The Babe

Infobox Film
name = The Babe

---

image_size =
caption = original movie poster
director = Arthur Hiller
producer = Walter Coblenz
Bill Finnegan
writer = John Fusco
narrator =
starring = John Goodman
Kelly McGillis
music = Elmer Bernstein
cinematography = Haskell Wexler
editing = Robert C. Jones
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = April 17, 1992
runtime = 115 min.
country = U.S.
language = English
budget =
gross = $17,530,973 (USA)
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:3533
imdb_id = 0103747

"The Babe" is a 1992 biopic about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who died in 1948. He is played by John Goodman.

Reception

The film was not a financial success. It grossed over $19.9 million at the box-office and was pulled from theatres after five weeks. [cite web|title=The Babe|publisher=Box Office Mojo|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=thebabe.htm] It received mostly negative reviews from critics. [cite web|title=The Babe|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1038978-babe/] In an interview on "Inside the Actors Studio", John Goodman admitted that he was disappointed in his own performance. [cite episode| title = John Goodman| episodelink = Inside the Actors Studio| series = Inside the Actors Studio| serieslink = Inside the Actors Studio| network = Bravo| airdate = 2003-09-14| season = 9| number = 18]

Production

The film took several liberties with Ruth's life and career. Most notably in its portrayal of his "Called Shot" and his hitting of two home runs for a sick child. While the sick child story is a long-standing Ruth myth, the Called Shot's authenticity is still debated to this day. Nevertheless, the dramatic scene portrayed in the movie is mostly fabrication. The film also takes license with Ruth's first and final career homers. In the film, Ruth hits his first homer as a newcomer to the Red Sox in 1914. Ruth actually played sporadically for the Sox in 1914 and did not homer until 1915. His three final home runs did indeed come at Forbes Field in one afternoon; however, he did not retire following (or during) the game as seen in the film. Ruth appeared in five more games that year before injuring his knee and hanging it up.

Chicago's Wrigley Field stood in for Yankee Stadium during filming. Temporary walls were placed over the ivy-covered brick for the New York scenes. The ivy is depicted during the 1932 World Series scenes, where the action is taking place at Wrigley Field, although in 1932, the ivy had not yet been planted. Similarly, in a scene during Ruth’s career with the Yankees, in a 1925 game vs. the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, he hits a home run and the Green Monster is depicted. The Green Monster at that time was actually covered with advertisements; it was not painted solid green until 1947.

Cast

*John Goodman — Babe Ruth
*Kelly McGillis — Claire Hodgson Ruth
*Trini Alvarado — Helen Woodford Ruth
*Bruce Boxleitner — Jumpin' Joe Dugan
*Peter Donat — Harry Frazee
*James Cromwell — Brother Mathias
*J.C. Quinn — Jack Dunn
*Joe Ragno — Miller Huggins
*Richard Tyson — Guy Bush
*Ralph Marrero — Ping Bodie
*Bob Swan — George Herman Ruth Sr.
*Bernard Kates — Colonel Jacob Ruppert
*Michael McGrady — Lou Gehrig
*Danny Goldring — Bill Carrigan
*Guy Barile — Johnny Torrio
*Bernie Gigliotti — Al Capone
*Kid Who Fails Math Test — Ian McCabe
*W. Earl Brown — Herb Pennock
*Thom C. Simmons — Bill McKechnie
*Rick Reardon — Ernie Shore
*Randy Steinmeyer — Ty Cobb
*Wayne Messmer — Yankee Stadium Announcer
*Larry Cedar — Forbes Field Announcer
*Michael Kendall — Jack Warhop
*Harry Hutchinson — Tris Speaker
*Irma P. Hall — Fanny Baily

References