fun but this should have been much, much better. The baseball sequences are top notch and Selleck's nightmare at the start of the film is hilarious as is the TV commercial he makes in Japan.
- DirectorRon SheltonStarsKevin CostnerSusan SarandonTim RobbinsA fan who has an affair with one minor-league baseball player each season meets an up-and-coming pitcher and the experienced catcher assigned to him.The best baseball movie of all time with terrific performances from Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon. A funny, charming, realistic view of minor league baseball.
- DirectorDavid S. WardStarsTom BerengerCharlie SheenCorbin BernsenThe new owner of the Cleveland Indians puts together a purposely horrible team so they'll lose and she can move the team. But when the plot is uncovered, they start winning just to spite her.Easily the best of the Major League trilogy with funny performances from the entire cast, especially Wesley Snipes as Willie Mays Hayes.
- DirectorDavid S. WardStarsCharlie SheenTom BerengerCorbin BernsenThe Indians are now a World Series contender. But last year's hunger is now replaced with complacency, and bad decisions by the new owner threaten to tear the team apart.So-so sequel has little of the spark from the first film. The cast look like they would rather be elsewhere. The "comedy" is now reduced to cartoonish bits. Skip this one.
- DirectorJohn WarrenStarsScott BakulaCorbin BernsenDennis HaysbertA lousy minor league baseball team full of many different personalities gets a new manager, an aging minor league pitcher.Nothing special entry in the series that uses every cliche in the book. Still, Scott Bakula is charming and Ted McGinley silly as all hell.
- DirectorPhil Alden RobinsonStarsKevin CostnerJames Earl JonesRay LiottaIowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife, Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true.Magical.
- DirectorPenny MarshallStarsTom HanksGeena DavisLori PettyTwo sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amid their own growing rivalry.Funny, energetic film with a great performance from Tom Hanks. Geena Davis is also terrific. Funny supporting cast.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsRichard PryorJohn CandyLonette McKeeA minor-league baseball player must spend $30 million in 30 days in order to inherit $300 million. However, he's not allowed to own any assets, destroy the money, gift it, give it to charity, or tell anyone about the deal.Silly but a lot of fun. John Candy is great as always.
- DirectorBrian HelgelandStarsChadwick BosemanT.R. KnightHarrison FordIn 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.Great biopic with some intense performances. Chadwick Boseman is simply amazing. The period detail is spot on. A terrific movie.
- DirectorJames W. HorneBuster KeatonStarsBuster KeatonAnne CornwallFlora BramleyRonald's high-school valedictory address praises books and condemns sports. His girlfriend Mary condemns his attitude. Fearing to lose her to rival Jeff, he decides to go to college and pay more attentions to sports.Buster Keaton tries every sport imaginable including baseball with hilarious results.
- DirectorArthur LubinStarsRay MillandJan SterlingGene LockhartRich, eccentric T.J. Banner adopts a feral cat who becomes an affectionate pet. Then T.J. dies, leaving to Rhubarb most of his money and a pro baseball team, the Brooklyn Loons. When the team protests, publicist Eric Yeager convinces them that Rhubarb is good luck. But Eric's fiancée Polly seems to be allergic to cats, and the team's success may mean new hazards for Rhubarb.Silly, silly film. Look fast for Leonard Nimoy as one of the baseball players.
- DirectorMichael RitchieStarsWalter MatthauTatum O'NealVic MorrowAn aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.I saw this 35 years ago and don't remember much, which isn't a good sign.
- DirectorVictor SchertzingerStarsCharles RaySylvia BreamerJoseph J. DowlingShy Joel Parker seems bound for nowhere, until Abbie Nettleton enters his life. With her prodding, Joel goes from timid nobody to a baseball star with bravura.Typical, hokey, silent melodrama is overacted to the maximum. Still, it contains a great (but predictable) ending. The baseball sequences are OK for the era and Charles Ray is fine in the lead role but this is not a great baseball movie by any stretch of the imagination. Sylvia Bremer as the love interest is also OK.
- DirectorRobert MulliganStarsAnthony PerkinsKarl MaldenNorma MooreTrue story of the life of Jimmy Piersall, who battled mental illness to achieve stardom in major league baseball.Intense, gut-wrenching film about a baseball player who has a mental breakdown because of the pressure. Anthony Perkins is very good in portraying a tormented soul but he is poor in the baseball scenes. Karl Malden as the father who pushes his son to the edge by heaping ridiculous pressure on him, is also very good. This is a rare 1950s film that talks about mental illness and it doesn't talk down to the audience. Overall a real solid film. If only Perkins was a little better in the baseball scenes it would be that much better.
- DirectorWalter DonigerStarsMickey MantleRoger MarisWilliam FrawleyLegendary Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle stars with his Yankee teammate Roger Maris in this good-natured story of dreams that really do come true.Cute kid's movie about a young boy who boasts he knows Mickey Mantle and Roger Marris and then has to travel to Ft. Lauderdale during Spring training to see if he can meet them and convince them to come visit his team. Harmless little film with Marris and Mantle appearing as themselves. They are both less stiff than you would think. William Frawley steals the show as a grumpy Yankees coach. The film also has gorgeous black and white photography and terrific Florida locations. A fun little film.
- DirectorLloyd BaconStarsWilliam BendixUna MerkelRay CollinsAn umpire-hating ex-baseball player loses many jobs because of his passion for watching ball games during working hours, but he decides to combine business with pleasure by becoming an umpire himself.Hilarious comedy with William Bendix as a hothead who becomes an umpire despite himself. Written by Frank Tashlin who later directed many Jerry Lewis films. This one plays like a Warner Brothers cartoon which isn't surprising since Tashlin got his start in those cartoons. The final chase sequence is appropriately frantic. Alan Hale Jr. has a very small role in this. William Frawley is a standout as the head of the umpire school.
- DirectorFriz FrelengStarsMel BlancBea BenaderetFrank GrahamBugs plays every defensive position against the Gashouse Gorillas.Ok, I realize this is only a short but how could I leave it out? Bugs plays every single position in a game against the Gashouse Gorillas. A classic Looney Tunes cartoon with the greatest cartoon character of all time. Brilliant !!
- DirectorRobert AldrichStarsEdward G. RobinsonVera-EllenJeff RichardsJohn Lobert runs a training camp in Florida for the New York Giants. Every year, he evaluates the hopefuls to pick the best for a minor league contract. They all have dreams and talent, but the elimination whittles them down to a lucky few who'll get the $150 a month contract. This year John's niece comes down from the home office in New York and is attracted to tall quiet Adam.Corny, clichéd look at the New York Giants training camp for baseball hopefuls. Silly movie with next to no plot and two-dimensional characters but it still has an innocent energy that you find in movies of that era. Edward G. Robinson does what he can with the corny script but even he can't inject much into this. Only for baseball film diehards and fans of Robinson.
- DirectorMartin DavidsonStarsWilliam PetersenVirginia MadsenDermot MulroneyStory of the Tampico Stogies, a low minor-league baseball team, and its star player and manager, Stud' Cantrell, as they battle for the league championship amidst the corruption and racism of the American south.Cute but cliche-ridden film gets by on its charm, and boy is it charming. Terrific cast that includes William Petersen, Virginia Madsen, Dermot Mulroney and Teller (of Penn and Teller fame). Winning performances, a fun and sassy script and terrific period detail make this a winner. Joel Murray has a small role as one of the baseball players.
- DirectorCharles LamontStarsBuster KeatonLona AndreDewey RobinsonElmer owns a gas station out in the California desert. Soon he has a business rival in Jim, who opens up another station, and is also trying to steal Elmer's girlfriend. She plays both rivals against the other and, because she is a baseball fan, both Elmer and Jim try to show each other up in the big local baseball game.Hilarious Buster Keaton two-reeler plays like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. It has terrific gags including Buster getting revenge on a nasty umpire in his own unique way.
- DirectorKevin Rodney SullivanStarsDelroy LindoMykelti WilliamsonEdward HerrmannBlack baseball greats, Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, vie to be the first afro-American major leaguer, only to see the outspoken rookie, Jackie Robinson, be chosen.Well made TV movie about Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson contains a terrific performance by Delroy Lindo as Paige and a nuanced one by Blair Underwood as Robinson. The film has a very nice feel for the 1940s and is quite well done. Edward Hermann is also good as a pragmatic Branch Rickey. Definitely worth seeing.
- DirectorJeff GarlinStarsJeff GarlinSteve AgeeGina GershonAfter experiencing the insanity of the adults connected to his son's baseball team, a comedian researches for a comedy movie about them.Very lightweight film dealing with how ridiculous parents, coaches and officials get when their kids are involved in Little League baseball. The film runs out of steam midway through. Most of the characters are simply caricatures and the ending is trite. Jeff Garlin is ok as the main character as is Jamie Gertz as an annoying baseball parent. The rest of the cast does what it can with the thin script. Don't bother with this one.
- DirectorLambert HillyerStarsJulie BishopCharles QuigleyRita HayworthFoy Harris (John Gallaudet) is a bootlegger selling illegal booze and also running a girl's professional softball team and is romancing the team's catcher Sue Collins (Rita Hayworth). The murder of one of the team members gets a police detective, Lieutenant Flannigan (Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and Jimmy Jones (Charles Quigley) a dim-witted, cub newspaper sports reporter involved. The reporter also has a romance going with the team's ace pitcher Ann Casey (Julie Bishop as Jacqueline Wells.)This little B picture is so much fun. The performances are great, the dialogue is snappy and the baseball angle works well. You can categorize it as a murder-mystery-sports-comedy-romance(a heck of a mix but it works). The bonus is seeing a very young Rita Hayworth as the gangster's girlfriend. Julie Bishop is just as good as the female lead and Charles Quigley quite charming as the male lead(newspaper reporter). Boy, they don't make films like this anymore. Well worth your time.
- DirectorRoy Del RuthStarsWilliam BendixClaire TrevorCharles BickfordWilliam Bendix suits up in Yankee flannels as the renowned pitcher-turned-outfielder Babe Ruth in a sports biopic that mixes facts with fiction.Oy! Overly schmaltzy movie with more drama than a soap opera. Bendix is Ok in an impossible role. Some of the situations the film puts him in are ridiculously contrived. I don't know the real story of Babe Ruth but I am sure this film made up 85% of what is shown. Seriously, don't bother.
- DirectorBilly CrystalStarsBarry PepperThomas JaneAnthony Michael HallRoger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.Well made biopic focusing on Roger Maris chasing Babe Ruth's home run record. The period detail is quite good and the cast solid. Barry Pepper holds his own as Maris and is ably backed up by the supporting cast. 7 baseball bats out of 10.
- DirectorDonald BrittainWilliam CanningStarsDonald BrittainJack BrickhouseErnie BanksA look into the Chicago Cubs National League baseball team during the 1972-1973 seasons.A superb documentary focusing on Canadian pitcher Ferguson Jenkins during his time with the Chicago Cubs. Very funny and filled with terrific moments.
- DirectorLois SiegelStarsJackie AutryFaye DancerPhyllis GelloFrom 7-year-olds playing baseball, learning the rules of the game, to 60-year-olds playing slo-pitch softball, "Baseball Girls" explores the private and professional lives of women obsessed with the sport they love. Using animation, archival stills and live-action footage, this zany and affectionate feature documentary details the history of women's participation in the largely male-dominated world of baseball and softballA great documentary on women's baseball with some terrific interviews (including Bill "the Spaceman" Lee). Well worth seeing.
- DirectorErik KestenBrett RapkinStarsMarty AppelLarry BarasDave BeanOther than players, fields, and fans..they had everything.Very much a fish-out-of-water documentary focusing on the creation of the Israel Baseball League in 2007. How do you start a professional baseball league in a country that has a very limited knowledge of baseball? It certainly isn't easy and is doomed to fail. Some great characters are highlighted including some dedicated baseball players and executives. A great moment in the film is when a 75 year-old man tries out for the league at a tryout in Florida! Very enjoyable film.
- DirectorArthur HillerStarsJohn GoodmanKelly McGillisTrini AlvaradoBabe Ruth becomes a baseball legend but is unheroic to those who know him.Average film that focuses a great deal on Ruth's faults and plays fast and loose with the facts. An improvement on the Babe Ruth Story (1948) but still pretty phony most of the time. John Goodman is ok as is most of the cast but nobody stands out. Ok but should have been a great deal better. The fake newsreels are dreadful.
- DirectorRay EnrightStarsJoe E. BrownOlivia de HavillandRuth DonnellyIdiosyncratic new recruit Francis "Ike" Farrell tries to help the Cubs to the pennant with his pitching and hitting.Extremely silly Joe E. Brown farce. This plays like a cartoon but it has a great deal of charm. Brown plays it like he always does: silly to the extreme. William Frawley plays the grumpy manager (has he ever played anything else?) and Olivia de Havilland is the sweet girl who falls for Ike. Perfectly fine if you put your brain on idle.
- DirectorMel DamskiStarsKeith CarradineMare WinninghamG.W. BaileyFact-based story of a young boy who lost his right arm in a childhood accident, but went on to fulfill his dreams of playing major-league baseball. Pete Gray had to overcome the early taunts of his childhood playmates. With the support of his Pennsylvania coal mining father and his brother, who dreams of being a boxer, he learns to battle for what he wants. Finally in 1943, he is hired to play for a minor league team - the Memphis Chicks in the Class A Southern Association. Initially considered a freak and a box office attraction, he survives the taunts of his teammates and bats .333 his rookie year, steals 63 bases and led the league' outfielders in fielding percentage. Ultimately he won the league's MVP award. In 1945, the St. Louis Browns brought him into the major leagues. A parallel story is also told about the ball player's friendship with a young boy who had also lost his arm and dreamed of one day playing baseball. In fact the idea for the movie came from co-producer James Keach whose brother had gone to school with the younger boy and became aware of the events involving the ball player and boy.Surprisingly well made TV-movie based on the life of Pete Gray who played baseball with just one arm. Keith Carradine is excellent as Gray as is Mare Winningham as his girlfriend. This could have been very schmaltzy but it isn't thanks to some honest performances and very good baseball sequences. Definitely worth seeing
- DirectorRay McCareyStarsLloyd NolanCarole LandisSara AllgoodA washed up baseball player (Lloyd Nolan) returns to Brooklyn to manage his old team but ends up clashing with the beautiful new owner (Carole Landis)Cute B movie that is pretty much paint by the numbers. Lloyd Nolan is pretty good as is Carol Landis. William Frawley, once gain, appears in a baseball film as his usual grumpy self. Definitely worth seeing if you just want to relax and enjoy a fun film.
- DirectorJohn J. FitzgeraldStarsChris FoyThe story of Irish baseball, from County Cork to Fenway Park.Very entertaining documentary on baseball in Ireland focusing a lot on the early days of the Irish national team competing in the European Baseball Championships (B-pool). Charming and engaging.
- DirectorJonathan A. RosenbaumStarsChris KleinJon LovitzChelsey ReistAfter a freak accident ruins a guy's chances at playing professional baseball, he joins a competitive softball league for lawyers.By the numbers stupid comedy. Nothing to see here but very bad jokes and cardboard characters.
- DirectorDennis DuganStarsDavid SpadeJon HederRob SchneiderA trio of guys try and make up for missed opportunities in childhood by forming a three-player baseball team to compete against standard children's Little League squads.Absolutely by-the-numbers stupid comedy. You can guess everything that is going to happen well before it does. At least it is better than its sequel. Watch only if you can put your brain on "stupid."
- DirectorEdward SedgwickStarsRobert YoungMadge EvansNat PendletonPop Clark is about to lose his baseball team, unless they can win the pennant so he can pay off debts. He hires ace player Larry Evans to ensure the victory. As well as rival teams, mobsters are trying to prevent the wins, and as the pennant race nears the end, Pop's star players begin to be killed, on and off the field. Can Larry romance Pop's daughter, win enough games, and still have time to stop a murderer before he strikes more than three times?Well made murder mystery has some ok baseball scenes. Unfortunately, there are too many backscreen projection shots during the baseball sequences. The plot is interesting and you will probably not guess the killer's identity before the big reveal. All the actors are fine including Robert Young who has the right amount of cockiness required. Madge Evans holds her own and is excellent in her scenes with Young. A good film overall.
- DirectorChapman WayMaclain WayStarsLou RussellKurt RussellKen WheelerIn 1973, Hollywood actor Bing Russell starts an independent minor league baseball team in Portland consisting of outcasts and misfits, and turns them into unlikely overnight success.Terrific, upbeat documentary on an independent minor-league team started by Hollywood actor Bing Russel. This was a ragtag team full of misfits who were loved by their fans. A must see. Kurt Russel, Bing's son, was one of the players and he is interviewed throughout.