The Babe Ruth Story (1948)
- Directed by
- Roy Del Ruth
- Genre
- drama film, biographical film
- Country
- United States
- Runtime
- 1h 46m
- Rated
- NR
- Rating
- 6.1 of 10 from 8 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
This film tells the story of baseball legend Babe Ruth, focusing on his rise to fame as a star player for the New York Yankees. William Bendix plays Ruth in a version of events that simplifies his life and avoids mentioning his first wife.
sentimentallightheartedold-fashionedupbeatearnestfictionalized
What happens
The Babe Ruth Story is a 1948 American biographical film directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is a fictionalized depiction of professional baseball player Babe Ruth, who achieved fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. The film stars William Bendix, Claire Trevor, and Charles Bickford. A film on Ruth's life was in talks for years following his real-life success. However, the project underwent production hell as deals fell through with multiple studios. Ruth initially wanted to portray himself in the film, but ultimately, his deteriorating health prevented him. The casting of Bendix as Babe Ruth received backlash due to his lack of resemblance to Ruth, a move that was defended by the film's producers. The film was rushed due to the real life Babe Ruth's declining health, and the final film makes no mention to Ruth's first wife, Helen Woodford Ruth. Ruth was able to view the finished film three weeks before his death in August 1948 to esophageal cancer. It was distributed in the United States by Allied Artists on July 26, 1948. During its initial release, the film received generally positive reviews from critics. However, retrospective critical reviews have been negative, with its writing, Bendix's performance, historical inaccuracies, lack of baseball scenes, and Ruth's direction sparking criticism, now being considered one of the worst films ever made and one of the worst biopics of all time. The film received $2.4 million through US rentals. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
More like this
Babe Ruth (1991)
The Babe (1992)
Babe Comes Home (1927)
61* (2001)
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
The Stratton Story (1950)
The Winning Team (1952)
The Red Shoes (1948)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.