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Title: Casey at the Bat (1922)
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In his career, De Wolf Hopper recited Ernest Lawrence Thayer's "Casey at the Bat" thousands of times. Here, wearing a tuxedo, he emerges from behind a curtain as if at a theater, gives a short introduction, and launches into the poem. The camera is stationary, and although Hopper stands in one place, his hands and arms, his face, and his voice are animated throughout. In delivery, it's a minstrel performance. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
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Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1922 (USA) See more »Filming Locations:
Manhattan, New York City, New York, USACompany Credits
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From a purely historical viewpoint, this is an absolutely amazing short film, as it is a sound film and appeared five years before the super-famous JAZZ SINGER (the first sound full-length movie). Now this isn't the only sound film made in the early to mid-1920s, as several studios experimented using short films (though few theaters had the proper sound equipment). I've seen an early Eddie Cantor film as well as the famous speech by Will Hays he made for the prologue to DON JUAN, but aside from these this is one of the few surviving early sound films.
Now as for the film itself, it, unfortunately, is drier than dirt. In other words, it is very dull as the entire film consists of a guy reciting the poem "Casey At The Bat". Believe it or not, this actor made a career of doing this on stage, so you must assume he must have been famous and beloved by his audiences. Today, though, he just seems like a lousy actor hamming it up and isn't worth a look unless you are really, really curious.