| Alibi Ike | |
|---|---|
 Lobby card | |
| Directed by | Ray Enright |
| Screenplay by | William Wister Haines |
| Based on | "Alibi Ike" 1915 story inThe Saturday Evening Post byRing Lardner |
| Produced by | Edward Chodorov |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Arthur L. Todd |
| Edited by | Thomas Pratt |
| Music by | Leo F. Forbstein |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Alibi Ike is a 1935 Americanromantic comedy film directed byRay Enright and starringJoe E. Brown,Olivia de Havilland andWilliam Frawley. Based on the short story of the same name byRing Lardner, first published in theSaturday Evening Post on July 31, 1915, the film is about an ace baseball player nicknamed "Alibi Ike" for his penchant for making up excuses. Lardner is said to have patterned the character after baseball playerKing Cole.
Alibi Ike was the most successful of Joe E. Brown's "baseball trilogy" of films, which also includedElmer, the Great andFireman, Save My Child. It is considered one of the best baseball comedies of all time.[1][2]Alibi Ike was the first feature film released starring Olivia de Havilland, although she made two previous films that were released later that year—The Irish in Us and the all-star Shakespeare epicA Midsummer Night's Dream, which also starred Joe E. Brown in a key role.
A print of the film is held by the Library of Congress.[3]
Frank X. Farrell (Joe E. Brown) is an ace baseball player, although he compulsively downplays his achievements, claiming he could do even better except if it weren't for factors like the weather, or a cold, or other issues beyond his control. And on occasions where hedoes make a mistake—whether on or off the field—he can't ever let it go without an often ridiculously implausible explanation. His obsessive insistence on making excuses earns him the nickname "Alibi Ike." In the course of his first season with theChicago Cubs, Farrell falls in love with Dolly Stevens (Olivia de Havilland), sister-in-law of the team's manager. Farrell's "alibi" habit prompts Dolly to walk out on him, after which he goes into a slump—which coincides with attempts by gamblers to get Farrell to throw theWorld Series.
Cast notes:
