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It Happens Every Spring (1949)
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 6:28 pm    Post subject: It Happens Every Spring (1949) Reply with quote

________________________

In addition to being an enjoyable romantic comedy, this is actually a tidy little sci-fi yarn that foreshadows the 1950s sci-fi craze that began the following year.

Ray Milland stars as an underpaid college professor who can't marry fiance Jean Peters because he's so poor. Fame and fortune will be his, however, if he succeeds with his experimental attempts to develop a solution that causes wood to repel termites (what a concept!). But a baseball crashes through his laboratory window and destroys his equipment, botching up the solution during its final mixing stage. Milland ends up with something very different than what he intended to make: a liquid that repels wood. He soaks a baseball in the solution and discovers that no bat can touch it!

Unfortunately he can't duplicate the accident that created the solution, so he only has one small bottle of it. Milland conceives a bold money-making scheme; he applies for a job as a rookie pitcher with a down-on-their-luck team. Using solution-soaked baseballs that repel bats, Milland throws impossible-to-hit pitches, and soon his low-ranked team becomes serious contenders for the pennant!

Paul Douglas plays the team's catcher and loyal friend to Milland, but neither he nor Milland's fiance' know about the anti-wood solution that makes Ray seem like the ultimate pitcher.



The special effects of the baseball hopping and looping over the bat are terrific (and the ball makes the same sound as Gort's ray in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"). There's plenty of laughs in this imaginative, well-played little classic from 20th Century Fox. Paul Douglas does a fine job as Milland's roommate and the team's catcher. Directed by Lloyd Bacon from a witty screenplay by Valentine Davies.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Pye-Rate
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In addition to it's sci-fi charms, it is one of the best baseball comedies ever made.
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Pow
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Charming, funny film. Like the kind Disney made. Jean Peters was a beauty.
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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I enjoyed it when I first watched it on NBC's Saturday Night at the Movies, and today I own it on DVD.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

orzel-w wrote:
I enjoyed it when I first watched it on NBC's Saturday Night at the Movies, and today I own it on DVD.

Hey, that's where I saw it the first time, too! I've got 26 of the movies I saw and fell in love with from SN@tM's.

Actually, my copy of It Happens Every Spring is a DVD-R from Turner Classic Movies, because when I compared it to the commercially sold DVD, the one from TCM looked better.

Here's the SN@tM's features I own. Which of these do you remember from back then, Wayne?
___________________________

How to Marry a Millionaire
Titanic
The Garden of Evil
Soldier of Fortune
Halls of Montezuma
Demetrius and the Gladiators
Destination Gobi
People Will Talk
Stars and Stripes Forever
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Bird of Paradise
It Happens Every Spring
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The Egyptian
River of No Return
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef
White Witch Doctor
Rawhide
Women's World
Niagara
The Long Hot Summer
The Seven Year Itch
The Enemy Below
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
Hell and High Water
Prince Valiant

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Rick
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PostPosted: Sat May 28, 2016 7:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I also saw this when it was first shown during the first season of Saturday Night at the Movies. April 7, 1962, right around the beginning of the 1962 baseball season, which ended with Willie McCovey's wicked line drive disappearing into Bobby Richardson's glove. The last great World Series of my youth, because it was the last time my beloved Yankees won when I was a kid.

We watched several of the Saturday night movies during that first season, but fewer and fewer in later years. The irresistible lure of GUNSMOKE, I suppose.

Looking at your list, I saw 8 of those movies on those Saturday night broadcasts. My favorite was, of course, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. It wasn't enough to see that one great movie, though. That night after Klaatu, came our 15 minute local news, followed by Shock Theatre. That night I saw BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN for the first time. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN...still the greatest double feature ever.

But back to IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING. I loved the movie. I loved the comedy, I loved the sci-fi, I loved the effects, I loved the baseball scenes. Five months later, when it was rerun, I told everybody I knew to be sure to watch it and I loved it all over again.

But...despite the love, it always bothered me that the whole story was about cheating. Even at 12 years of age, I knew that was just such a cheat, just so wrong. It was clear to me that, once the truth was known, the guy would be barred from baseball, the team would be fined and otherwise punished. If nothing else, they'd have to forfeit their World Series.

Funny, clever, lovable movie. Big cheat.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat May 28, 2016 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick wrote:
It was clear to me that, once the truth was known, the guy would be barred from baseball, the team would be fined and otherwise punished. If nothing else, they'd have to forfeit their World Series.

Funny, clever, lovable movie. Big cheat.

Actually, they only won the Pennant, not the Series. Small consolation, I guess.

And since Milland would never hurt his beloved baseball team, he'd never reveal the secret, even if his conscience started bothering him.

So, even though the fun of the movie is spoiled a bit by Milland's unethical behavior — in spite of his alleged devotion to baseball — the sci-fi aspect of the movie does indeed make it fun to watch.

This trailer is a lot of fun, too. Enjoy! Very Happy



_____________ It Happens Every Spring - trailer

___________

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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alltare
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PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2016 12:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The cheating aspect bothered me too, but that feeling was outweighed by the very simple, yet very funny, special effects. The wooden hairbrush scenes are great.
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 1:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I always enjoy this when it comes up on Turner channel.

It reminds me of Damn Yankees!, a Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston (as the devil !) musical homage to the best age of baseball !
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Ah-ha! I just knew we had smart folks around here who were checking those "Easter Egg" links I was placing in the reply button in the Feature Threads each day!

This movie was the one I picked for today's Easter Egg, and it encouraged you to add a post, Gord. That just tickles me pink! Very Happy

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____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick wrote:
I also saw this when it was first shown during the first season of Saturday Night at the Movies. April 7, 1962, right around the beginning of the 1962 baseball season, which ended with Willie McCovey's wicked line drive disappearing into Bobby Richardson's glove. The last great World Series of my youth, because it was the last time my beloved Yankees won when I was a kid.

I don't have any childhood World Series memories . . . other than a radio interview with one of the Pittsburgh Pirates when they won in 1960 and the player enthusiastically shouted, "We beat the hell out of those guys!"

I heard it on the beloved transistor radio I carried around back in those days, and the use of the word "hell" was a delicious thrill to a twelve year old. Very Happy

I did, however, enjoy the 2016 World Series in which the Cubs won the Series just one year after Back to the Future II predicted they would! Very Happy






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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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scotpens
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gord Green wrote:
I always enjoy this when it comes up on Turner channel.

It reminds me of Damn Yankees!, a Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston (as the devil !) musical homage to the best age of baseball!

Damn Yankees deserves a thread of its own. It's one of the best baseball movies, one of the best variations on the Faust legend, and one of the best Broadway-to-Hollywood musicals. With the amazingly talented dancer-singer-actress Gwen Verdon, the (IMHO) underrated Ray Walston, and choreography by the great Bob Fosse. What's not to like? Unless you're one of those people who just don't like musicals!
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Pow
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess the entertaining baseball movie "Angels In The Outfield," (50s version) is even worse on the cheating issue.

Milland just had his chemical coating the baseball in order to win games. AITO had a group of angels helping one team against another!!!

Still & all it's a cute family movie.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Good point, Pow!

In fact, the remake of Angles in the Outfield was also about unfair advantages from a divine source.

But an argument can be made that the Big Manager in the Sky has the clout to decide who should win and who should loose, while Milland was just a mere mortal who allegedly had great respect for the game . . . and yet cheated to win. Shocked

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Rick
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Damn Yankees deserves a thread of its own. It's one of the best baseball movies, one of the best variations on the Faust legend, and one of the best Broadway-to-Hollywood musicals. With the amazingly talented dancer-singer-actress Gwen Verdon, the (IMHO) underrated Ray Walston, and choreography by the great Bob Fosse. What's not to like? Unless you're one of those people who just don't like musicals!

Over 40 years ago I worked with Tab Hunter. I once asked him his favorite director, he thought a couple of seconds, and said "Sidney Lumet." I then asked him his least favorite director and he instantly barked, "George Abbott."

Abbott, a legendary Broadway director, had directed the filming of DAMN YANKEES. According to Tab, everyone had to do exactly what Abbott insisted upon. Every gesture, every move, every line reading. If you varied during a shot, Abbott would yell "cut" and insist that you start over and do it "right."

This was almost 20 years after DAMN YANKEES had been shot and there was still clear anger and frustration in Tab Hunter's voice.

I've told this story to several of my Broadway friends over the years and they're always surprised. Abbott's reputation is as a gentle, quiet, but stern guiding spirit. Perhaps Mr. Abbott was less comfortable on a film set, or upset with that particular film, or just didn't like Hunter and some of the other actors.

Of course, most of the main characters, apart from Tab, were carried over from the stage production, so maybe Abbott felt they already knew what he wanted, so he was particularly tough on his leading man. Whatever it was, it remained a fresh thorn in Tab Hunter's hide.

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Nor lie in death forever,
But for the weakness of his feeble will.
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