Despite its lack of production values and box-office "names," The Jackie Robinson Story is one of the best and most convincing baseball biopics ever filmed. Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson plays himself, and quite well indeed. The film traces Robinson's career from his college days, when he excelled as a track star at Pasadena College and as UCLA's All-Sports record holder. Upon his graduation, Robinson tries to get a coaching job, but this is the 1940s, and most doors are closed to black athletes. After ...
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Despite its lack of production values and box-office "names," The Jackie Robinson Story is one of the best and most convincing baseball biopics ever filmed. Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson plays himself, and quite well indeed. The film traces Robinson's career from his college days, when he excelled as a track star at Pasadena College and as UCLA's All-Sports record holder. Upon his graduation, Robinson tries to get a coaching job, but this is the 1940s, and most doors are closed to black athletes. After serving in the army, Robinson plays with the Negro Baseball League, where his uncanny skills attract the attention of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Anxious to break down the "color line" that exists in major-league baseball, Robinson is chosen in 1946 to play for the Brooklyn farm team in Montreal. In a harrowing sequence, Rickey lets Robinson know what he's in for by bombarding him with insults and racial slurs. The manager is merely testing Robinson's ability to withstand the pressure: he wants a black ballplayer "with guts enough not to fight back." Robinson agrees to ignore all racial epithets for the first two years of his Brooklyn contract. Despite the unabashed hatred to which he is subjected during his year with Montreal, Robinson steadfastly continues to turn the other cheek, and in 1947 he graduates to the Dodgers lineup. After a slow start, Robinson justifies the faith put in him by Rickey. The Dodgers win the pennant race, and slowly but surely the ban on black players vanishes in the big leagues. Though a model of restraint by 1990s standards, The Jackie Robinson Story is surprisingly frank in its detailing of the racial tensions of its own era. It falters only in a couple of silly vignettes involving comic-relief ballplayer Ben Lessey. The cast is uniformly fine, including Louise Beavers as Robinson's mother, Ruby Dee as his wife Rae (Dee would later play Robinson's mother in the 1990 TV movie The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson), Joel Fluellen as his brother Mac, Minor Watson as Branch Rickey, and best of all, Richard Lane as Montreal manager Clay Hopper. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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Add this copy of The Jackie Robinson Story-in Color! Also Includes the to cart. $2.59, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Legend Films.
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Joel Fluellen, Billy Wayne, William 'Bill' Spaulding, Ben Lessy, Harry Shannon, Richard Lane, Louise Beavers, Minor Watson,... Very good. 2006 Run time: 76. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Digital copy/codes may be expired or not included. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Jackie Robinson Story-in Color! Also Includes the to cart. $3.00, good condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 1950.
Add this copy of The Jackie Robinson Story-in Color! Also Includes the to cart. $3.25, very good condition, Sold by Book Lover's Warehouse rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Watauga, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Legend Films.
Add this copy of The Jackie Robinson Story to cart. $9.95, new condition, Sold by Skip's-media rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Lewes, DE, UNITED STATES, published 1950 by Legend Films.
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Jackie Robinson, Ruby Dee, Minor Watson, Louise Beavers, Richard Lane. New in new packaging. Language: English. Run time: 76 mins. Aspect ratio: 1.33: 1. Originally released: 1950. Brand New sealed
Add this copy of The Jackie Robinson Story-in Color! Also Includes the to cart. $11.35, new condition, Sold by Lake Country Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Excelsior, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Legend Films.
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New. Size: 0x7x5; Brand new DVD in original manufacturer's shrink wrap. Gift worthy. Books, box sets, and items other than standard jewel case CDs and DVDs that sell for $9 or more ship in a box; under $9 in a bubble mailer. Expedited and international orders may ship in a flat rate envelope rather than a box due to cost constraints. All US-addressed items ship with complimentary delivery confirmation.