Directed by:
Lloyd BaconScreenplay:
Valentine DaviesCinematography:
Joseph MacDonaldComposer:
Leigh HarlineCast:
Ray Milland, Jean Peters, Paul Douglas, Ed Begley, Ted de Corsia, Ray Collins, Jessie Royce Landis, Alan Hale Jr., Gene Evans, William Murphy, Mae Marsh (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Davies, who wrote the marvelous script for MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, came up with another winner here. Vernon, a chemist, is in love with Deborah Greenleaf (Peters), but has not popped the question because his meager salary wont support two. While developing a bug repellant for trees, he invents a solution that repels wood. A baseball fan of the first order, he concocts a clever scheme to earn additional money. Hell join a major league team as a pitcher, and secretly rub his solution on baseballs which will be repelled by the hitters wooden bats. He goes to a major league team and tries out. Naturally, the rookies scoff at the middle-aged man on the mound, but he miraculously strikes out every man he faces, his "screwball" hopping, bouncing, jerking, and flitting around the mightily swung bats. Vernon is signed as a starting pitcher and, using his secret solution, manages to win 38 games that season and almost single-handedly win the World Series for his team. (official distributor synopsis)
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