Angels in the Outfield(1951).

I have just finished writing my special thank you, to Monty's for all of his hard work on his past tournament. Angels in the Outfield(1951). Cast: Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, directed by Clarence Brown. The cinematography was by Paul Vogel and the original music score was composed by Daniele Amfitheatrof.

When Pittsburgh, household hints reporter Jennifer Paige, is assigned an article on the, Pittsburgh Pirates, from "the women's angle." Jennifer, is very excited to be given the opportunity even though she knows nothing about baseball. Two sports reporters, think that it would be fun to challenge her into interviewing the bad tempered manager Guffy McGovern. She is shocked at his bad language and writes a article blaming him for the team not playing well.

Her editor is charmed by her article and decides to keep her on as a sports reporter. When she sees Guffy eating his steak at a nice restaurant, he tells her that he does not care what people write about him and sends her on her way.

After a huge loss, McGovern yells at his players, including his good friend the pitcher, Saul Hellman. He then goes out onto the baseball field and can not believe it when he hears someone telling him to "shut up." The voice tells him that he is an angel sent by Gabriel, who is answering someone's prayers and promises McGovern, that if he keeps his temper under control, that he will win the pennant. To prove to McGovern, that he is for real, the voice then tells him to look for a miracle the next day in the third inning.

McGovern is convinced, when one of his not so great player Rube Ronson, makes a great catch, then a ball hit by one of the Pirates, disappears and they win the game.

The team wins their next ten games, but when McGovern, starts to swear in the eleventh game, they lose. That night, the angel says he and his angelic former players, will help the Pirates.

During a game, Bridget White, a little girl from St. Gabriel's orphanage, tells her Mother Superior, Sr. Edwitha, that she sees angels behind each of the Pirates. Sr. Edwitha, is worried that she has had too much sun.



Jennifer, charmed by Bridget's story writes about it in her column. After McGovern reads her story, he goes to the orphanage to talk to Bridget. He is touched when she says that she has been praying for him. That afternoon the game is rained out, and Jennifer goes to McGovern's apartment to apologize for her unflattering story about him in the newspaper.

The next day, she takes Bridget to the ball game so she can write a new story explaining that the heat made Bridget see things. Soon realizing that McGovern has a soft spot for Bridget, Jennifer brings Bridget to his apartment for his birthday dinner. Jennifer makes dinner, but she uses the wrong oil which ruins the dinner and the three go to a restaurant. Where drunken Bayles is sitting at another table, gets into a fight with McGovern.

The next day, after he is hit in the head with a baseball, a stunned McGovern tells reporters that he talks to angels every day. Bayle calls him "emotionally unstable" and does a televised interview with a groundskeeper who saw McGovern's odd behavior on the deserted ball field. The players are all concerned, except for Hellman, who defends his old friend.

Later, when McGovern talks to his angel, he is heartbroken when he learns that the team in heaven will soon be signing up Hellman.

At the hearing a psychiatrist, says that angels are only a superstition, but McGovern's expert witnesses, a minister proves their existence. Just as the baseball commissioner is about to rule, Bayles brings up McGovern's wishes to adopt Bridget a fight breaks out. A bolt of lightning stops the fight and as a feather floats down, the case is dismissed. The angel tells McGovern, that the fight cancelled their deal and he is now on his own. Will the Pirates win the pennant and will McGovern, Jennifer and Bridget, become a happy family?

A very touching film for those that believe in the power of prayer.

Cameos:

Bing Crosby has a short cameo in the film, playing golf, sinking a long putt. At that time, Crosby was a part owner (approximately 15%) of the Pirates.

Baseball greats Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio also can be seen in the film, along with Hollywood songwriter Harry Ruby.

Barbara Billingsley has an uncredited role as a hat check girl at John's Steakhouse.

Donna Corcoran, (born September 29, 1942). A child actress who performed in several Hollywood films in the 1950s. She is best known playing in the aquatic musicals that featured Esther Williams, (playing swimmer Annette Kellerman as a child in one of them)and as a vulnerable girl being victimized by a disturbed babysitter, (played by Marilyn Monroe, pictured below).

After making her last film in 1955, she made a token comeback as a young adult in an episode in the television sit-com, My Three Sons (starring Fred MacMurray) in the early 1960s before finally leaving acting altogether.







Filmography:

Angels in the Outfield(1951)
Don't Bother to Knock(1952)
Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
Dangerous When Wet(1953)
Scandal at Scourie(1953)
Gypsy Colt(1954)
Moonfleet(1955)