February 6 . . .
Happy 115th birthday today to the ‘Sultan of Swat’, George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth, born in Baltimore, Maryland, this day in 1895. He endured a troubled childhood – abandoned by his parents and left to be raised by priests – and went on to become one of the ultimate sports icons of all time. In his twenty-two major league seasons he hit 714 home runs and played in 10 World Series. And, by all accounts, he was one of the most colorful sports heroes ever, with a hearty, gluttonous appetite for life.
He’s been the subject of two very different screen bios – the highly fictionalized whitewash, ‘The Babe Ruth Story’ (1948), starring William Bendix, and the more realistic, warts-‘n-all portrait in ‘The Babe’ (1991). Bendix played the Babe as a simpleton – gifted, good-hearted oaf. John Goodman delivers a splendid, big-barreled performance as the life-grabbing, hard hitting (in more ways than one) Ruth, while still maintaining the geniality that the Babe projected. Here he emerges as a glutton for life who abuses alcohol, has outbursts of violence, and cheats on his wife. If that’s not the makings of an American sports icon, I don’t know what is.
‘The Babe’ is a surprisingly affecting sports movie, even if you don’t know a ball from a strike. (If you’d like to see how the real Babe fared in front of a movie camera, catch 1942’s ‘Pride of the Yankees’ with Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig and Ruth appearing in a cameo as himself.)
For a real change of pace, check out this old Vitaphone short with the real Babe starring as himself. Sure, he could hit a ball . . but could he act, or write a song? Judge for yourself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLhV72is82A&feature=PlayList&p=017107D11F3C99B2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5
Happy 115th birthday today to the ‘Sultan of Swat’, George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth, born in Baltimore, Maryland, this day in 1895. He endured a troubled childhood – abandoned by his parents and left to be raised by priests – and went on to become one of the ultimate sports icons of all time. In his twenty-two major league seasons he hit 714 home runs and played in 10 World Series. And, by all accounts, he was one of the most colorful sports heroes ever, with a hearty, gluttonous appetite for life.
He’s been the subject of two very different screen bios – the highly fictionalized whitewash, ‘The Babe Ruth Story’ (1948), starring William Bendix, and the more realistic, warts-‘n-all portrait in ‘The Babe’ (1991). Bendix played the Babe as a simpleton – gifted, good-hearted oaf. John Goodman delivers a splendid, big-barreled performance as the life-grabbing, hard hitting (in more ways than one) Ruth, while still maintaining the geniality that the Babe projected. Here he emerges as a glutton for life who abuses alcohol, has outbursts of violence, and cheats on his wife. If that’s not the makings of an American sports icon, I don’t know what is.
‘The Babe’ is a surprisingly affecting sports movie, even if you don’t know a ball from a strike. (If you’d like to see how the real Babe fared in front of a movie camera, catch 1942’s ‘Pride of the Yankees’ with Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig and Ruth appearing in a cameo as himself.)
For a real change of pace, check out this old Vitaphone short with the real Babe starring as himself. Sure, he could hit a ball . . but could he act, or write a song? Judge for yourself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLhV72is82A&feature=PlayList&p=017107D11F3C99B2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5
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