The Stratton Story (1949)

The career of baseball pitcher, Monty Stratton, is the basis for 1949's The Stratton Story.  With Jimmy Stewart in the title role, and June Allyson as his wife, this Sam Wood film---which won a Best Writing Academy Award---features Frank Morgan and Agnes Moorehead in supporting roles.

The film begins in Wagner, Texas, in the early 1930's, as cotton farmer, Monty Stratton, is pitching for the local amateur baseball team, the Wagner Wildcats.  Agent Barney Wild (Frank Morgan) happens upon the young man and, impressed, informs him that he has a chance to play baseball professionally.  With Barney promising to do what he can to get him a tryout and his cousin agreeing to take care of the farm, Monty heads west to California, where he meets up with the Chicago White Sox.

The Sox are impressed enough to offer Monty a contract, and after a bit of a rough start, he settles in and becomes not only an all-star, but the leading right-handed pitcher in the American League.  With coaches making statements such as "What a future that boy's got" and "Right now, I wouldn't trade him for any other pitcher in baseball," Monty enjoys great success in the years 1934-1938.

At the height of his career, though, tragedy strikes, as, while on his property hunting, Monty's gun discharges, sending a bullet into his leg.  In order to save his life, doctors must remove Monty's leg; for a man whose legs are his life, the loss of the limb is a bitter blow, and for a time, Monty is overwhelmingly depressed and without a will to do anything.  Eventually, however, he comes to terms with his handicap and, with a prosthetic leg, seeks to pitch in the big leagues once more.



The Stratton Story isn't a spectacular movie, but it is interesting, touching, and inspiring.  I count it among my top 5 baseball movies.  Jimmy Stewart is terrific in the role, and his chemistry with June Allyson is wonderful.  (The two of them would be paired together twice more---in The Glenn Miller Story and Strategic Air Command.)  I adore both Jimmy and June...although I can never watch a single June Allyson film without hearing "Christopher Columbus" every time she utters a word.  (She is and always will be Little Women's Jo March to me.)

A few real-life baseball players make appearances in this film...Bill Dickey, Gene Bearden, and Jimmy Dykes.

Out on DVD as part of the James Stewart Signature Collection, The Stratton Story ought to be fairly easy to track down.  It is also on the TCM schedule for Sunday, July 21st, at 8:00 a.m. (ET).  If you like Jimmy Stewart, baseball, or inspiring, uplifting stories, you're sure to enjoy this.  I give it 4 stars.

Happy viewing!!

High Barbaree (3 stars)

High Barbaree, from 1947, is a romantic war-time drama starring Van Johnson and June Allyson, with Thomas Mitchell and Cameron Mitchell taking on supporting roles.  The film begins with navy nurse Nancy Frazier (June Allyson) bidding goodbye to her childhood sweetheart, navy flier Alec Brook (Van Johnson) as he leaves for a bombing run.  When Alec's plane is hit and he is forced to crashland in the ocean, his entire crew, except for his co-pilot Joe (Cameron Mitchell), perishes.

Alec and Joe are in very dire straits---they are in the middle of the massive Pacific Ocean, and no one knows their position.  Their radio is dead, and their water tank has been hit.  So, with little more than a tiny bottle of water and the parachute material, with which they hope to make sails, Alec and Joe attempt to survive until help comes for them...if it ever does.

As Alec and Joe struggle to keep their hopes alive, Alec reminisces about his life.  He tells Joe about Nancy and about High Barbaree, a fabled Pacific island his uncle had spoken about long ago.  A magical, beautiful island, High Barbaree became the root of all Alec's childhood dreams, and as children, he and Nancy had always talked about going there one day.  As Alec checks his crash position, he realizes that High Barbaree ought to be no more than 100 miles from where his plane crashed; he and Joe hope to make it there.  But as Alec flashes back into the past, he begins to wonder if High Barbaree ever existed.  Perhaps it was something his uncle had only made up...perhaps he is just delusional to think he and Joe could find refuge there.

This film alternates between the present situation and many different periods of Alec's life.  It's a sweet and interesting story.  Van Johnson and June Allyson were really great together.  I have to admit, though, I can never watch June Allyson without her famous Jo March words---"Christopher Columbus"---coming to mind.  Just the sound of her voice, and I'm automatically thinking Little Women.  She's always a delight, and I think she is totally lovely here in High Barbaree.  Van Johnson is one of those always-likeable actors.  He seems to talk with a smile in his voice...if that makes sense.  I definitely always enjoy him.

Although High Barbaree is not a fantastic movie, I definitely enjoyed it and will certainly watch it again.  I don't believe it's out on DVD, but TCM shows it periodically so you could catch it there.

Happy viewing!!