The pairing of musical legends Gene Kelly (An American In Paris) and Frank Sinatra (The Tender Trap) was one that proved quite fruitful in the 1940s. After taking Hollywood by storm in Anchors Aweigh, the duo headed east towards Chicago for a spirited baseball musical with 1949’s Take Me Out To The Ball Game – between this and Damn Yankees it is amazing that this might constitute a subgenre. The film was based on a story by Kelly and future filmmaker Stanley Donen (Singin’ In The Rain), who also developed some of the wonderful choreography coursing through the film. The film is notable for being the final full-length directorial effort from director Busby Berkeley (Strike Up The Band) as his health became a complicating factor for the remainder of his career. The film leans more heavily on the singing and dancing rather than the mechanics of baseball, but one does not come to see Kelly and Sinatra strictly to swing a bat. The material itself does not bring out the best of anyone involved, but it serves as an entertaining enough effort from this talented group.
The year is 1908 and second baseman Dennis Ryan (Sinatra) and shortstop Eddie O’Brien (Kelly) are returning for the start of their season with the fictional Chicago Wolves after spending some time as vaudeville performers during the off season. As incongruous as these occupations may seem, the lore around this feature is that it was inspired by real-life players who indulged in such extracurricular activities. The pair and the rest of the team are in for a surprise when they learn that the previous owner of the team has died and left ownership to a distant relative only known as K.C Higgins who is not known to have any experience. While the men are prepared to deal with some “swollen head” incompetent man, they are thrown for a loop upon learning that K.C is actually a woman (Esther Williams, Million Dollar Mermaid). The men do not instantly trust her guidance and balk at her rules, but much will change as they get to know their new boss.
Of the two men, Sinatra is the most endearing as a wide-eyed innocent who is initially drawn to K.C due to her talent with baseball. Much physical comedy is mined from his diminutive size as he gets knocked and pushed around at every turn. The man is no match for Shirley Delwyn (Betty Garrett, On The Town), an ardent fan who quickly becomes infatuated with him and pursues him with great vigor. Garrett is not given much in the way of nuance, but she helps keep things light and humorous with her big character. Kelly goes a bit overboard as the obnoxious, womanizing Eddie who causes the most fuss about curfews and whose contempt for K.C. expectantly turns into something else by the end of their journey. His goofy antics and mugging for the camera can be a bit much as the lovable Williams attempts to deliver a relatively reserved turn that seems to suit her character more faithfully. The only indulgence she takes is a tacked-on swimming sequence that allows her to utilize her aquatic gifts. None of the plotlines deliver anything in the realm of surprises, but the performances are strong enough to make them entertaining.
What most viewers will be concerned about is the quality of the musical numbers, and for the most part they deliver even if there are a few more duds than you may want. The standout number is the titular tune that comes early in the film and provides a high bar that the remainder of the film cannot quite clear. The tune is snappy and the choreography is beyond reproach as the luscious number comes alive in a very memorable way. There are other memorable moments such as Kelly’s Irish jig that showcases why he was a world-renowned dancer, but many of the other numbers fail to make a lasting impression beyond the few minutes they are on screen. They are not off-putting, but it is just hard to group them among the most acclaimed musicals ever to hit the screen. When viewing this film from a modern lens, there are many issues that will irritate the more progressive audience members, but the film captures the sexist time period of the early 20th century. If you are a fan of the talent involved, you will likely find this an entertaining way to spend an hour-and-a-half even if you do not give it top marks.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Take Me Out To The Ball Game with a marvelous new 1080p master transfer in 1.37:1 sourced from what I suspect is a new 4K scan. At the risk of sounding like a cheesy pun, Warner Archive has knocked it out of the park once again. The film is practically pristine with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. The black levels are incredibly deep with perfect stability throughout. The level of stark detail and clarity is stunning with a lovely amount of natural film grain intact. The film features some luscious colors within the costumes and settings, including the bright green of the baseball field, that pop off the screen with a great vibrancy. Compression artifacts, banding and other such issues do not serve as an issue in this transfer. This presentation earns Warner Archive top marks!
Audio Quality
Warner Archive has teed up a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation that pulls out all of the stops. Dialogue comes through perfectly clear from beginning to end without ever being overshadowed by competing elements. Every element seems to present with a nice fidelity, as all sounds are clearly defined and in balance. Music pulses throughout numerous moments of this feature, and this track handles it beautifully with nothing ever sounding crunchy or unstable. These tunes have never sounded better than on this disc. This is a track that mercifully does not exhibit any signs of age-related wear-and-tear. Warner Archive has allowed this film to sound the best it ever has on home entertainment. The disc comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- Deleted Musical Numbers: Two unused musical numbers totaling seven minutes are provided here including the lighthearted “Baby Doll” with Gene Kelly and Esther Williams and “Boys and Girls Like You and Me” with Frank Sinatra crooning to Betty Garrett. These are both presented in HD and make for a nice addition to the set.
- Vintage Cartoon – The Cat and The Mermouse: An eight-minute Tom and Jerry cartoon from 1949 which shows some of the antics the titular pair get up to when they are at the beach. This does not appear to have been released on Blu-Ray before.
- Trailer: The three-minute theatrical trailer is provided here which does a decent job of selling the film.
Final Thoughts
Take Me Out To The Ball Game is a decently entertaining musical that is enhanced thanks to the star power of its core trio. Some of the characters can be a bit too obnoxious, but overall the actions fit within the confines of the story. The technical execution of the musical numbers and choreography is very impressive at every turn even if the songs themselves lack that essential memorable quality. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a top-notch A/V presentation and a couple of special features. This is a great disc for anyone who counts themselves as a fan of the talent involved.
Take Me Out To The Ball Game can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
