The Stratton Story *** (1949, James Stewart, June Allyson, Frank Morgan, Agnes Moorehead, Bill Williams) – Classic Movie Review 7873

Director Sam Wood’s 1949 hit The Stratton Story stars the popular star pair of James Stewart and June Allyson, and is based on an Oscar-winning Best Motion Picture Story by Douglas Morrow. Morrow also co-writes the screenplay with Guy Trosper.

Shot in black and white, The Stratton Story is a competently made, often engagingly written biopic of baseball player Monty Stratton (Stewart), whose career is shattered after a hunting accident in 1938 results in the amputation of his leg.

The Stratton Story is a warm and sometimes winning drama, lifted with a happy star pairing of Stewart and Allyson as his wife Ethel, plus an appealing support cast of rock solid character performers (Frank Morgan, Agnes Moorehead, Bill Williams, Bruce Cowling, Cliff Clark), who all work hard to give it a zest and charisma that is not entirely present in the production.

Stewart played another baseball pro six years later in Strategic Air Command, which also pairs him with Allyson. The Stratton Story is the first of Stewart and Allyson’s three films together, followed by Strategic Air Command (1955) and The Glenn Miller Story (1956).

Also in the cast are Gene Bearden, Bill Dickey, Jimmy Dykes and Mervyn Shea as themselves, Robert Gist, Dean White, Mary Lawrence and Mitchell Lewis.

The Stratton Story is directed by Sam Wood, runs 106 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Douglas Morrow and Guy Trosper, based on a story by Douglas Morrow, is shot in black and white by Harold Rosson, is produced by Jack Cummings and is scored by Adolph Deutsch.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7873

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