Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Excellent but underrated film

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

They don't make baseball movies any more that are as inspirational as "Pride of the Yankees" director Sam Wood's true-life saga "The Stratton Story" with James Stewart and June Allyson as Monty and Ethel Stratton. Stratton is a county boy who runs his father's farm and lives with his mother. When he isn't picking cotton, he walks ten miles to pitch baseball games for $3 per game. Monty is as happy as he can be until he encounters a hobo, Barney Wile (Frank Morgan of "The Wizard of Oz"), who awakens in a boxcar when a baseball flies inside and bounces around. This random bouncing ball whets Barney's curiosity and he gets himself a seat in the bleachers and marvels at Monty's pitching. Barney has been having himself a tough go of it lately because he bottled himself in booze and lose his job with the Chicago White Sox baseball team. Now, he hobos around with nowhere in particular to go. Watching Monty hurl the baseball gives him delusions of grandeur. He wants to teach this young, raw, willowy kid the tricks of the trick and take him to the White Sox training camp in sunny California. Monty's mom, Ma Stratton (Agnes Moorehead of "Bewitched" fame) isn't impressed with Barney's palaver. Nevertheless, Barney teaches Monty, and Monty decides to hit the road with him. They hitch-hike to California and walk onto the White Sox's training camp. No sooner have they gotten there than Barney's old pal that he has been bragging to Monty about, Jimmy Dykes (real life White Sox coach Jimmy Dykes), wants to run them off. Dykes decides to give Monty a chance, and he likes the way Monty pitches. Monty gets a contract, but he also gets more when he double-dates with a teammate, Eddie Dibson (Bill Williams of "Rio Lobo"), and he meets his future wife, Ethel (June Allyson of "Little Women"), and they become romantically attracted to each other. The bubble bursts later when Monty pitches in a disastrous game to the legendary New York Yankees and Bill Dickey (real-life Bill Dickey) swats a four-bagger and the White Sox go down in defeat. Dykes packs Monty off to the minor leagues at Omaha and Monty seasons up. Before long he is pitching in the big leagues again and Ethel and he get hitched. Life is grand for them. They visit Ma Stratton during the winter and the money pours in and Monty lavishes the latest kitchen appliances on Ma who is amazed by these shiny gadgets. Tragedy strikes when Monty goes hunting and accidentally shoots himself in the leg. The doctors have to amputate Monty's leg and his dreams of continuing as a big-league sensation are thwarted. Of course, Monty endures a period of grief, sadness, and self-pity. Eventually, he recovers sufficiently to pick up a baseball and start hurling again. He accomplishes this feat after he attaches the prosthetic leg that the hospital sent home with him. Monty arranges to pitch in a regional all-star baseball game much to the chagrin of Ethel and Ma who fear the worst for him. The opposing team pulls every trick in the book, particularly bunting because Monty's prosthetic leg hampers him from getting to the ball quick enough. Eventually, he is able to throw one runner out at first base.Of course, Wood and scenarists Douglas Morrow of "Jim Thorpe—All American" and Guy Trosper of "Birdman of Alcatraz") stick to the facts as much as they can, but they have taken liberties with Stratton's life. Altogether, Monty's courage and determination to overcome a permanent disability and Stewart's sympathetic performance makes this a memorable sports saga that all baseball fans must see!

James Stewart brings his patented gusto to this portrayal of real-life pitcher Monty Stratton, who lost his leg in a hunting accident, but refused to give up, wearing a prosthetic leg as he made a comeback (Stratton went on to play in the minors from 1946-53). Stewart's frequent leading lady June Allyson plays his wife, who really did help Stratton make it back. If the movie never quite scales the heights of "Pride of the Yankees," it's not for lack of trying. Old pros Stewart and Allyson lift what might have been corny and even maudlin or predictable to a high level and something we believe and care about. And they deserve extra points for playing characters who were still living (and watching). Not many can do that, and do it well. Schmaltzy but moving and perfect in its own way. (Full disclosure: I still can't get over players who would lay down a bunt with Stratton on the mound.)

Don't get me wrong...I like this movie a lot.But having watched it several times over the years, I never could figure out which leg was amputated and whether it was above or below the knee. Being in the medical field, I am interested in these things...The reason I can't tell is that after the accident, Stewart bends his knees when he walks, even though he is supposed to have an above-knee amputation. And he does this throughout the last part of the movie...Let's face it...Jimmy Stewart is so highly regarded that he got away with this. Even the director let this go? Still in all it's a wonderful cast and a nicely-paced story and I do really like this movie! It doesn't really matter what the adversity is, it's the fact that he goes on with his life and tries to get back to baseball. I came away with Agnes Moorehead's line...something like "Monty just seems to be able to figure things out. He's always been that way..." and I'm trying to be that way myself! Ya gotta roll with the punches....

This was a nice baseball story, nothing exceptional but Jimmy Stewart's presence in the title roll elevates the movie.Jimmy looks a bit old to be playing a rookie pitcher, and he doesn't throw like a professional, but at least he isn't pathetic in that regard like some of the other classic-era actors who attempted to do so (you know who they are). They faked enough of the pitching scenes here to get away with Stewart's baseball shortcomings.Anyway, it's just as much a human-interest story as it is a baseball movie, the story of "Monty Stratton" (Stewart) and his girlfriend-then-bride "Ethel," played warmly by June Allyson. She and Frank Morgan, who plays the scout to discovers Monty, are excellent as the two other main actors of the film. In a supporting role, Agnes Moorehead gives her normal competent performance as Monty's mom.On my second viewing I was surprised to discover that the key part of the film - the part which identifies this story as different from others - doesn't occur until the last third of the film. Then, after that, we see how a difficult and traumatic physical loss affects everyone and whether Monty can return to his baseball passion.Overall, it's an entertaining film if you are a fan of Stewart's work, or a big baseball fan and most people fall into at least one of those categories. If remade today, I would suspect the script would be a little tighter, but stories were told slower 50 years ago and one has to expect that. I'm not complaining. I've enjoyed the movie both times I've watched it, and the DVD transfer is very good.