Pride of St. Louis, The (TCF 1952, Dan Dailey, Richard Crenna)

In this biopic of Dizzy Dean (Dan Dailey), a baseball star turns to sports commentary after an injury takes him permanently out of the game. After a bout with self-pity and the bottle, with the help of his devoted wife, Joanne Dru, he makes a new life. In an early appearance, Chet Huntley of NBC News fame can be seen as a sports broadcaster.

For the rights to his life story, which became the film Pride of St. Louis, Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean was paid $50,000. When he learned of the deal, Dean is reported to have said, ‘Fifty thousand smackers just for living?

Academy Award Nomination for Best Motion Picture Story.

production details
USA | Twentieth Century Fox | 93 minutes | 1952

Director: Harmon Jones
Producer: Jules Schermer
Director of Photography: Leo Tover
Editing: Robert Simpson
Music:Arthur Lange
Script: Herman J. Mankiewicz, Guy Trosper
Production Design: Lyle Wheeler
Art Direction: Addison Hehr

cast
James Brown as Moose
Joanne Dru as Patricia Dean
Richard Crenna as Paul Dean
Dan Dailey as Dizzy Dean
Hugh Sanders as Horst
Richard Hylton as Johnny Kendall
John Doucette as Benny