Like many players of the era, Greenberg had his career interrupted by military service during World War II. Initially, Greenberg was classified as unfit for service due to flat feet. However, upon re-examination, he was cleared. Before Japan'sattack on Pearl Harbor, theUnited States Congress had released men over age 28. After the attack, Greenberg immediately reenlisted in theUnited States Army Air Forces.
In 1947, Greenberg, as a member of thePittsburgh Pirates and playing his final season, was one of the few ballplayers to give a warm welcome toBrooklyn Dodgers'Jackie Robinson, the majors' firstblack player in many years. Robinson later said, "Class tells. It sticks out all over Mr. Greenberg".[1]
Kempner states that the film took 13 years to make. "It was all about raising money for the rights to the archival and feature footage. That was so expensive that I had to stop and start about 20 times."[2] After its theatrical run,The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg was acquired byCinemax for itsReel Life series.[3]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has an aggregate score of 97% based on sixty-three positive and two negative critical reviews. The website’s consensus reads: "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is an affectionate, often very funny portrait of a baseball pioneer."[4]
