Big Leaguer

Big Leaguer

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Aldrich
Produced by Matthew Rapf
Written by Herbert Baker
John McNulty (story)
Starring Edward G. Robinson
Vera-Ellen
Jeff Richards
Richard Jaeckel
William Campbell
Cinematography William C. Mellor
Edited by Ben Lewis
Production
company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • August 19, 1953 (1953-08-19)
Running time
 71 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $498,000[1][2]
Box office $559,000[1]

Big Leaguer is a 1953 film. It starred Edward G. Robinson and was the first film directed by Robert Aldrich.

Although this story is fiction, Robinson's character in it, Hans Lobert, was an actual baseball player who played for five Major League Baseball teams and managed the Philadelphia Phillies. Third-billed in the cast, Jeff Richards was a professional ballplayer before he became an actor, and Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell appears as himself.

Plot

John "Hans" Lobert runs a training camp in Florida for baseball's New York Giants. Every year, he evaluates the 18-22-year-old hopefuls to pick the best for a minor league contract. All have dreams and talent, but the elimination whittles them down to a lucky few who will get the $150-a-month contract.

Lobert's niece comes down from the home office in New York and finds herself attracted to one of the players, the tall, quiet Adam Polachuk.

Cast

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $467,000 in the US and Canada and $92,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $163,000.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ↑ The figure has also been given as $800,000 - see Alain Silver and James Ursini, Whatever Happened to Robert Aldrich?, Limelight, 1995 p 230

External links


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