jem132 Review of The Pride of the Yankees

The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

Another American hero brought to you by Cooper

[8/10 · 2 July 2009]

Producer Sam Goldwyn pulls out all the stops here- big emotional moments, sentiment, rousing, well-worked American tunes--yet somehow it all still works in this biopic of famed baseball player Lou Gehrig. It works in large part due to the sincerity of Gary Cooper, who was perfect for these boyishly charming characters. Having Sam Wood on board as director is an equally great asset, with Wood doing well in a couple of other child-to-adulthood period productions, "Kitty Foyle" and "King's Row". He knew how to strike your heart with a big scene, but not to beat you over the head with it. A number of other Goldwyn players were used in this film, Dan Duryea, Walter Brennan and Teresa Wright. All add good things with their performances. I like this film as I'm a sucker for a heart-warming, yet sad story told well.