Death on the Diamond (1934)

Director:

Edward Sedgwick

Writers:

Cortland Fitzsimmons (book)
Harvey F. Thew (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 September 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Love finds a way--to solve the most baffling mystery in sports history!

Plot:

Pop Clark is about to lose his baseball team, unless they can win the pennant so he can pay off debts...

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Pennant Race | St. Louis Cardinals | Hot Dog | Doctor

Cast

Robert Young	...	Larry Kelly
Madge Evans	...	Frances Clark
Nat Pendleton	...	'Truck' Hogan
Ted Healy	...	Terrence 'Terry' / 'Crawfish' O'Toole
C. Henry Gordon	...	Joseph 'Joe' Karnes
Paul Kelly	...	Jimmie Downey (reporter)
David Landau	...	Pop Clark (manager)
DeWitt Jennings	...	Mr. Patterson (groundskeeper)
Edward Brophy	...	Police Sgt. Grogan
Willard Robertson	...	Police Lt Luke Cato
Mickey Rooney	...	Mickey
Robert Livingston	...	Frank 'Higgie' Higgins
Joe Sawyer	...	Duncan 'Dunk' Spencer (as Joe Sauers)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Alexander	...	Dick (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Game Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Bruce Bennett	...	Man on Ticket Line (uncredited)
Julie Bescos	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Ward Bond	...	Security Guard in Kelly's Room (uncredited)
Walter Brennan	...	Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Man on Ticket Line (uncredited)
Ralph Bushman	...	Sam Warmack - Cardinal Pitcher (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham	...	Pool Player (uncredited)
Walter Clinton	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
Baldwin Cooke	...	Cardinal Player (uncredited)
Jules Cowles	...	Driving Farmer Listening to Game on Radio (uncredited)
James Ellison	...	Cubs Player (uncredited)
Jim Farley	...	Charlie - Policeman at St. Louis Stadium (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Pat, Cardinal Coach (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Baseball Commissioner (uncredited)
Sumner Getchell	...	Man on Ticket Line (uncredited)
Leslie Goodwins	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Cardinal Player (uncredited)
Duke Green	...	Cardinal Player (uncredited)
Billy Griffith	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Game Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	St. Louis Stadium Guard (uncredited)
Howard C. Hickman	...	Dr. Cushman (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Moore - Cardinal Player (uncredited)
John Hyams	...	Henry Ainsley (uncredited)
Alice Lake	...	Lucy Warmack (uncredited)
Marc Lawrence	...	Bookies' Doorman (uncredited)
Frank Layton	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Bert Lindley	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Gambler at Karnes' Meeting (uncredited)
Ray Mayer	...	Sugar Kane - Cardinal Player (uncredited)
Roger Moore	...	Cardinal Player, #11 (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	Husband (uncredited)
Jack Norton	...	Gambler Associate of Karnes (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Game Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	In-Studio Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Eddie Phillips	...	Man in Broadcasting Booth at Game (uncredited)
Jack Raymond	...	Man on Ticket Line (uncredited)
Sam Rice	...	Man in Karnes' Box at Game (uncredited)
Albert Richman	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Kane Richmond	...	Man on Ticket Line (uncredited)
Hector Sarno	...	Barber (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Barber Customer (uncredited)
Gertrude Short	...	Player's Wife (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Gambler at Karnes' Meeting (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Burke - Ex-Ballplayer (uncredited)
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones	...	Porter (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
Billy Watson	...	Boy (uncredited)
Bobby Watson	...	Game Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Allen Wood	...	Newsboy (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward Sedgwick

Writing credits
Cortland Fitzsimmons		(book)
Harvey F. Thew		(screenplay) (as Harvey Thew) &
Joseph Sherman		(screenplay) (as Joe Sherman) and
Ralph Spence		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lucien Hubbard	....	producer

Original Music by
William Axt		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner		(as Milton Krasner)

Film Editing by
Frank Sullivan

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Waters	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Edward Woehler	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
David Townsend	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
G.A. Burns	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Stunts
Fred Graham	....	baseball sequences stunt double: Nat Pendleton
Chuck Hamilton	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Binger	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Leonard Smith	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)

Music Department
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Pat Flaherty	....	technical advisor: baseball (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	technical advisor: baseball (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Chicago Cubs  baseball players (uncredited)
• St. Louis Cardinals  baseball players (uncredited)

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #184) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Filmed at L.A.'s Wrigley Field and the old Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Several ballplayers appear including the Cardinals real center fielder Ernie Orsatti who is shot "by the camera" as he crosses the plate.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the game resumes, after the bad guy is caught, the camera pans across the scoreboard to show that the game is tied, 2-2. The radio announcer then states, "Cincinnati hasn't scored since Kelly threw that ball into the dugout and let the tying run come in." Cincinnati was the visiting team and the last run it scored, in the top of the second inning, would have made the score 2-1 (Cincinnati leading). It would not have been a tying run.

Soundtrack:

The Stars and Stripes Forever (1896)

Weak murder mystery takes place on baseball diamond...

A very youthful looking ROBERT YOUNG plays a star pitcher hired to help the St. Louis Cardinals win the '34 pennant race. He falls in love with the manager's daughter, pretty MADGE EVANS.

The team is soon involved in a series of murders that take place on the baseball field or in the locker room. Since most of the action takes place in broad daylight, there's no chance to build up the suspense to turn this into a crime melodrama. Instead, the heavier touch is on comedy, supplied by NAT PENDLETON and TED HEALEY. Unfortunately, their humorous material is a bit strained for laughs.

Real footage of the Cardinals is integrated with the studio footage shot at Wrigley Field, with mixed results that are more distracting than anything else. Revelation of the murderer comes in the last reel and is far from satisfying, leading to a scene of ham acting at its worst.

Nothing special about this one, even with a cast that includes PAUL KELLY, WILLARD ROBERTSON and pint-sized MICKEY ROONEY in supporting roles.

Some uncredited bits by GARY OWEN, WARD BOND and DENNIS O'KEEFE for those who stay awake during the proceedings.