Okay, for one minute let us forget our sentimentality over the many contributions to the National Pastime made by the real Babe Ruth and look at this minor league effort of a movie. William Bendix, a journeyman character actor, was unable to inject any life into the role thanks to a terrible script devoid of accuracy (pure corn paying no attention to the facts). So Bendix gives us a cardboard performance standing in front of cardboard sets.
He failed miserably in trying to emulate The Babe, who is arguably the most visible if not recognizable ballplayer in history. It was virtually impossible to convince the audience that Bendix is The Babe, especially in the year of Ruth's death. Strike one!
Like Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees, Bendix was a natural right-hander trying to swing lefty. In Pride, Cooper swung from the right side while wearing a cap and shirt with reversed Yankee logos -- and the film was flipped to turn him around to appear "lefty" on the screen. With no such special-effects aid, Bendix looks embarrassingly awkward (klutzy) trying to sell the audience he's the great left-handed Bambino. He looks like anything but a major league baseball player, let alone The Babe -- and it is hard for the audience to suspend its belief enought to accept Bendix as a star athlete like Ruth. Strike two!
The cliche-riddled script is so bad, it's hard to take seriously. Sure, the Babe ordered hisself a milk in a tavern. Pure drivel. Sure, the real Babe died testing a miracle drug. Writer's embellishment. Yer out!
Maybe this movie was intended to inspire 12-year-olds. But I'm not 12, and The Babe Ruth Story is the sports movie equivalent of Plan 9 -- another movie intending to be serious but turning out to be unintentionally funny -- but The Babe Ruth Story never developed Plan 9's cult following. Plan 9 is so bad, it's entertaining. The Babe Ruth Story is plain bad, and tough to watch.
Babe Ruth has been portrayed numerous times on the Big Screen, and for someone so recognizable, it is hard for us to accept most actors attempting the part. Bendix isn't believable at all, and neither was John Goodman, although he came closer. Perhaps the best reincarnation of Ruth was by Joe Don Baker as "The Whammer" in "The Natural." When Baker's character is introduced on the train, he looks so much like the real Ruth it's scary.
Someday, someone will make a great movie about Babe Ruth. We're all waiting.
He failed miserably in trying to emulate The Babe, who is arguably the most visible if not recognizable ballplayer in history. It was virtually impossible to convince the audience that Bendix is The Babe, especially in the year of Ruth's death. Strike one!
Like Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees, Bendix was a natural right-hander trying to swing lefty. In Pride, Cooper swung from the right side while wearing a cap and shirt with reversed Yankee logos -- and the film was flipped to turn him around to appear "lefty" on the screen. With no such special-effects aid, Bendix looks embarrassingly awkward (klutzy) trying to sell the audience he's the great left-handed Bambino. He looks like anything but a major league baseball player, let alone The Babe -- and it is hard for the audience to suspend its belief enought to accept Bendix as a star athlete like Ruth. Strike two!
The cliche-riddled script is so bad, it's hard to take seriously. Sure, the Babe ordered hisself a milk in a tavern. Pure drivel. Sure, the real Babe died testing a miracle drug. Writer's embellishment. Yer out!
Maybe this movie was intended to inspire 12-year-olds. But I'm not 12, and The Babe Ruth Story is the sports movie equivalent of Plan 9 -- another movie intending to be serious but turning out to be unintentionally funny -- but The Babe Ruth Story never developed Plan 9's cult following. Plan 9 is so bad, it's entertaining. The Babe Ruth Story is plain bad, and tough to watch.
Babe Ruth has been portrayed numerous times on the Big Screen, and for someone so recognizable, it is hard for us to accept most actors attempting the part. Bendix isn't believable at all, and neither was John Goodman, although he came closer. Perhaps the best reincarnation of Ruth was by Joe Don Baker as "The Whammer" in "The Natural." When Baker's character is introduced on the train, he looks so much like the real Ruth it's scary.
Someday, someone will make a great movie about Babe Ruth. We're all waiting.