Stars, Stripes and Diamonds

Since the Progressive Era, baseball has been promoted as an institution encapsulating the best of American values and capable of bridging the chasms of twentieth century American culture—urban versus rural, industry versus agriculture, individual versus community, immigrant versus native, white versus color. Among the more enthusiastic of the game’s proponents have been American filmmakers, and baseball films present perhaps the purest depiction of baseball’s vision of an idealized America.
This critical study treats baseball cinema as a film genre and explores the functions of baseball ideology as it is represented in that genre. It focuses on how Hollywood’s presentation of baseball has served not only to promote dominant values, but also to bridge cultural conflicts. Commentary on 85 films deals with issues of race, community, gambling, players, women, and owners.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Marshall G. Most works in the department of communication at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.
Robert Rudd, now retired, worked in the Department of Communication at Boise State University. He lives in Eugene, Oregon.

Marshall G. Most and Robert Rudd
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 200
Bibliographic Info: 10 photos, filmography, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2006
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2518-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments       vii

Preface      1

1. America’s Game      5

2. Baseball on Film: 1898–2005      16

3. The Community of Baseball      62

4. Booze, Broads, and Baseball      78

5. For Love of the Game      100

6. Don’t Bet on It      115

7. I Hate This #*%# Song      128

8. The Back of the Dugout      143

9. Girls Don’t Play Baseball      157

10. The America That Was Meant to Be      174

Filmography      181

Works Cited      185

Index      187

“another little gem from McFarland…recommended”—Choice; “Most and Rudd make a valuable contribution to the literature of baseball cinema”—Nine.