Home > 1950 - 1959 > Angels in the Outfield
Angels in the Outfield
Year - 1951
Studio - MGM
Stars - Paul Douglas, Janet Leigh, Keenan Wynn, Donna Corcoran, Lewis Stone, Spring Byington, Bruce Bennett, Marvin Kaplan
Director - Clarence Brown
Writing Credits - Dorothy Kingsley, George Wells
Music - Daniele Amfitheatrof
Synopsis
Aloysius X. 'Guffy' McGovern (Paul Douglas), manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, is an ill-tempered bully to his players, and has frequent foul-mouthed outbursts to the umpire and others. (As this is a 50's movie, the outbursts are a cacophony of unrecognizable sounds.) The Pirates are in the midst of a losing season, standing near the bottom of their league. After a particularly embarrassing loss, Guffy stands alone on the infield of the deserted stadium, complaining out loud to no one in particular. A booming voice admonishes him for his behavior. Guffy, seeing no one, demands to know who is addressing him, and the voice identifies himself as an angel. The angel says that he and other angels, in life, were baseball players, and that they continue to play in eternity. He tells the dubious Guffy to pay close attention to the third inning of the Pirates' next game.
A young newspaper reporter, Jennifer Paige (Janet Leigh), approaches Guffy in a restaurant, attempting to get an interview, but he blows her off, saying "Dogs have fleas, managers have sports writers". Then, as he is leaving, Guffy is approached by an aggressive and insulting radio broadcaster, Fred Bayles (Keenan Wynn), and he slugs him.
At the Pirates' next game, they trail by one run, but in the third inning they are surprisingly effective, and take the lead by a run. They are able to maintain that lead and win the game. Guffy begins to believe that he is, after all, assisted by angels.
Guffy becomes a changed man, managing by kindness and positive reinforcement, and the team then goes on a winning streak to climb to the top of the standings.
At one of the games, a large group of young girls from a local Catholic orphanage are in attendance. One of those girls, Bridget White (Donna Corcoran), tells Sister Edwitha (Spring Byington) that she can see angels behind every one of the Pirates players on the field. A news reporter overhears the conversation and rushes to file a story about the little girl.
Guffy, as well as the reporter, Jennifer Paige, become interested in the little girl's story, and they visit the orphanage to meet her. She explains that she has been praying for the Pirates every day. Jennifer invites Bridget to attend the games with her.
At one of those games, Guffy is struck in the head by an errant foul ball and is knocked out. When he comes to, a reporter jokingly asks if he saw angels too, and the dazed Guffy responds that he did indeed. The radio broadcaster, Fred Bayles, starts a revenge campaign, accusing Guffy of being unfit to manage the team. A hearing is called, led by the league commissioner (Lewis Stone). Bayles brings a psychiatrist who testifies that Guffy is mentally unstable. Guffy presents three witnesses, a minister, a Catholic priest, and a rabbi, all of whom testify as to the reality of angels in history. Sister Edwitha brings in Bridget, who tells the commissioner that she saw angels on the field, including one with manager Guffy. Bayles suggests that Bridget is only saying that because she hopes to be adopted by Guffy, and is slugged by the enraged Guffy.
The commissioner dismisses the case, but Guffy is then told by the angel's voice that he is on his own now. Despite that, the team continues to win under their manager's changed behavior, and their hopes of winning the pennant come down to a final game against New York. Guffy surprises everyone by naming a once great pitcher, but well past his prime, Saul Hellman (Bruce Bennett) to start the game. Hellman struggles and he and Guffy are booed by the angry crowd. But the pitcher strikes out the Yankee's most powerful hitter, and the Pirates are the champions.
Guffy and Jennifer marry and adopt Bridget.
Trailer
Other baseball themed films blanc include Damn Yankees and Field of Dreams.
The film was remade in a 1994 theatrical release and in a 2000 TV movie, Angels in the Infield.