|
|
Regular
Price $14.98
Starring:
Jackie Robinson,
Ruby Dee,
Minor Watson,
Louise Beavers,
Richard Lane,
Directed By:
Alfred E. Green,
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Release Date: 1950
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Format:
Black & White,
Closed-captioned,
DVD-Video,
Full Screen,
Subtitled,
NTSC,
|
Editorial Reviews and
DVD Information about
The Jackie Robinson Story
Description
In this "four-star, straightforward account" (Blockbuster Entertainment Guide) of the man who opened athletic doors for people of all ethnicities, Jackie Robinson plays himself so well that "he can drop the diamond for the sound stages any day he chooses" (The Hollywood Reporter)! Jackie Robinson's uphill battle to the big leagues began when he was just a little boy. Given a mitt and a chance, Jackie easily proved how good he was on the field. But it would take more than just his amazing talent to get him to the top. Being African American in a time of racial discord, Jackie had to break through impossible barriers to get his shot. By playing hard and overcoming unbelievable odds, Jackie proved that he was not only one of the best players ever to set foot on a majorleague diamond, but also one of the bravest men ever to grace American sports!
Amazon.com
The vintage film biography The Jackie Robinson Story is unusual in that Robinson portrays himself, and the movie was produced in 1950, barely three years after he took up his position at second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the "color line" in professional baseball. After providing a fast portrayal of Robinson's early life, up to his collegiate sports career at UCLA and his stint in the U.S. Army, the story turns serious when Branch Rickey offers him a contract to play for a Brooklyn Dodgers farm team. Interestingly, some of the scenes, such as an incident when Robinson and his teammates were being locked out of a stadium at a spring training game in Florida, may have more impact with viewers today than when the film was first released. --Robert J. McNamara
|
Customer Reviews for
The Jackie Robinson Story
Classy B movie
This is a film biography of the legendary Jackie Robinson. The first black, major league Baseball player. It was a brave film to make in 1950, considering that racial segregation and the colour bar were all still in place. However an element of hypocrisy spoils the film at the end when the statement "This can only happen in a free country like America..." is thrown in, presumably to placate the white audience of the time.
Robinson plays himself, and whilst he's not a great actor, he does a decent job. If the film is anywhere near the truth he was, as well as being a hugely talented sportsman, a dignified and intelligent man who despite frequent provocation ignored the abuse (monkey noises etc) and went about his business. The rest of the cast are of a similar standard and the script is crisp, because the film is only 76mins long.
Its the message of the movie that will remain with you long after you've seen it, even if the ending is a bit hypocritical. Well worth buying.The Jackie Robinson Story
"Jackie Robinson Story (1950) ... Legend Films ... 20th Century Fox (2005)"
20th Century Fox present "JACKIE ROBINSON STORY" (Released 1950) (76 mins) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- now in COLOR and Glorious Black and White --- The Jackie Robinson Story, 1950 biographical film starring baseball legend Jackie Robinson as himself --- Robinson became the first African American Major League Baseball player of the modern era in 1947 --- Even during its release in the era of segregation, the film did remarkably at the box office. Robinson's achievement has been recognized by the retirement by each Major League team of his uniform number, 42 --- On April 19, 2005, 20th Century Fox and Legend Films released a colorized version of the film, donating a portion of the proceeds to The Jackie Robinson Foundation, a charity which benefits education for gifted students. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Under Alfred E. Green (Director), Mort Briskin (Producer), Arthur Mann (Screenwriter), Louis Pollock (Short Story Author), Lawrence Edmund Taylor (Screenwriter), Ernest Laszlo (Cinematographer), David Chudnow (Composer (Music Score), Herschel Burke Gilbert (Composer (Music Score), Arthur H. Nadel (Editor), Maurie M. Suess (Editor) - - - - - A wonderful film that acts as a homage to Jackie Robinson (played by himself). The early life of the first black Major League baseball player is shown in a way that makes the picture wholesome and appropriate for all audiences --- Ruby Dee is perfect as Robinson's loving wife who stands behind her husband when it seems that no one else will --- "The Jackie Robinson Story" was made in 1950, the social issues and the intense prejudices that Robinson faced are only given a minute glimpse --- Robinson was just as important to Civil Rights as people who fought vehemently for equality in the 1960s --- The integration of baseball is something that most never believed would happen before 1947 and many forget just how important a piece of American history that is --- wonderful production with much respect to a great hero and human being.
the cast includes:
Jackie Robinson ... Himself
Ruby Dee ... Rae Robinson
Minor Watson ... Branch Rickey, President Brooklyn Dodgers
Louise Beavers ... Jackie's mother
Richard Lane ... Clay Hopper, Montreal Manager
Harry Shannon ... Frank Shaughnessy, Dodger Executive
Ben Lessy ... Shorty, Montreal Player
Bill Spaulding ... Himself
Billy Wayne ... Clyde Sukeforth, Dodger Scout
Joel Fluellen ... Mack Robinson
Bernie Hamilton ... Ernie, Panther Player
Kenny Washington ... Tigers Manager
BIOS
1. Jackie Robinson (aka: Jack Roosevelt Robinson)
Date of Birth: 31 January 1919 - Cairo, Georgia
Date of Death: 24 October 1972 - Stamford, Connecticut
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson became the first African-American major league baseball player of the modern era in 1947 --- While not the first African American professional baseball player in United States history, his Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers ended approximately eighty years of baseball segregation, also known as the baseball color line --- In the United States at this time, many white people believed that blacks and whites should be "segregated" (kept apart) in many spheres of life, including sport --- The Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Robinson in 1962 and he was a member of six World Series teams --- He earned six consecutive All-Star Game nominations and won several awards during his career --- In 1947, Robinson won The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award and the first Rookie of the Year Award --- Two years later, he was awarded his first National League MVP Award --- In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Jackie Robinson was also a forerunner of the Civil Rights Movement --- He was a key figure in the establishment and growth of the Freedom Bank, an African-American owned and controlled entity, in the 1960s --- He also wrote a syndicated newspaper column for a number of years, in which he was an outspoken supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Legend Films can restore, colorize and release many of the classic earliest black and white films --- a patented coloring and remastering process makes each film picture perfect plus more vivd than ever --- no one can resist collecting every title that Legend Films releases.
Hats off and thanks to Barry B. Sandrew Ph.D. (Founder, COO & CTO) and his Legend Films Staff --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage era of the '20s, '30s & '40s --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Legend Films where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.
Total Time: 76 mins on DVD ~ 20th Century Fox. ~ (4/19/2005)The Jackie Robinson Story
Great Movie would recommend it to all teachers!
This movie was a great explanation of the Jackie Robinson Story. My 7th Grade Language Arts Literature book contains "The Noble Experiment" and we read it at the start of baseball season which also happened to be black history month. It is a great combination for the children learning experience. The movie was a great compliment to this story.The Jackie Robinson Story
It could have been better...but not by much!!!
This film is rich in historical details in both the baseball and theatrical senses...It uses some of the great black actors and actresses of day and weaves them together into a truly great document of the time by using the great Jackie Robinson himself to portray his own life story...although it is a whitewashed and watered down portrayal of the great rabbidness and maliciousness of american racism, it must be understood that white folk produced this movie and by definition cannot convey the full impact of American racism from the Black perspective...The Jackie Robinson Story
Fascinating, but...
The "Jackie Robinson Story" is remarkable in that, much like Robinson had done for baseball, it is among the first Hollywood films to tackle America's racial divide. What makes it more interesting for today is that Jackie Robinson plays himself.
While the film still has an impact, the complete story of all that Robinson had to go through was toned down drastically for a mass 1950 audience. The film is also full of '40's film cliches it has plenty of schlock for comic relief. The power of the whole truth, and Jackie Robinson's great achievement, needs to be told on screen in a modern film.
in the meantime I recommend reading Arnold Rampersad's biography of Jackie Robinson or Robinson's autobiography "I Never Had It Made." to go along with this film.The Jackie Robinson Story
|
