The Jackie Robinson Story
Director: Alfred E. Green (1950)
Cast: Jackie Robinson, Ruby Dee
Filmed during the off-season of 1949 when Robinson would win the National League Most Valuable Player award. It’s not easy to play yourself in a movie, especially with no training in art. But Robinson was educated, articulate, and knew the story well. Another plus was the casting of a very young Ruby Dee, just starting her career on film in the role of Rachel Robinson.
The film covers his early days growing up in very white, but tolerant Pasadena, California, where he and his older brothers excelled in sports. At UCLA Robinson lettered in four sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football and Track & Field. He was drafted into the army during World War 2. After the war Robinson joined the Kansas City Monarchs of the National League as a shortstop. Meanwhile back in Brooklyn NY, branch Rickey, the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, have been looking for the right person to break long hold rule that black players cannot play Major League Baseball. Rickey put his best scout, Clyde Sukeforth, to watch Robinson play and what his demeanor was.
Once he got the report on Robinson, Rickey invited Robinson to Brooklyn for a meeting. At that meeting, Rickey and Sukeforth informed Robinson about his plans that would change Baseball and America forever. Robinson agreed after three seasons, he would not fight back either in the Minor Leagues or Major Leagues. The next part of the movie, how Jackie goes to Montreal Canada play for the Dodgers top minor league team. The Canadian fans quickly learn how to love the way Jackie played and we're always behind as were many of his minor league teammates. In fact, the team did very well and 1 the minor league championship, with Jackie leading the way.
The next season, Jackie and his wife Rachel and their young son Jackie junior got ready port Jackie’s big chance to open the season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie had to learn a new position, First Base., second, meeting his teammates, many of them bred and raised in the South. Jackie kept his promise and let his athletic talent do the talking for himself. In the end, Jackie Robinson helps dodgers when the Pennant in 1947. He was presented with the first rookie of the year award in baseball. Today the award is called the Jackie Robinson award.
Fun Fact: In 1949, Jackie Robinson would be named the National League Most Valuable Player. In all, Jackie Robinson led Brooklyn to 6 National League Pennants and the 1955 World Championship
Fun Fact: The film was a moderate hit and disappeared for many years. In doing so, people forgot about the movie and its producers forgot three new their copyright agreements so in the late 1960s and early 70s any TV station in the country replay the Jackie Robinson story anytime they want and it became a late night staple for many years for people who would stay up late see a movie and helped people to remember who was Jackie Robinson all about. Over the years various movies have been made about Jackie’s life, most notably the film “42”.
