Flashing Spikes

Flashing Spikes
Directed by	John Ford
Written by	Jameson Brewer Frank O'Rourke (novel)
Starring	James Stewart John Wayne (billed as "Michael Morris")
Narrated by	Fred Astaire
Music by	John Williams
Cinematography	William H. Clothier
Edited by	Richard Belding Tony Martinelli
Release dates	1962 (1962)
Running time	53 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Flashing Spikes is a 1962 teleplay directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart, with a lengthy surprise appearance by John Wayne, billed in the credits as "Michael Morris" (apparently based on Wayne's birth name "Marion Michael Morrison"). The hour-long drama revolving around a disgraced ex-baseball player (Stewart) was broadcast as an episode of the anthology series Alcoa Premiere hosted by Fred Astaire.

The script was based upon a novel by Frank O'Rourke and the supporting cast includes Jack Warden, Tige Andrews, Patrick Wayne, Don Drysdale, Vin Scully, Harry Carey, Jr., and Edgar Buchanan. The Director of Photography was William H. Clothier.

This show's director John Ford, actors James Stewart and John Wayne, and cinematographer William H. Clothier also filmed The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance together the same year.

Ford had also directed a half-hour baseball television drama shown on Screen Director's Playhouse in 1955 with an extremely similar theme, Rookie of the Year, also with Patrick Wayne as the phenomenal young player but with his father John Wayne, Vera Miles, and Ward Bond in the leads, all of whom Ford would direct in The Searchers the following year.

Flashing Spikes remains available for public viewing at the Paley Center for Media in New York City and Los Angeles.

Cast

James Stewart ... Slim Conway
John Wayne ... Umpire behind pitcher (billed as "Michael Morris")
Jack Warden ... Baseball Commissioner
Patrick Wayne ... Bill Riley
Tige Andrews ... Gaby Lasalle
Carleton Young ... Rex Short
Don Drysdale ... Gomer
Harry Carey, Jr. ... Baseball player in dugout
Vin Scully ... Announcer
Edgar Buchanan ... Crab Holman

External links

Films by John Ford

Silent films	The Tornado (1917) The Trail of Hate (1917) The Scrapper (1917) Cheyenne's Pal (1917) The Soul Herder (1917) Straight Shooting (1917) The Secret Man (1917) A Marked Man (1917) Bucking Broadway (1917) The Phantom Riders (1918) Wild Women (1918) Thieves' Gold (1918) The Scarlet Drop (1918) Hell Bent (1918) A Woman's Fool (1918) The Craving (1918) Three Mounted Men (1918) Roped (1919) The Fighting Brothers (1919) A Fight for Love (1919) Rustlers (1919) Bare Fists (1919) Gun Law (1919) By Indian Post (1919) The Gun Packer (1919) Riders of Vengeance (1919) The Last Outlaw (1919) The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1919) Ace of the Saddle (1919) Rider of the Law (1919) A Gun Fightin' Gentleman (1919) Marked Men (1919) The Prince of Avenue A (1920) The Girl in Number 29 (1920) Hitchin' Posts (1920) Just Pals (1920) The Big Punch (1921) The Freeze-Out (1921) The Wallop (1921) Desperate Trails (1921) Action (1921) Sure Fire (1921) Jackie (1921) Little Miss Smiles (1922) Silver Wings (1922) The Village Blacksmith (1922) The Face on the Bar-Room Floor (1923) Three Jumps Ahead (1923) Cameo Kirby (1923) North of Hudson Bay (1923) Hoodman Blind (1923) Hearts of Oak (1924) Lightnin' (1925) Kentucky Pride (1925) Thank You (1925) The Fighting Heart (1925) The Shamrock Handicap (1926) 3 Bad Men (1926) Upstream (1927) Four Sons (1928) Strong Boy (1929)

Sound films	The Black Watch (1929) Men Without Women (1930) Born Reckless (1930) Up the River (1930) Seas Beneath (1931) The Brat (1931) Arrowsmith (1931) Air Mail (1932) Pilgrimage (1933) Doctor Bull (1933) The Lost Patrol (1934) The World Moves On (1934) Judge Priest (1934) The Whole Town's Talking (1935) The Informer (1935) Steamboat Round the Bend (1935) The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936) Mary of Scotland (1936) The Plough and the Stars (1936) Wee Willie Winkie (1937) The Hurricane (1937) Four Men and a Prayer (1938) Submarine Patrol (1938) Stagecoach (1939) Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) The Grapes of Wrath (1940) The Long Voyage Home (1940) Tobacco Road (1941) How Green Was My Valley (1941) They Were Expendable (1945) My Darling Clementine (1946) The Fugitive (1947) Fort Apache (1948) 3 Godfathers (1948) She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) Wagon Master (1950) Rio Grande (1950) The Quiet Man (1952) What Price Glory (1952) The Sun Shines Bright (1953) Mogambo (1953) The Long Gray Line (1955) Mister Roberts (co-d, 1955) The Searchers (1956) The Wings of Eagles (1957) The Rising of the Moon (1957) Gideon's Day (1958) The Last Hurrah (1958) The Horse Soldiers (1959) Sergeant Rutledge (1960) Two Rode Together (1961) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) How the West Was Won (1963) Donovan's Reef (1963) Cheyenne Autumn (1964) 7 Women (1966)

Television	"Rookie of the Year" (1955) "The Colter Craven Story" "Flashing Spikes" (1962)

Productions	The Iron Horse (1924) The Blue Eagle (1926) Mother Machree (1928) Hangman's House (1928) Riley the Cop (1928) Salute (1929) Flesh (1932) The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) Young Cassidy (1965)

Documentaries	Torpedo Squadron Sex Hygiene (1942) The Battle of Midway (1942) December 7th (1943) This is Korea (1951) Korea: Battleground for Liberty (1959) Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend (1970) Vietnam! Vietnam! (1971) (produced and co-wrote)

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