Elmer, the Great (1933)

Country bumpkin Elmer Kane joins the Chicago Cubs as the greatest hitter in baseball. His skill with a bat takes the team to the World Series, but on the way to the championship he has to deal with gamblers and crooked pitchers.

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Ring Lardner (based on a play by), George M. Cohan (based on a play by)

Stars:

Joe E. Brown, Patricia Ellis, Frank McHugh

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joe E. Brown	...	Elmer Kane
Patricia Ellis	...	Nellie Poole
Frank McHugh	...	Healy High-Hips
Claire Dodd	...	Evelyn Corey
Preston Foster	...	Dave Walker (as Preston S. Foster)
Russell Hopton	...	Whitey
Sterling Holloway	...	Nick Kane (as Sterling Halloway)
Emma Dunn	...	Mrs. Kane
Charles C. Wilson	...	Mr. Wade (as Charles Wilson)
Charles Delaney	...	Johnny Abbott
Berton Churchill	...	Colonel Moffitt
J. Carrol Naish	...	Jerry (as J. Carroll Naish)
Gene Morgan	...	Noonan

Storyline

Elmer does not want to leave Gentryville, because Nellie is the one that he loves. Even when Mr. Wade of the Chicago Cubs comes to get him, it is only because Nellie spurns him that he goes. As always, Elmer is the king of batters and he wins game after game. When Nellie comes to see Elmer in Chicago, she sees him kissing Evelyn and she wants nothing to do with him anymore. So Healy takes him to a gambling club, where Elmer does not know that the chips are money. He finds that he owes the gamblers $5000 and they make him sign a note for it. Sad at losing Nellie, mad at his teammates and in debt to the gamblers, Elmer disappears as the Cubs are in the deciding game for the Series.

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Plot Keywords:

gambling | debt | chicago cubs | newspaper headline | wrigley field | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

De Bom Tamanho

Filming Locations:

Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 5, 1936 with Joe E. Brown reprising his film role.

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Goofs

In the gambling house, Elmer Kane consistently loses while betting on number six at the craps table, but one of the rolls was clearly called by the dealer as one, two, three.

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Quotes

Mrs. Kane: [while serving Elmer a hearty breakfast of eggs, pancakes, syrup, sausage, bacon, toast, juice, and coffee] Would you like a piece of apple pie, too?
Elmer Kane: Yes, bring it in, I'll flirt with it.

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Connections

Version of Fast Company (1929)

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Soundtracks

Indiana
(1917) (uncredited)
Music by James F. Hanley
Played during the opening credits and often in the score

User Reviews

Forgotten Gem

Joe E. Brown is largely forgotten today and it's too bad. He made a string of fine little films for Warner Brothers in the early to mid 1930s. Ironically he has the final riotous line in the American Film Institute's no. 1 comedy, from their 100 Greatest Comedies list, "Some Like It Hot". Regarding "Elmer the Great," this film recaptures a wonderful era in baseball as well as a nostalgic feel for small town America. Its story is told with the Warner Brothers' successful no frills approach to movie making at that time. There is plenty of warm humor throughout especially from the always wonderful Joe E. Brown as the cantankerous, egoist Elmer Kane, still likable in spite of these character flaws. I wish Joe E. Brown's WB movies were available on DVD. A single packaged trilogy release could be made of his 3 baseball films: "Fireman Save My Child" (WB 1932), "Elmer the Great" (WB 1933) and "Alibi Ike" (WB 1935).