I give this film fairly high marks for a couple of reasons. First, it's very difficult not to like Joe E. Brown on screen. There's just something sort of indefinable about him that makes you smile...and often laugh...sometimes out loud. Brown makes the most of his role here as a great baseball player that has the habit of not being able to be quite honest about anything he says at all...and he not attempting to be deceitful...he just has the CONSTANT urge to fabricate his response to any question or situation. It's interesting here to also note that Brown was a pretty athletic guy, so just right for this film.
This film was also the first to be released of a new actress -- Olivia deHavilland. And, she just as she always was. Delightful.
William Frawley (much later to be Fred Mertz) has a meatier role here than he did in most of his films...as the baseball team manager. And he's very good in it.
The other players, though key to the story are not names many of us know today, but they all do their jobs well, here.
The one downer to this film is the lack of an explanation. Why does Ike fabricate everything instead of just telling the truth? That is never answered.
Even for us non-sports-fans, every once in a while a baseball movie will come along that keeps us entertained. This is one of those films. Definitely worth a watch.
This film was also the first to be released of a new actress -- Olivia deHavilland. And, she just as she always was. Delightful.
William Frawley (much later to be Fred Mertz) has a meatier role here than he did in most of his films...as the baseball team manager. And he's very good in it.
The other players, though key to the story are not names many of us know today, but they all do their jobs well, here.
The one downer to this film is the lack of an explanation. Why does Ike fabricate everything instead of just telling the truth? That is never answered.
Even for us non-sports-fans, every once in a while a baseball movie will come along that keeps us entertained. This is one of those films. Definitely worth a watch.