| The Stratton Story | |
|---|---|
1949 theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Sam Wood |
| Produced by | Jack Cummings |
| Written by | Douglas Morrow Guy Trosper |
| Starring | James Stewart June Allyson Frank Morgan Agnes Moorehead |
| Music by | Adolph Deutsch |
| Cinematography | Harold Rosson |
| Editing by | Ben Lewis |
| Studio | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | May 12, 1949 |
| Running time | 106 min. |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Language | English |
The Stratton Story is a 1949 film directed by Sam Wood which tells the true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1934-1938. This is the first of three movies that paired Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson, the others being The Glenn Miller Story and Strategic Air Command.
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James Stewart plays the part of Stratton, who in the off-season of 1938 accidentally shoots himself in his right leg while on a hunting excursion. When his leg has to be amputated, it looks as though his pitching career is over. Nevertheless, with a wooden leg and his wife Ethel's (June Allyson) support, Stratton is able to make a successful minor league comeback in 1946.
Ronald Reagan had sought the title role but was under contract with Warner Bros., which did not want to release Reagan for the film because they thought the movie would be a failure. The Stratton Story became a financial success and won the Academy Award for best Writing — Motion Picture Story.
Stratton commented that Mr. Stewart "did a great job of playing me, in a picture which I figure was about as true to life as they could make it".
Moorehead reportedly met her second husband, actor Robert Gist, during the making of this film.
Scenes were staged at various baseball parks, including: