Kill the Umpire

I saw this film over 20 years ago for the first and only time on an old reel to reel projector. I have been unable to find anyone who can produce it in video form, but if I could I would surely make it a part of my collection. It is one of the best baseball films ever made. William Bendix gave a great performance and the chase scene at the end was a classic. I hope that somehow it can be found to be in circulation. I love the old classics of the 30's, 40's and 50's. This was a fun film.

What I noticed first about this flick was the opening soundtrack of 'Three Blind Mice', I thought I was watching a Three Stooges short. As the film went on, a number of characters appeared that I remember from the Stooges films (Vernon Dent, Emil Stitka, etc. Columbia Pictures released this film in 1950 at the height of the Stooges popularity. These characters are not in the movies' credits, but do appear listed on the IMDB database.

It's sort of nice when you watch a film not expecting much, but discover an entertaining story. That was the case for this film, which I saw on TCM. William Bendix is always enjoyable as a supporting actor, but in this Columbia film he starred, as an ex-baseball player addicted to baseball, who very reluctantly takes a job as an umpire. It's especially nice to see Bendix playing with Tom D'Andrea, who was also his pal in the "Life Of Riley" television series. And, other supporting actors are Ray Collins (of Perry Mason fame), Una Merkel (as the wife), and William Frawley as the owner of the school for umpires.

While I found the film entertaining, it did have its flaws. Most annoying was seeing all the major mountains in St. Petersburg and Cocoa in Florida! Apparently there's been an awfully lot of erosion in the last 60 years since this film was made! There were a few others "errors of location", as well. But, after all, this was a relatively low budget film, and if you ignore such things, you can still enjoy the story. One other problem was that the director couldn't exactly decide what kind of comedy this was. Sentimental? Sometimes. Screwball? No, in a few places (like setting fire to the hotel and the car chase segment) it got downright slapstick. But, still, it's a pleasant enough film to watch. I couldn't help thinking, however, how Red Skelton could have made so much more of the movie.

I like many others, first saw this on TV literally decades ago. I loved it. It made such an impression on me that I have looked for it off and on over the years but I haven't found it. Well wouldn't you know, I try a short cat nap late in the evening before I get a midnight snack, I wake up and page thru the listings on the channel guide. There is the title I haven't seen in 40 years. "Kill The Umpire". However, I notice that it started about 15-20 minutes ago so I didn't get to see the beginning. Then a little while later the dog wanted out, so I've got to mess with him. Long story short... I caught what I could of the movie. I've told so many people about how great it was. This was from an era of hope that swept across America after WW 2. We still had sandlot baseball, people still got dressed up to go to the ball games, we still had dinner with the family all at the same time, and people still offered second chances. This film was filled with Americana. I really miss the America it portrays even though I wasn't born until the year after this was released. I'm glad I got to watch it again. I hope someone makes a DVD of this.

Kill the Umpire had to be a success because it appealed to the fantasy of every baseball fan in the world, the idea that he can be a better umpire than the guys out there doing it. It's kind of like folks singing in the shower and imagining their Crosby or Sinatra.

You can tell the love that went into this comedy because players Bill Bendix and Bill Frawley were both noted baseball fans. The laughs are there, but so is the reverence for the American national pastime.

Poor Bill Bendix, a former ballplayer who can't make a go of it after his playing days are over. Of course this was in the day of the reserve clause with the low salaries. Father-in-law Ray Collins tells Bendix to get back in the game in a way. Become an umpire.

This is heresy of the worst kind. Imagine John McEnroe being told to become a tennis referee. But he makes a go of it.

The scenes in umpire training school are funny enough, but what a reality check poor Bendix gets when he umpires his first game. A man used to hearing the cheers of the crowd for his exploits on the diamond. And he's assigned to the Texas League. Texas baseball fans were legendary in their treatment of umpires. Made old Brooklyn Dodger fans like Bendix himself, look like those attending the races in My Fair Lady.

Bendix and Frawley as the head of the umpire training school are reteamed after both of them were in The Babe Ruth Story. This one works far better.

It's so funny I don't even think you need to be a baseball fan to watch this and enjoy it. But it sure helps.