| Angels in the Outfield | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Clarence Brown |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by | Richard Conlin |
| Produced by | Clarence Brown |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Paul C. Vogel |
| Edited by | Robert J. Kern |
| Music by | Daniele Amfitheatrof |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Loew's, Inc. |
Release date |
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Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,081,000[1] |
| Box office | $1,665,000[1] |
Angels in the Outfield is a 1951 Americansportscomedy film produced and directed byClarence Brown and starringPaul Douglas andJanet Leigh. Based on a story by Richard Conlin, the film is about a young woman reporter who blames thePittsburgh Pirates' losing streak on their abusive manager, who begins hearing the voice of anangel promising to help the team if he changes his ways. The film was released byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer on September 7, 1951.[2] It wasPresident Dwight D. Eisenhower's favorite film.[3]
With baseball'sPittsburgh Pirates in last place, their combative, foul-mouthed manager Guffy McGovern is upset. His abusive language toward players is publicized by local newspaper reporter Jennifer Paige, who disdains his management style.
While wandering throughForbes Field in search of hisgood-luck charm one night, Guffy hears the voice of an angel who was a baseball player during his mortal life. The angel represents the Heavenly Choir Nine, an angelic team of dead ballplayers, and he begins bestowing miracles upon the Pirates, but only if Guffy will stop swearing and fighting. Guffy acquiesces and, with the help of the invisible ghosts of past baseball greats, the Pirates are involved in the pennant race.
During a game, eight-year-old orphan Bridget White insists that she can see the angels helping the players. Bridget's prayers to the archangelGabriel had prompted the baseball angel to visit Guffy. Jennifer inadvertently transforms Bridget's angelic visions into a nationwide news story, causing McGovern aggravation.
After aline drive strikes him in the head during a game, Guffy deliriously confirms Bridget's claims to the press. He falls into the hands of vengeful sportscaster Fred Bayles, who has been scheming to have Guffy banned from baseball and persuades thecommissioner to investigate Guffy's fitness to lead the team.
During the pennant-deciding game, Guffy is forced to rely exclusively upon the talents of his ballplayers with no help from the angels. The angel declares that Guffy's aging pitcher Saul Hellman will soon die and join the Heavenly Choir team. Guffy wins Jennifer's love, and they plan to adopt Bridget.
The film also contains short cameos of men appearing as themselves to comment on the angels, includingBing Crosby (a minority owner of the Pirates), retired baseballHall of FamerTy Cobb, active playerJoe DiMaggio and Hollywood songwriterHarry Ruby.
Uncredited members of the real Pittsburgh Pirates includeRalph Kiner (hitting a home run and playing first base),George Strickland,Ed Fitz Gerald andGeorge Metkovich, as well as coachesSam Narron andLenny Levy.[4]
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Father Richard F. Grady, an English professor and administrator at theUniversity of Scranton, wrote the story as a radio comedy under thepseudonym of Richard Conlin.[5]MGM purchased the story as a vehicle forSpencer Tracy,[6] who was later replaced byClark Gable. When Gable instead chose to appear inLone Star, MGM unsuccessfully attempted to borrowJames Cagney fromWarner Bros. before settling onPaul Douglas.[7][8] Two years earlier, Douglas had played a catcher in the baseball comedy filmIt Happens Every Spring.
Location filming in Pittsburgh occurred in the spring of 1951, with many baseball action shots filmed atForbes Field,[9] the former home of the Pittsburgh Pirates that was demolished in 1971. Several distinguishing features of the park visible in the film include the "Kiner's Korner" inner fence in left field, with the 365-feet left-field foul line marker observable on the outer wall, and the 335-feet sign on the inner fence. The other distance markers (376, 457, 436, 375 and 300) are visible in some scenes. Also visible are the flagpole and batting cage near the 457-foot marker in deep left-center field and theBarney Dreyfuss monument in straightaway centerfield. TheUniversity of Pittsburgh'sCathedral of Learning is prominent in many of the shots.
Some scenes were shot on location atWrigley Field in Los Angeles. Although its ivy-covered outfield wall resembled that of Forbes Field, "Kiner's Korner" is conspicuous in its absence, and visible distance markers (412 feet in centerfield, 345 feet in left) are inconsistent with Forbes Field's larger dimensions. Stock footage fromComiskey Park in Chicago is also present in the film.
Although he had no background in baseball,Bruce Bennett, who portrays a veteran pitcher, had played football in the1926 Rose Bowl and won a silver medal in theshot put at the1928 Summer Olympics.Jeff Richards, who appears as Rothberg, had been a minor-league baseball player before becoming an actor.Fred Graham, who plays Chunk, had been a semi-pro player.Paul Salata, who portrays Tony Minelli, played professional football from 1949 to 1953.
As theHays Code prohibited profanity in films at the time, Guffy's foul language is audio gibberish that was created by scrambling recordings of Douglas's voice.
The film's world premiere was held with two showings at Pittsburgh'sLoew's Penn Theatre on September 7, 1951. Author Richard F. Grady, star Paul Douglas and director Clarence Brown appeared on the stage and the entire Pirates team joined them for the afternoon premiere only, as they played theSt. Louis Cardinals in the evening at Forbes Field.[10]
Grady, Douglas and Brown presented Pirates managerBilly Meyer with the film's original manuscript during a ceremony preceding a Pirates-Reds game at Forbes Field on September 6.[11] Although the Pirates play for the National League pennant in the film, on the date of the world premiere, the real team was in seventh place with a record of 57–79, 30.5 games behind theBrooklyn Dodgers.[12]
The film was retitledAngels and the Pirates for its 1952 release in the United Kingdom, where audiences were largely unfamiliar with baseball and would not have understood the original title.[13]
In a contemporary review forThe New York Times, criticA. H. Weiler wrote: "[L]et it be said that this combination of whimsy, sports, religious faith and romance is a heart-warming and edifying amalgam which can pass the test of what is traditionally termed entertainment. ... 'Angels in the Outfield,' in short, is slight, completely unconvincing but thoroughly delightful."[14]
The day after the film's Pittsburgh premiere,Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph reviewer Karl Krug wrote: "Just put down 'Angels in the Outfield' as the most delightful cinematic experience in its field since 'Miracle on 34th Street,' and you will have the situation very well in hand. ... Faith and tolerance are the keynotes of Mr. Brown's wizardry with the 'Angels in the Outfield' script, which, under less sympathetic treatment, might have become very boring, indeed. You can't bring heavenly visitors to earth to help a losing baseball team win a pennant with anything less than the most delicate guidance and a grand sense of humor. ... However, baseball is simply a sounding board for this charming story, which snuggles into your heart and stays there on a tempo of human interest and a romance as refreshingly casual as it is irresistible."[2]
On review-aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film has an 83% approval rating based on six reviews, with an average rating of 7/10.[15]
According to MGM records, the film returned receipts of $1,466,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $200,000 elsewhere but recorded a net loss of $171,000.[1]
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