The Stratton Story (1949)

Crappy film

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

They don't make baseball movies any more that are as inspirational as "Pride of the Yankees" director Sam Wood's true-life saga "The Stratton Story" with James Stewart and June Allyson as Monty and Ethel Stratton. Stratton is a county boy who runs his father's farm and lives with his mother. When he isn't picking cotton, he walks ten miles to pitch baseball games for $3 per game. Monty is as happy as he can be until he encounters a hobo, Barney Wile (Frank Morgan of "The Wizard of Oz"), who awakens in a boxcar when a baseball flies inside and bounces around. This random bouncing ball whets Barney's curiosity and he gets himself a seat in the bleachers and marvels at Monty's pitching. Barney has been having himself a tough go of it lately because he bottled himself in booze and lose his job with the Chicago White Sox baseball team. Now, he hobos around with nowhere in particular to go. Watching Monty hurl the baseball gives him delusions of grandeur. He wants to teach this young, raw, willowy kid the tricks of the trick and take him to the White Sox training camp in sunny California. Monty's mom, Ma Stratton (Agnes Moorehead of "Bewitched" fame) isn't impressed with Barney's palaver. Nevertheless, Barney teaches Monty, and Monty decides to hit the road with him. They hitch-hike to California and walk onto the White Sox's training camp. No sooner have they gotten there than Barney's old pal that he has been bragging to Monty about, Jimmy Dykes (real life White Sox coach Jimmy Dykes), wants to run them off. Dykes decides to give Monty a chance, and he likes the way Monty pitches. Monty gets a contract, but he also gets more when he double-dates with a teammate, Eddie Dibson (Bill Williams of "Rio Lobo"), and he meets his future wife, Ethel (June Allyson of "Little Women"), and they become romantically attracted to each other. The bubble bursts later when Monty pitches in a disastrous game to the legendary New York Yankees and Bill Dickey (real-life Bill Dickey) swats a four-bagger and the White Sox go down in defeat. Dykes packs Monty off to the minor leagues at Omaha and Monty seasons up. Before long he is pitching in the big leagues again and Ethel and he get hitched. Life is grand for them. They visit Ma Stratton during the winter and the money pours in and Monty lavishes the latest kitchen appliances on Ma who is amazed by these shiny gadgets. Tragedy strikes when Monty goes hunting and accidentally shoots himself in the leg. The doctors have to amputate Monty's leg and his dreams of continuing as a big-league sensation are thwarted. Of course, Monty endures a period of grief, sadness, and self-pity. Eventually, he recovers sufficiently to pick up a baseball and start hurling again. He accomplishes this feat after he attaches the prosthetic leg that the hospital sent home with him. Monty arranges to pitch in a regional all-star baseball game much to the chagrin of Ethel and Ma who fear the worst for him. The opposing team pulls every trick in the book, particularly bunting because Monty's prosthetic leg hampers him from getting to the ball quick enough. Eventually, he is able to throw one runner out at first base.Of course, Wood and scenarists Douglas Morrow of "Jim Thorpe—All American" and Guy Trosper of "Birdman of Alcatraz") stick to the facts as much as they can, but they have taken liberties with Stratton's life. Altogether, Monty's courage and determination to overcome a permanent disability and Stewart's sympathetic performance makes this a memorable sports saga that all baseball fans must see!

Before Hollywood took to making "feel good" movies, this is what they made: apparently simple stories that were intelligently and not at all simply written, performed by actors who knew how to act so well that, if you don't pay attention, you think they are just "being themselves," whereas they are actually building characters, a little piece at a time.Yes, James Stewart is the star of this picture, and for very good reason. His Stratton is not a country rube. He's a young man with certain ideas, certain goals, and certain ideals. He's not perfect, and Stewart and his director, Sam Wood - who directed such a variety of masterpieces as the Marx Brothers' A Night at the Opera, Goodbye Mr. Chips (one of my favorite movies), and For Whom the Bell Tolls - do not sugarcoat that part of his character. Stewart builds a very complete, human individual from a lot of small details. He also looks like a real baseball pitcher on the mound, which amazed me.Allyson is not one of my favorite actresses, but she is good here, if not at Stewart's level. She doesn't seem cute - nothing like Meg Ryan at her worst, say. She, too, seems real. And when she has to play catch, she doesn't throw like a girl, which is pretty impressive! You don't have to know a thing about baseball to enjoy this movie, since it actually has very little to do with baseball. It's the story of a fundamentally good man who is badly mistreated by fate, but who rises above that, eventually, not because he is a goody two-shoes, but because he has certain very fundamental values that he will not abandon.It's not surprising that this movie won the Oscar for best script. The story seems simple, and it is, but it is developed in a very careful, very intelligent way.

Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Baseball Movies; ah yes, just what could be more American! Ever since the earliest days of the motion pictures as both Business and Art Form, we've had them with us. Some were not so good, whereas most were pretty good and some were truly outstanding.THE STRATTON STORY has to rank in the uppermost tier when it comes to placement. It is not only in the First Division*, but it also Wins the Pennant! This is one biopic that just had to be made! First of all, a Great Man, my own Dad, the late Clem Ryan, had a saying that, "Truth is Stranger than Fiction." He didn't claim that it was his original, just a favourite. Monty Stratton's real life story was certainly a good example to use.The cast was excellent both in the choice of Actors to fill the roles. Mr. Stratton,was very much like his movie biographical counterpart, James Stewart. Stratton was listed at 6'6" in height, but weighing a slender 180 lbs. Stewart also used a slow, deliberate manner of speech. He is practical, even economic in not wasting any words needlessly. This may even be an indication of the personality of a man shaped by the life on a farm and dealing with the realities of the Great Depression.June Allyson and Agnes Morehead provide their best characterizations as the women in Stratton's life; being Wife and Mother, respectively. Miss Allyson is very beautiful, sweet and fragile, and yet demonstrates a strength of character that rises to the occasion when the tragedy strikes her husband. Miss Morehead goes the 'less is better' route by underplaying her part as Stratton's Mother and brings her across firm, loving and kind.The real life Major Leaguers in the film do adequately in the roles given them, like playing themselves-a not so easy thing to do before an audience or rolling cameras.Pitcher Gene Beardon,Catcher Mervyn Shea and Yankee Great,Catcher and Manager, Bill Dickey, all add a certain authenticity to the story. And long time player and White Sox Manager Jimmy Dykes turns in a yeoman's job in managing before the camera.It is Frank Morgan, who portrays a former Big League Catcher, now a down and out hobo.Ity is he who discovers the young Monty Stratton and in turn, he finds his own worth as a man and useful person. Now, we just don't know if his character of Barney Wile was a real person or not. Mr. Morgan shows the deep acting talents in bringing the character to the screen. Even in the scenes when he is instructing Baseball Fundamentals, he appears to be a real, old veteran Ball Player who has been through it all.THE STRATTON STORY is a good example of what a Hollywood can be. Its ilk is timeless and the Film Moguls would do well to give the making of this kind of Movie a try again. They might be surprised at that old Barometer of The Film Business, namely Box Office.* First Division is a now outmoded Baseball term. In the days before League Expansion, about 1961, both the National League and the Amwercan League had 8 teams each. In reference to the standings First Division meant the teams ranked in 1st through 4th Place. 5th through 8th Place was called Second Division, with the 8th Place team was referred to as being in 'The Cellar'. The First Division Teams also received a share of World Series Money.

This was a nice baseball story, nothing exceptional but Jimmy Stewart's presence in the title roll elevates the movie.Jimmy looks a bit old to be playing a rookie pitcher, and he doesn't throw like a professional, but at least he isn't pathetic in that regard like some of the other classic-era actors who attempted to do so (you know who they are). They faked enough of the pitching scenes here to get away with Stewart's baseball shortcomings.Anyway, it's just as much a human-interest story as it is a baseball movie, the story of "Monty Stratton" (Stewart) and his girlfriend-then-bride "Ethel," played warmly by June Allyson. She and Frank Morgan, who plays the scout to discovers Monty, are excellent as the two other main actors of the film. In a supporting role, Agnes Moorehead gives her normal competent performance as Monty's mom.On my second viewing I was surprised to discover that the key part of the film - the part which identifies this story as different from others - doesn't occur until the last third of the film. Then, after that, we see how a difficult and traumatic physical loss affects everyone and whether Monty can return to his baseball passion.Overall, it's an entertaining film if you are a fan of Stewart's work, or a big baseball fan and most people fall into at least one of those categories. If remade today, I would suspect the script would be a little tighter, but stories were told slower 50 years ago and one has to expect that. I'm not complaining. I've enjoyed the movie both times I've watched it, and the DVD transfer is very good.