The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

The story of the life and career of famed baseball player Lou Gehrig.

Director:

Sam Wood

Writers:

Jo Swerling (screenplay), Herman J. Mankiewicz (screenplay)

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth

Won 1 Oscar. Another 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Cooper	...	Lou Gehrig
Teresa Wright	...	Eleanor Gehrig
Babe Ruth	...	Babe Ruth
Walter Brennan	...	Sam Blake
Dan Duryea	...	Hank Hanneman
Elsa Janssen	...	Mom Gehrig
Ludwig Stössel	...	Pop Gehrig (as Ludwig Stossel)
Virginia Gilmore	...	Myra
Bill Dickey	...	Bill Dickey
Ernie Adams	...	Miller Huggins
Pierre Watkin	...	Mr. Twitchell
Harry Harvey	...	Joe McCarthy
Bob Meusel	...	Robert W. Meusel (as Robert W. Meusel)
Mark Koenig	...	Mark Koenig
Bill Stern	...	Bill Stern

Storyline

Biopic traces the life of Lou Gehrig, famous baseball player who played in 2130 consecutive games before falling at age 37 to ALS, a deadly nerve disease which now bears his name. Gehrig is followed from his childhood in New York until his famous 'Luckiest Man' speech at his farewell day in 1939.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | husband wife relationship | hero | terminal illness | retirement | 

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Taglines:

It's the Great American Story!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 March 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der große Wurf

Filming Locations:

Pelham Parkway, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the 400 movies nominated for the Top 100 Greatest American Movies.

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Goofs

When Lou gets his chance to take injured Wally Pipp's place at Comiskey Park, the Yankee dugout is positioned on the first base side of home plate. When Lou returns to Chicago in a later trip with the Yankees at Comiskey Park, he asks Sam Blake about Ellie from the third base dugout.

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Quotes

Lou Gehrig: Is it three strikes, Doc?
Clinic doctor: You want it straight?
Lou Gehrig: Sure, straight.
Clinic doctor: It's three strikes.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits acknowledgment: Appreciation is expressed for the gracious assistance of Eleanor Gehrig (as Mrs. Lou Gehrig) and for the cooperation of link=nm1561994] (as Mr. Ed Barrow) and the New York Yankees arranged by Christy Walsh.

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Connections

Referenced in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Magical Mystery Cure (2013)

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Soundtracks

Auld Lang Syne
(1788) (uncredited)
Traditional Scottish 17th century music
Played at Yankee Stadium for Gehrig's farewell speech

User Reviews

Now batting the first baseman, number 4, Tanglefoot, I mean Gehrig

The story of Lou Gehrig, son of German immigrants, who went on to play first base for the Yankees throughout the 20's and 30's and set the then record of playing in 2,130 straight baseball games until he'd be sidelined forever from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the disease which now bears his name. The film can appeal to baseball fans, but really succeeds because of the strong focus on Lou's marriage to Eleanor which is the reason why the film is hallmarked, rather focusing mainly on the sports clichés seen in so many other sports movies of the era. (The fact of such a tragic case of Lou Gehrig contributed as well.) Cooper is great (as usual) and it seems to be the only choice to play the role. Wright also gives an excellent performance as Eleanor, and Brennan is his usual fun self as Blake. Great job by producer Goldwyn getting this one on film. Even the former players such as Babe Ruth and Bill Dickey in particular, carry themselves well with the film. A treat for all baseball fans. Some factual errors on Gehrig's career can be overlooked here. Rating, 10.