Poll: Favorite Yankee Movie [Archive]

Nome

11-13-01, 07:50 AM

Safe at Home with Mantle and Maris as actors is great just because it is so corney.

61* is a classic and can be seen over and over again
Pride of the Yankees was great up until I saw it for the 25th or so times, then the sadness of the outcome became too depressing to watch again.

The Babe Ruth story with William Bendix was just super.
I am sure in the next several years we will see The Joe D Story and the Mickey Mantle story.

Sixty one

11-13-01, 04:21 PM

I wonder who they would get to play Joe DiMaggio? After reading the Kramer book this summer, I know that this movie if it ever is made based on this book will be highly controversial since Joe D. doesn't look like the image he portrayed in public all his life.:NY: :NY: :NY:

Carissa

11-15-01, 11:40 PM

Originally posted by Gehrig
Pride of the Yankees

61*

Those were my 2 choices. I loved *61 but Pride of the Yankees has been a favorite of mine since I was little.

Tachycardia

11-17-01, 02:59 AM

61* is the best.

deranged2005

11-17-01, 09:06 AM

I haven't seen any of them :(

paisano

11-17-01, 09:44 AM

Well, not to worry. Now you have a great list of Yankee movies to watch!
Here's my quick review of each

61* was awesome......very authentic portrayal of the Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle homerun chase for Ruth's mystical 60 bombs.
Warning: There is some raw language here by Mantle. I guess Billy Crystal just wanted to keep it as real as possible. Billy said he even went as far as scratching the top layer of paint on the actual seat he purchased from the original Yankee stadium before they renovated it in the 70s just to make sure they used the right color for Yankee Stadium!
They also used lots of computer digital effects to finish the look.

Safe at Home is a must see too since it was filmed in 1961 right in the middle of one of the greatest seasons in Yankee history. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, the M&M boys, played themselves in this one!
It is high cheese and great fun!!!

Pride of the Yankees: My favorite Yankee movie. Gary Cooper shined in the role of Lou Gehrig, the iron horse who died far too young. As someone here posted, it is impossible to get through this one with dry eyes. Especially moving is the speech about being the luckiest man on the face of the Earth! We should feel the same way as Yankee fans.

Damn Yankees: wonderful musical. It's a classic.

Others I have not seen yet myself: Babe (john goodman as the bambino)
and the one with William Bendix as the babe.

note: when will they make the Yogi Bera story?

Sixty one

11-17-01, 10:08 AM

I remember seeing the Babe Ruth story with William Bendix when I was a kid in the 50's. It has been shown from time to time on TV. I thought it was great when I was young, but after seeing it as an adult found it to be very corny. I think the Yogi Berra story would be great! Unfortunately, I can't think of anyone around today who could portray him very well. The best would have been the late actor who portrayed Toody in "Car 54 Where are You" which was a big TV comedy in the early 60's. I can't think of the actor's name but I know he died several years ago.:) :) :lol: :NY: :NY: :NY: :NY:

Yankeeslf47

11-17-01, 10:51 AM

I went with 61* because that is the only one I've seen.

SkooterPhil#10

11-17-01, 12:57 PM

We need a GOOD Yankee movie. 61* had very cheesy special effects and the stadium was obviously Tiger Stadium.

paisano

11-17-01, 07:14 PM

61* and its director and actor were all nominated for the Emmy award this year for outstanding achievement in their respective categories.
Almost everyone loved the movie and thought it as authentic a movie there could ever be. At the premiere, Billy Crystal had a bunch of the old Yankee greats come and see it! Yogi, Whitey Ford, etc. all loved it and said it brought them all back in time. The only minor complaint anyone had was that they thought the portrayal of Mickey Mantle was a little bit unfair and exaggerated...that he was not as bad as it showed. But even there, Mickey's family members still thought it was a great movie over all. It showed how much New York loved their centerfielder.....warts and all.

I wish you liked it...but we all have our own opinions. Maybe you can try it again sometime?

#1YankeeLover

11-17-01, 07:45 PM

I loved 61*.

But I thought Whitey Ford had said that Mickey and Roger weren't as close as the film had portrayed?

-#1YankeeLover

Coney36

11-18-01, 01:01 AM

I only saw 61* (in fact I kinda camped outside the store the day it came out...hehe) but I loved it...made me cry cuz people can be so mean sometimes...which now strangely reminds me of tino vs. giambi...and I'm getting off topic...hehe

paisano

11-18-01, 08:00 AM

As I said, there were a few minor gripes with 61* as there will be with any movie based on actual events because no two people have the same exact perception on even the same event. Thus, we shouldn't be surprised that those closest to the M & M boys would feel a little different about the way things were depicted in 61* than those on the fringe looking in or those far outside the inner circle.

In the end, it was IMHO, one of the best sports movies ever made.
Maybe I am biased because I am a die hard Yankee fan, but judging from all of the citical aclaim it has received, I know that my take on this movie is correct.

But I have a saying I came up with about critics that I would like to share with my Yankee pals..."If you can't beat them, join them...and if you can't join them..then, well...you can always become a critic!"

SkooterPhil#10

11-18-01, 09:16 AM

Originally posted by paissano
61* and its director and actor were all nominated for the Emmy award this year for outstanding achievement in their respective categories.
Almost everyone loved the movie and thought it as authentic a movie there could ever be. At the premiere, Billy Crystal had a bunch of the old Yankee greats come and see it! Yogi, Whitey Ford, etc. all loved it and said it brought them all back in time. The only minor complaint anyone had was that they thought the portrayal of Mickey Mantle was a little bit unfair and exaggerated...that he was not as bad as it showed. But even there, Mickey's family members still thought it was a great movie over all. It showed how much New York loved their centerfielder.....warts and all.

I wish you liked it...but we all have our own opinions. Maybe you can try it again sometime?

Oh, I liked it. It was a great look into the past and the Mick and Maris were casted very well. But that guy that played DiMaggio was ridiculous! If you can't find someone that looks like him, don't put him in the movie Billy!

I thought it was great the way the movie told the truth about the 61* homerun chase.

Jersey Yankee

11-18-01, 02:25 PM

I remember the film "Damn Yankees" and it was great. The reason I remember is that it was acted out at a school play at an old HS of mine, Brooklyn Tech (before I graduated from Erasmus, not as good a school).

Anyway, there was leading actress Lola and her song "Whatever Lola Wants (Lola gets)". I think the leading actor's name was Joe (Joe D?) or something. The superb acting was what made me love the name.

Since that's what our competitors usually say after having faced us (one more time would've been nice), I figured it said it all!!!

paisano

11-19-01, 06:55 AM

>But that guy that played DiMaggio was ridiculous! If you can't find
>someone that looks like him, don't put him in the movie Billy!

Funny take on the actor who portrayed Joe D in the movie 61*.
I know what you mean, not the best I've ever seen.
Just FYI....I think that actor was the same dude who was in one of my favorite movies ever "FlashDance"...Michael Nouri.
He was the boss man who welded our favorite flashdancer girl, Jennifer Beals.

On a side note: what else has he done since that 1983 blockbuster?
I remember a couple of TV movies, a Danielle Steel flick, and a classic sci-fi movie "The Hidden" (1987). But I can't think of much else.
What about Jennifer Beals? I was sure she was going to be the next big thang...but she decided to go to college instead. Smart move....lady.
Anyway, I still love that cheesy flick.

FutureYankee

11-19-01, 09:55 AM

never saw any of them

Dynasty2000

11-19-01, 10:00 AM

Originally posted by paissano
when will they make the Yogi Bera story?

Now that will be the FUNNIEST Yankee movie ever! :lol: :lol: I hope they make one, I'll be the first in line to watch it...I just love Yogi.

Back to the original question...I have to say that "Pride of the Yankees" and "61*" are my two favorite baseball movies ever.

paisano

11-19-01, 07:59 PM

If no one does one soon, then I will write one. How about we all contribute to it and I give all a credit and a portion of profits?

Who would we cast as a young Yogi?
Also, let's cast the rest of his teammates while we're at it.
It'll be like our own fantasy league, only for our own Yankee movie.

bagger015

11-19-01, 08:28 PM

:) Pride of the Yankees......:) :NY:

#1PaFan

11-19-01, 08:47 PM

I can't believe nobody mentioned "Curveballs Along the Way." It had to be the absolute GREATEST Baseball Movie EVER Made!!!

:D

Phoenix

11-21-01, 08:42 PM

"Pride of the Yankees" of course, I've only seen the ending but I woke up at 7 in da morning to see it on HBO or something but still missed the beginning, but at the end I was jumping up and down saying "noooo Lou noooo", and I loved the speech...

BronxBomber'sBabe61

11-25-01, 03:40 AM

Originally posted by Tachycardia
61* is the best.

ditto

YanksRockMan

11-25-01, 11:43 AM

I haven't watch any of the movies, but I do like The Scout. It's a pretty good Yankee movie.

Michaels07

11-25-01, 12:51 PM

With Gary Cooper as Lou and Babe Ruth as Himself.it was a movie that had class and good acting moving at the right speed.
61 Produced & directed By Billy Crystal was a little too long, it dragged at the end.

# 21 Forever

11-25-01, 08:12 PM

This is a tough one but "Pride Of The Yankees" barely edges out "61" !

gxxlwonder

11-25-01, 08:28 PM

*61 with Pride of the Yankees a very, very close second. Both terrific movies.

DkNNy79

11-30-01, 02:08 PM

I voted for Pride of the Yankees...that was my first Yankee movie and I thought it was great. Gary Cooper did a great job...

61* is second...great movie, just got it on dvd...I can't believe how cruel people can be sometimes...

BillBuckner

02-06-07, 05:41 PM

fredgmuggs

02-06-07, 06:46 PM

Safe at Home. Mickey and Roger were both robbed of an Academy Award for their performances in this outstanding movie.

But I don't think anything can top William Bendix in The Babe Ruth Story. I get a lump in my throat every time he takes that dog to the hospital.

penguin4

02-06-07, 10:11 PM

But I don't think anything can top William Bendix in The Babe Ruth Story. I get a lump in my throat every time he takes that dog to the hospital."My baby will die! My baby will die!"

Oh man, that kid could act.

(Incidentally, that movie was actually the last one the real Babe ever saw. He walked out in the middle of it, and died a few weeks later.)

JDPNYY

02-06-07, 10:19 PM

penguin4

02-06-07, 10:25 PM

Hey, I just bumped a 5 year old thread. I think Pride of the Yankees edges out the very underrated 61*. Both movies do a great job of shedding light on the personal aspects of Yankee superstars and the struggles they went through off of the diamond.
I've said this before, but I think what bugged me the most about Pride of the Yankees was all the corny scenes deliberately made up for the film (the biggest offender being where he promises to hit two homeruns in the World Series for the crippled boy), when real-life examples do exist that could've illuminated the point just as well. Why rely on fiction to tie everything together when the facts are just as compelling? And rewriting the speech -- now that was blasphemy.

61* may have shifted some scenes around or left some things out, but most of what occurred in the film really happened. And I think it's awesome they were able to create drama within that framework.

penguin4

02-06-07, 10:27 PM

Maybe he should have stayed for the end.:lol:

Maybe he preferred to die at home among his family than alone in the back of a theater -- cause the ending of that film, where all the carolers are serenading him outside his hospital window, damn well would've killed him on the spot.

fredgmuggs

02-06-07, 10:38 PM

"My baby will die! My baby will die!"

Oh man, that kid could act.

(Incidentally, that movie was actually the last one the real Babe ever saw. He walked out in the middle of it, and died a few weeks later.)

:lol: That's a funny story, I never heard that before.

I'm confused though, didn't Babe die in the movie (throngs of fans on the street serenading him in the hospital, Babe volunteering for experimental cancer research?) How could he have walked out on the movie if he was suppose to be dead already?

edit: I see from your previous post that Babe was only near death in the movie but didn't actually die. I guess like the Babe, I've never made to the end of that movie either. At least I have one thing in common with the Babe.

ymike673

02-07-07, 10:34 AM

"Prode Of The Yankees" is my favorite.

Also check out "Bang The Drum Slowly". While not a Yankees movie there are a lot of scenes filmed at the "old" Yankees Stadium (In color) as well as some footage of the 1972 Yankees in action.

Astroholic

07-23-07, 06:34 PM

I saw a cartoon movie about a year ago about a kid named Yankee who could talk to his baseball.. i dont remember the entire store line but Babe Ruths bat was lost (also talked) and the kid took the ball and the bat to Chicago so The Babe could use his bat in the World Series ... I think it's called, "Yankee" but I'm not sure. Anyone know the actual title or where I can buy it?

CardNYY

07-23-07, 06:50 PM

Perfect timing. I watched Pride of the Yankees on Turner Classic last night. It's my favorite by a mile..

CardNYY

07-23-07, 06:52 PM

Astroholic

07-23-07, 06:55 PM

Great, thank you CardNYY.. I found copies everywhere now that I got the name correct.

CardNYY

07-23-07, 07:25 PM

You're welcome.

Dave Visbeck

07-24-07, 01:47 AM

For me it's Cooper. :) I can't vote now of course ... but that would be my choice.

I wonder when this poll actually closed! :) Looks like Cooper has nosed into first by one vote now ... if I added the more recent votes right.

Jim Bouton

07-27-07, 03:47 PM

I've seen Pride of the Yankees and Damn Yankees. Damn Yankees was less of a baseball movie; had some good songs and nice dancing, and Ray Walston is fantastic. But Pride is a true baseball movie, the black and white makes that film, the speech at the end...goosebumps and tears!

lpiniellafan

08-15-07, 08:25 PM

I don't mean this post to be critical of "Damn Yankees," which is a fun musical with a clever baseball theme. It is thoroughly enjoyable, and it is a film that I am pleased to own a copy of on DVD.

But it's NOT a Yankee movie. It's a Washington Senators movie, with some scenes shot at the old Wrigley Field in Los Angeles.

You might as well put "Major League" in this poll because, after all, the Yankees do play a prominent role in the film as the evil villain whom the Indians have to depose in order to be successful.

For the record, I'd have to vote for "Pride of the Yankees." You just can't top Gary Cooper.