The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)

Biography of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player in the 20th century. Traces his career in the negro leagues and the major leagues.

Director:

Alfred E. Green

Writers:

Arthur Mann, Lawrence Taylor,

Stars:

Jackie Robinson, Ruby Dee, Minor Watson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jackie Robinson	...	Himself
Ruby Dee	...	Rae Robinson
Minor Watson	...	Branch Rickey, President Brooklyn Dodgers
Louise Beavers	...	Jackie's Mother
Richard Lane	...	Clay Hopper, Montreal Manager
Harry Shannon	...	Frank Shaughnessy, Dodger Executive
Ben Lessy	...	Shorty, Montreal Player
William 'Bill' Spaulding	...	Himself (as Bill Spaulding)
Billy Wayne	...	Clyde Sukeforth, Dodger Scout
Joel Fluellen	...	Mack Robinson
Bernie Hamilton	...	Ernie, Panther Player
Kenny Washington	...	Tigers Manager
Pat Flaherty	...	Karpen, Dodger Pitcher
Larry McGrath	...	Umpire
Emmett Smith	...	Catcher

Storyline

Biography of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player in the 20th century. Traces his career in the negro leagues and the major leagues.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | autobiographical | sports team | cat | brooklyn dodgers | 

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Taglines:

You'll HIT With Him! You'll RUN With Him! You'll SLIDE With Him!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 1950 (USA)

Filming Locations:

UCLA, Westwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jewel Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White (black and white version) Color (color version)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roy Glenn seen here in the uncredited role of Mr. Gaines, the Florida attorney, was very well known for a later role in a pivotal movie about race, the classic Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

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Goofs

Late 1940's cars can clearly be seen in the 1928 scenes.

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Quotes

Branch Rickey, President Brooklyn Dodgers: A box score - you know a box score is really democratic, Jackie. It doesn't say how big you are or how your father voted in the last election or what church you attend. It just tells you what kind of a ballplayer you were that day.
Jackie Robinson: Well, isn't that what counts?
Branch Rickey, President Brooklyn Dodgers: It's all that ought to count, and maybe someday it's all that will count.

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Connections

Featured in Cavalcade of Stars: Schaller Brothers/Kyle MacDonald/Gali Gali/Jackie Robinson (1950)

User Reviews

The Jackie Robinson Story gives the title star his own inspirational movie

Continuing to review African-Americans in film in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1950 when the first black to play baseball in the major leagues, Jackie Robinson, stars in his own life story in a motion picture made three years after becoming a player in the Brooklyn Dodgers. Since he's basically playing himself, he doesn't need scenes that challenge him, just recite lines that I'm sure were written in a way to make things easy to remember. We're not meant to be impressed by his acting, anyway, but his athleticism whether catching balls, throwing them, or especially hitting them. No, the real acting challenge came to Minor Watson who-as the actual President of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey-has to present authority and conviction as someone who truly believes in baseball as the democratic sport meant to give fair chances to all Americans of all races and creeds, which was convincing enough to me. So on that note, The Jackie Robinson Story was an inspirational enough movie that can still touch some heartstrings, old-fashioned though some of it may be. P.S. Since it is Black History Month, I'd like to note some of the supporting performers that happen to be people of color: first off, there's Ruby Dee as Jackie's wife, Rae, in one of her earliest roles. Then there's Louise Beavers, who I last saw in the 1934 Imitation of Life back in 2008 when I last did similar reviews for BHM, as Jackie's mother. Both are adequate enough in their parts. The others-Bernie Hamilton as Ernie-a player for the Panthers, Mildred Boyd as a roommate of Rae, Howard Louis MacNeely playing Jackie as a boy, and Kenny Washington as the Tigers manager. He was previously a halfback for the Los Angeles Rams. Two more worth mentioning: Roy Glenn as attorney Mr. Gaines. He would later appear in "Amos 'n' Andy", Carmen Jones, and "The Jack Benny Program" among other movies and TV shows for the next 21 years. And, last but not least, Joel Fluellen as Jackie's older brother Mack. He was born in Monroe in my home state of Louisiana.