The Pride of the Yankees **** (1942, Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth, Walter Brennan, Dan Duryea) – Classic Movie Review 7157

Lou Gehrig (1903–1941).

Director Sam Wood’s 1942 biographical drama The Pride of the Yankees stars an ideally cast Gary Cooper, in one of his most fondly remembered roles, who has no trouble at all stirring up the emotions with this sterling biopic of tragic famed baseball player hero Henry ‘Lou’ Gehrig. And there won’t be a dry eye in the house at the end of Cooper’s farewell pep talk at Yankee Stadium. It is a most rousing and effective, heart-felt tribute to American hero Lou Gehrig, who had recently died when the film was made. It was a short life but a great one.

Teresa Wright leads the strong support cast as his wife Eleanor, along with Babe Ruth (as himself), Walter Brennan and Dan Duryea, and there is meticulous direction by Wood. It is well written by Jo Swerling and Herman Mankiewicz, based on an original story by Paul Gallico. Brennan plays sportswriter Sam Blake, loosely based on writer Fred Lieb, a close friend of Gehrig.

Okay, it is perhaps not the best sports story ever, but it is plenty good enough.

Daniel Mandell won an Oscar for Best Film Editing, surprisingly the only win after a hefty 11 nominations, including best picture, actor (Cooper) and actress (Wright).

Also in the cast are Elsa Janssen, Ludwig Stossel, Virginia Gilmore, Ernie Adams, Addison Richards, Hardie Albright, Bill Dickey, Pierre Watkin, Harry Harvey, Bob Meusel, Bill Stern, Edward Fielding, George Lessey, Edgar Barrier, Douglas Croft, Gene Collins, Ray Noble, Dane Clark, Frank Faylen, Lane Chandler, Spencer Charters, Gino Corrado, Janey Chapman, Pat Flaherty, Mary Gordon, John Kellogg, Eddie Hall, Matt McHugh, Sarah Padden, George Offerman, Emory Parnell, Dave Manley, Billy Roy, Anita Sharp-Bolster, Jack Shea, C Montague Shaw, Dorothy Vaughan.Robert Winkler and Yolanda.

The Pride of the Yankees is directed by Sam Wood, runs 128 minutes, is made by Samuel Goldwyn Productions, is released by RKO, is written by Jo Swerling and Herman J Mankiewicz, and Casey Robinson (uncredited), is shot in black and white by Rudolph Maté, is produced by Samuel Goldwyn, is scored by Leigh Harline, and is designed by William Cameron Menzies, with Special Effects by Jack Cosgrove (photographic), Ray Binger (photographic) and Thomas T Moulton (sound), who was also Oscar nominated for the Best Sound, Recording.

[Spoiler alert] Lou Gehrig then had the major league record for the 2,130 consecutive games played for the New York Yankees between 1925 and 1939, with a .340 career batting average, before falling victim at the age of 37 to ALS, the deadly nerve disease that now bears his name.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7157

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