New York Yankee baseball star Lou Gehrig was known as "the Iron Horse," the most durable player the major leagues had ever seen. His record consecutive games played held for 56 years until Cal Ripkin broke it. Gehrig was also one of the earliest sports athletes to star in a Hollywood movie when he appeared in the lead in April 1938 "Rawhide."
Gehrig's wife Eleanor convinced her husband to hire former teammate Babe Ruth's agent Christy Walsh to explore career opportunities outside of baseball. Gehrig always had a soft spot for movies, and the agent arranged for him to meet Hollywood producer Sol Lesser. The producer had the option rights to Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels, and Walsh's first inclination was to have the baseball star play the loin-clothed jungle character. When the producer saw Gehrig in a leopard skin, "two things were apparent," Lessor recalled. "Both were the Gehrig legs: pillars of strength befitting baseball's iron man, their piano construction was functional rather than decorative." Burroughs saw the photo of Gehrig in a Tarzan suit and telegrammed, "I want to congratulate you on being a swell first baseman."
Lessor then proceeded to build a Western movie around Gehrig's baseball background, filmed during the 1937-1938 off-season. In "Rawhide," named after the Montana town, Gehrig, playing himself, has retired from baseball to live with his sister on her cattle ranch. Unbeknowst to him, a group of opportunists have taken control of the 'Ranchers Protective Association,' and turned it into an extortion monopolistic enterprise charging the region's ranchers exorbitant rates for feed and cattle sale commissions. Gehrig is mortified at the audacity of this group and gets an attorney (Smith Ballew) to fight back. A few classic scenes are seen in "Rawhide," including Gehrig's initial inability to ride a horse (Gehrig joked it was the first time he ever was on a horse). Another shows a barroom brawl with Gehrig throwing billiard balls at the bad guys, as well as a display of his batting power when he plays ball with the kids in town.
"Rawhide" premiered in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the New York Yankees was holding their spring training. The entire city populace, including the team's owners, managers and players, came out to celebrate the film's opening with a parade accompanied by fireworks. Posters promised "Two-Gun Lou, spurs and all, will be on the receiving line to shake the hands of distinguished guests." Producer Lessor, impressed by Gehrig's on-screen acting, looked forward to financing more 'horse operas' with the baseball player.
During the 1938 season, Gehrig complained "I was tired mid-season. I don't know why, but I just couldn't get going again." Even though his numbers were above average for the normal baseball player, batting .295 with 114 runs batted in, Gehrig's statistics were down significantly from the previous season. On May 2, 1939, a year after he appeared in "Rawhide," the 'Iron Horse" took himself out of the baseball game. The next day he sat on the bench for the first time in 2,130 games. At age 36, Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that affects the muscles. Two years later, just shy of his 38th birthday, he passed away.
There's no telling what Gehrig's future would have been after baseball. His comfortable and confident acting in "Rawhide" points to the potential he may have had in Hollywood after his baseball career wound down if he had not been stricken with ALS.
Gehrig's wife Eleanor convinced her husband to hire former teammate Babe Ruth's agent Christy Walsh to explore career opportunities outside of baseball. Gehrig always had a soft spot for movies, and the agent arranged for him to meet Hollywood producer Sol Lesser. The producer had the option rights to Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels, and Walsh's first inclination was to have the baseball star play the loin-clothed jungle character. When the producer saw Gehrig in a leopard skin, "two things were apparent," Lessor recalled. "Both were the Gehrig legs: pillars of strength befitting baseball's iron man, their piano construction was functional rather than decorative." Burroughs saw the photo of Gehrig in a Tarzan suit and telegrammed, "I want to congratulate you on being a swell first baseman."
Lessor then proceeded to build a Western movie around Gehrig's baseball background, filmed during the 1937-1938 off-season. In "Rawhide," named after the Montana town, Gehrig, playing himself, has retired from baseball to live with his sister on her cattle ranch. Unbeknowst to him, a group of opportunists have taken control of the 'Ranchers Protective Association,' and turned it into an extortion monopolistic enterprise charging the region's ranchers exorbitant rates for feed and cattle sale commissions. Gehrig is mortified at the audacity of this group and gets an attorney (Smith Ballew) to fight back. A few classic scenes are seen in "Rawhide," including Gehrig's initial inability to ride a horse (Gehrig joked it was the first time he ever was on a horse). Another shows a barroom brawl with Gehrig throwing billiard balls at the bad guys, as well as a display of his batting power when he plays ball with the kids in town.
"Rawhide" premiered in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the New York Yankees was holding their spring training. The entire city populace, including the team's owners, managers and players, came out to celebrate the film's opening with a parade accompanied by fireworks. Posters promised "Two-Gun Lou, spurs and all, will be on the receiving line to shake the hands of distinguished guests." Producer Lessor, impressed by Gehrig's on-screen acting, looked forward to financing more 'horse operas' with the baseball player.
During the 1938 season, Gehrig complained "I was tired mid-season. I don't know why, but I just couldn't get going again." Even though his numbers were above average for the normal baseball player, batting .295 with 114 runs batted in, Gehrig's statistics were down significantly from the previous season. On May 2, 1939, a year after he appeared in "Rawhide," the 'Iron Horse" took himself out of the baseball game. The next day he sat on the bench for the first time in 2,130 games. At age 36, Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that affects the muscles. Two years later, just shy of his 38th birthday, he passed away.
There's no telling what Gehrig's future would have been after baseball. His comfortable and confident acting in "Rawhide" points to the potential he may have had in Hollywood after his baseball career wound down if he had not been stricken with ALS.