A League of Their Own (1992)

Director:

Penny Marshall

Writers (WGA):

Kim Wilson (story) &
Kelly Candaele (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 July 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

To achieve the incredible you have to attempt the impossible.

Plot:

Two sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amidst their own growing rivalry.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Oregon | Drink | Rivalry | Softball

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Jimmy Dugan
Geena Davis	...	Dottie Hinson
Madonna	...	Mae Mordabito
Lori Petty	...	Kit Keller
Jon Lovitz	...	Ernie Capadino
David Strathairn	...	Ira Lowenstein
Garry Marshall	...	Walter Harvey
Bill Pullman	...	Bob Hinson
Megan Cavanagh	...	Marla Hooch - 2nd Base
Rosie O'Donnell	...	Doris Murphy - 3rd Base
Tracy Reiner	...	Betty 'Betty Spaghetti' Horn - Left Field
Bitty Schram	...	Evelyn Gardner - Right Field
Don S. Davis	...	Charlie Collins, Racine Coach (as Don Davis)
Renée Coleman	...	Alice Gaspers - Left Field / Center Field (as Renee Coleman)
Ann Cusack	...	Shirley Baker - Left Field
Eddie Jones	...	Dave Hooch
Freddie Simpson	...	Ellen Sue Gotlander - Shortstop / Pitcher
Anne Ramsay	...	Helen Haley - 1st Base (as Anne Elizabeth Ramsay)
Robin Knight	...	'Beans' Babbitt - Shortstop
Patti Pelton	...	Marbleann Wilkenson - 2nd Base
Kelli Simpkins	...	Beverly Dixon - Outfield
Neezer Tarleton	...	Neezer Dalton - Outfield
Connie Pounds-Taylor	...	Connie Calhoun - Outfield
Kathleen Marshall	...	'Mumbles' Brockman - Outfield
Sharon Szmidt	...	Vivian Ernst - 2nd Base
Pauline Brailsford	...	Miss Cuthbert
Justin Scheller	...	Stilwell Gardner
Alan Wilder	...	Nelson
Michael Haley	...	Empathetic Umpire (as R.M. Haley)
Janet Jones	...	Racine Pitcher
Brenda Ferrari	...	Racine Catcher
Téa Leoni	...	Racine 1st Base (as Tea Leoni)
Laurel Cronin	...	Maida Gillespie
Robert Stanton	...	Western Union Man
Wantland L. Sandel Jr.	...	Doctor
Joe Krowka	...	Heckler
Harry Shearer	...	Newsreel Announcer
Blaire Baron	...	Margaret
Ryan Howell	...	Jeffrey
Brian Boru Gleeson	...	Bobby
David Franks	...	Vacuum Salesman
Ryan Olsen	...	Dollbody Kid
Ellie Weingardt	...	Charm School Instructor
Larissa Collins	...	Charm School Assistant
Douglas Blakeslee	...	Doris' Fan #1
Joey Slotnick	...	Doris' Fan #2
Brian Flannery	...	Autograph Kid #1
Stephen Feagley	...	Autograph Kid #2
Rae Allen	...	Ma Keller
Gregory Sporleder	...	Mitch Swaley
Eddie Mekka	...	Mae's Guy in Bar
Stephen Mailer	...	Kit's Guy in Bar
Raymond L. Chapman	...	Ticket Scalper (as Ray Chapman)
Joette Hodgen	...	Opera Singer
Lynn Cartwright	...	Older Dottie
Kathleen Butler	...	Older Kit
Eunice Anderson	...	Older Mae
Vera Johnson	...	Older Doris
Patricia Wilson	...	Older Marla
Mark Holton	...	Older Stilwell
Barbara Erwin	...	Older Shirley
Betty Miller	...	Older Betty
Eugenia McLin	...	Older Ellen Sue
Barbara Pilavin	...	Older Helen
Marvin Einhorn	...	Older Ira
Shirley Burkovich	...	Older Alice
Dolores 'Pickles' Dries	...	Lady in Bleachers
Shelly Adlard	...	Additional Player
Vickie Buse	...	Additional Player
K.C. Carr	...	Additional Player
Julie Croteau	...	Additional Player
Tonya Gilles Koch	...	Additional Player
Kirsten Gretick	...	Additional Player
Stacey Gustaferro	...	Additional Player
Lisa Hand	...	Additional Player
Cheryl Jones	...	Additional Player
Shelly Niemeyer	...	Additional Player
Sally Rutherford	...	Additional Player
Lita Schmitt	...	Additional Player
Amanda Walker	...	Additional Player
Brenda Watson	...	Additional Player
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sarah Cosgrove-Gaumond	...	Charm School Assistant (uncredited)
Cris Cunningham	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Andrea Helene	...	Model (uncredited)
Gary Houston	...	Ray Foster (uncredited)
David L. Lander	...	Radio Sportscaster (uncredited)
Kindra Marra	...	Racine Pitcher (uncredited)
Ed Quinn	...	Mr. Murphy (uncredited)
Keith Schrader	...	Umpire (uncredited)
Ray Toler	...	Loudmouth from Lukash (uncredited)

Directed by
Penny Marshall

Writing credits (WGA)
Kim Wilson		(story) &
Kelly Candaele		(story)
Lowell Ganz		(screenplay) &
Babaloo Mandel		(screenplay)

Produced by
Elliot Abbott	....	producer
Ronnie D. Clemmer	....	co-producer (as Ronnie Clemmer)
Robert Greenhut	....	producer
Joseph Hartwick	....	co-producer
Amy Lemisch	....	associate producer
Penny Marshall	....	executive producer
Bill Pace	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by
Miroslav Ondrícek		(director of photography) (as Miroslav Ondricek)

Film Editing by
Adam Bernardi
George Bowers

Casting by
Ellen Lewis
Amanda Mackey Johnson		(as Amanda Mackey)

Production Design by
Bill Groom

Art Direction by
Tim Galvin

Set Decoration by
George DeTitta Jr.

Costume Design by
Cynthia Flynt

Makeup Department
Linda Boykin-Williams	....	third makeup artist (as Linda B. Neuffer)
Joseph A. Campayno	....	makeup artist (as Joseph Campayno)
Anthony Cortino	....	hair stylist
Paul Gebbia	....	makeup artist
Bernadette Mazur	....	key makeup artist
Francesca Paris	....	key hair stylist
Linda Rizzuto	....	hair stylist (as Linda R. Rizzuto)
Christopher Shihar	....	hair stylist (as Kristofer C. Shihar)
Lun Yé Hodges	....	additional hair stylist (uncredited)
John Quaglia	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Timothy M. Bourne	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Greenhut	....	second assistant director
Michael Haley	....	first assistant director
Sam Hoffman	....	additional second assistant director
Robert Huberman	....	second assistant director
Gaetano Lisi	....	first assistant director: second unit
John Rusk	....	second assistant director
Rebecca Saionz	....	dga trainee

Art Department
David H. Allen	....	assistant property master
Tommy Allen	....	property master
Shannon Rayle Bourne	....	art department coordinator (as Shannon Rayle)
Jane Clark	....	storyboard artist
Harold Collins	....	construction coordinator (as Harold F. Collins Jr.)
D. Kelly Cummins	....	property master: Chicago
Ted Haigh	....	graphic designer
Kim S. Hobbs	....	assistant set decorator
Christopher Scheetz	....	construction foreman
Fredda Slavin	....	assistant art director
Rusty Smith	....	assistant art director
Robert Topol	....	chargeman scenic artist
M. Tony Trotta	....	master scenic artist (as Tony Trotta)
John Wolanczyk	....	stand-by scenic artist
Peter Damien	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Gerald DeTitta	....	lead man (uncredited)
Laura Iler	....	prop department production assistant (uncredited)
Christopher Nelson	....	set dresser (uncredited)
David Russell	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bobbi Banks	....	adr editor
Pamela Bentkowski	....	foley editor (as Pamela Bentowski)
Beth Bergeron	....	supervising adr editor
C. Douglas Cameron	....	cable person
Carmen Flores De Tanis	....	adr assistant (as Carmen Flores)
Dennis Drummond	....	supervising sound editor
Alison Fisher	....	dialogue editor
Sukey Fontelieu	....	foley editor
Wayne Griffin	....	sound editor
Kimberly Harris	....	adr editor
Robert Heffernan	....	adr editor
Adam Jenkins	....	sound re-recordist
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recordist
Les Lazarowitz	....	production sound mixer
Scott Millan	....	sound re-recordist
Karen Minahan	....	assistant sound editor
David Obermeyer	....	sound mixer: second unit
Andrew Patterson	....	dialogue editor
Michele Perrone	....	adr editor
Monique Salvato	....	assistant sound editor
Jeffrey A. Williams	....	boom operator (as Jeff Williams)
Ed Callahan	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Tony Currie	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)
Scott Jacobs	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Mark Kamps	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Thomas P. McNamara	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Christopher Duddy	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Al Cerullo	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dana Dru Evenson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ken Connors	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Robert Connors	....	chief lighting technician (as Bobby Conners)
Craig DiBona	....	camera operator
Edwin Effrein	....	second assistant camera
Kenneth Fundus	....	dolly grip (as Kenny Fundus)
Louis Goldman	....	still photographer
Billy Kerwick	....	best boy grip
George Kohut	....	camera operator: second unit
George Loomis	....	camera operator: second unit
Mollie S. Mallinger	....	second assistant camera
Dick Mingalone	....	camera operator: second unit
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera
Douglas Pellegrino	....	first assistant camera (as Doug Pellegrino)
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	additional photographer (as Thomas Priestley)
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	camera operator (as Thomas Priestley)
Andrew Priestley	....	second assistant camera
Ed Quinn	....	key grip (as Eddie Quinn Sr.)
Dennis De La Mata	....	key grip (uncredited)
Petr Hlinomaz	....	gaffer: second unit (uncredited)
Ondrej Kubicek	....	camera intern (uncredited)
Thomas Landi	....	electrician (uncredited)
Gerard Sava	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lisa S. Beasley	....	extras casting
Jane Brody	....	location casting: Chicago
Amanda A. Jobe	....	extras casting assistant
Erica Arvold	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Adkins	....	wardrobe: men
Kim Marie Druce	....	assistant costume designer (as Kim Druce)
David Dumais	....	wardrobe: men
Irene Ferrari	....	wardrobe: women
Suzanne McCabe	....	assistant costume designer
Marsha Bozeman	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Patrick Chevillot	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)
Margaret Shan Jensen	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Alan Balsam	....	additional film editor
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Laura Behary	....	assistant film editor
Penny Lee Hallin	....	apprentice film editor
Uri Katoni	....	assistant film editor
Doron Shauly	....	first assistant film editor
Christopher S. Capp	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)
Scot Deer	....	telecine colorist (uncredited)
Steve Kraus	....	editing systems technician (uncredited)
Maria Lee Silver	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Richard Marks	....	editorial consultant (uncredited)
Joe Shugart	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ladd McIntosh	....	orchestrator
Laura Perlman	....	music editor
Jay Rifkin	....	music mixer
Andrew Silver	....	preview music editor
Armin Steiner	....	orchestral engineer
Shirley Walker	....	conductor
Philip Ayling	....	musician: cor anglais (uncredited)
Rick Baptist	....	musician: trumpet (uncredited)
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist (uncredited)
Dennis Dreith	....	conductor: production numbers (uncredited)
Dennis Dreith	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Bruce Fowler	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Nico Golfar	....	score wrangler (uncredited)
Tony Kadell	....	assistant music editor (uncredited)
Jim Kanter	....	musician: clarinet (uncredited)
Michael Lang	....	musician: piano (uncredited)
Christopher Ward	....	assistant composer (uncredited)
Alex Wurman	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dan Anglin	....	transportation captain (as Danny Anglin)
Thaddeus E. Larkowski	....	transportation co-captain: Chicago
Richard Padgett	....	transportation co-captain (as Richard Lee Padgett)
Mitch Ptaszek	....	transportation co-captain: Chicago
Ron Bledsoe	....	transportation (uncredited)
Bart Heimburger	....	picture vehicle coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Alexis Alexanian	....	production coordinator
Mary Bailey	....	script supervisor
Dennis T. Benatar	....	location manager
Jamie D. Boscardin	....	production secretary (as Jamie Boscardin)
Raymond Bulinski	....	craft service
Lou Conte	....	choreographer
Melissa Crowe	....	assistant: Madonna
'Pepper' Paire Davis	....	technical advisor
Rod Dedeaux	....	baseball advisor
Stuart Fink	....	publicist
Jennifer Greenhut	....	production assistant
Wendy S. Hallin	....	production assistant
Bonnie Hlinomaz	....	assistant: Ms. Marshall
William E. Hughes	....	baseball coach
Ingrid Johanson	....	production coordinator
Jim Klever-Weis	....	production assistant (as Jim Weis)
Karen S. Kunkel	....	technical advisor
Clare Leavenworth	....	assistant: Ms. Davis
Gloria Mallah	....	production assistant
Mark Mamalakis	....	assistant location manager: Chicago
Terry Odem	....	assistant: Mr. Hanks
Cleve Reinhard	....	production accountant
Ilyse A. Reutlinger	....	assistant: Mr. Greenhut and Mr. Abbott (as Ilyse Reutlinger)
Matthew Salvato	....	assistant location manager
Douglas Tirola	....	production secretary (as Doug Tirola)
Kimberly Whitehead	....	production assistant
Patty Willett	....	production assistant (as Patty A. Willett)
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Lew Baldwin	....	production assistant (uncredited)
William Danaher	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Basia Emano	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Flip Filippelli	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Mark Gulbrandsen	....	dailies projectionist: Illinois (uncredited)
Rosa Yang Kato	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Steve Kraus	....	dailies projectionist (uncredited)
Tom Lent	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Douglas Tirola	....	location manager: New York (uncredited)

Thanks
Lissa Ausgust	....	thanks
Ted Bessell	....	thanks
Bill Brooks	....	thanks
Paula Herold	....	thanks
Richard Marks	....	thanks
Ted Nathanson	....	thanks
Jon-Michael Smith	....	thanks
Charles B. Wessler	....	thanks (as Charles Wessler)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Parkway Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1995) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (1992) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (1992) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (Spain)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (1993) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2013) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Mackey/Sandrich Casting  casting
• Columbia Records  soundtrack
• D. Bassett & Associates  negative cutting (as D. Bassett & Associates)
• Helen Uffner Vintage Clothing  vintage clothing rentals
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Sony Pictures Studios  sound services
• Sportsrobe  costumes
• Technicolor  color timing
• Todd-AO Studios  re-recording
• Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Studios  sound re-recording (as Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Sound)
• Tomkats Catering  catering

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for language

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #31516) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Norway:5 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Bosse Field - 1701 N. Main Street, Evansville, Indiana, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

During filming of the World Series games, stars took turns entertaining the unpaid extras. Tom Hanks did puppet shows over the dugout, Rosie O'Donnell did stand-up comedy; and various actors pretended to be Madonna and sang her songs after the singer balked at performing for the fans.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The 1943 AAGPBBL world series was 5 games long, not 7 as it was in the movie.

Quotes:

Kit Keller:Hey, Dottie? thanks for gettin' me into the league.
Dottie Hinson:You got yourself into the league. I just got you on the train.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters (2006)

Soundtrack:

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Entertaining look at an obscure piece of sporting history

Like most Englishmen, I know about as much about baseball as the average American knows about cricket. I am also not a great fan of sporting films in general, although there are a number of exceptions. Despite this, however, I generally love baseball films, of which there were a number of good examples in the late eighties and early nineties. ('Eight Men Out', 'Field of Dreams' and 'The Natural' all spring to mind). There is something about the sport that seems to lend itself to the cinema; perhaps British filmmakers should consider making a film about cricket, as the two sports have a lot in common.

During the Second World War many of America's male baseball stars were drafted into the forces, and it appeared that the nation might be deprived of its favourite sport. An entrepreneur therefore had the idea of creating an all-female baseball league. 'A League of their Own' tells the story of some of the women who played in that league.

At the centre of the drama is the rivalry between two sisters, Dottie and Kit, who sign for the same team, the Rockford Peaches. The sisters have contrasting characters. Dottie is the more talented player, but Kit is more aggressive and determined to succeed. Kit's aggression and the sibling rivalry between her and Dottie lead to dissension in the team's dressing room, and Kit is traded to a rival team, the Racine Belles. The climax of the film comes when Rockford and Racine meet in the finals of the league championship, with Kit and Dottie on opposite teams.

The film has some interesting observations about the social values of the era in which it is set. During this period there was a conflict between traditional views of femininity and the need, caused by wartime conditions, for women to take on what had historically been masculine roles. Before the war, there had been only very limited opportunities for women in professional sport; most sports, such as tennis and athletics, in which women were permitted to compete were strictly amateur. During the war, they were allowed to take part, but were still expected to conform to the ideal of being 'ladylike'. In the film, players are selected as much for their sex appeal as for their talent (Ernie Capadino, the cynical, sexist talent scout, wants to leave one player out of the team because he considers her insufficiently glamorous) and they are required to attend a 'charm school' and to conform to a strict code of sexual morality. Dottie and Kit can be seen as representing the two sides of this conflict. For all her talent, Dottie's heart is not really in professional baseball, and her real wish is to return to her old life as a housewife as soon as her husband returns from the war. Kit, on the other hand, is single, and sees the game as a way of escaping from her previously dull existence.

Although Geena Davis was quite good as Dottie, the two best performances came from two actors I had not previously heard of, Jon Lovitz in the cameo role of Ernie Capadino, and Lori Petty as Kit, who brought out the fierce determination and will to win of her character. I am surprised that she has not gone on to become a bigger star than she has. It was interesting to see Madonna (normally found in starring roles) in a supporting role as Mae, one of the Peaches who rebels against the strict moral code.

Tom Hanks stars as Jimmy Dugan, the coach of the Rockford Peaches, in a role created largely because the filmmakers felt that they needed a big male star. Dugan was himself a famous baseball player in his time, but his career was wrecked by his heavy drinking. At the beginning of the film, Dugan is played as a figure of fun, making blunders such as urinating in front of the women, but being too drunk to notice or to care. Later on, Dugan sobers up and develops into a mixture of inspirational coach and dispenser of homespun philosophy along the lines of 'There's no crying in baseball'. At neither stage, however, does the film bring out the genuinely tragic aspects of Dugan's fall from grace as a great, or potentially great, athlete ruined by alcoholism. (One can think of modern parallels such as George Best or Diego Maradona). The actor may be at fault here; during the early part of his career Hanks always seemed a limited actor, convincing in 'Mr Nice Guy' roles but unable to portray more unsympathetic characters. ('Bonfire of the Vanities' being another example).

There were one or two other things about the film that I did not like. I felt we should have seen more of Kit between her transfer to Racine and her reappearance in the finals. The opening and closing scenes, showing a reunion of the surviving players more than forty years later, did not add much to the story. (They did, however, correct the misleading impression given in the rest of the film that women's professional baseball came to an end with the war; in fact, it survived until 1954). Overall, however, this was an entertaining film, well worth watching. 7/10.