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Alibi Ike
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Wikipedia article
'Alibi Ike' is a 1935 American romantic comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring Joe E. Brown, Olivia de Havilland and William Frawley. Based on the short story of the same name by Ring Lardner, first published in the 'Saturday Evening Post' on July 31, 1915, the film is about an ace baseball player nicknamed "Alibi Ike" for his penchant for making up excuses. Lardner is said to have patterned the character after baseball player King Cole.
'Alibi Ike' was the most successful of Joe E. Brown's "baseball trilogy" of films, which also included 'Elmer, the Great' and 'Fireman, Save My Child'. It is considered one of the best baseball comedies of all time.'Harrison's Reports and Film Reviews' June 29, 1935. 'Alibi Ike' was the first feature film released starring Olivia de Havilland, although she made two previous films that were released later that year'The Irish in Us' and the all-star Shakespeare epic 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', which also starred Joe E. Brown in a key role.
A print of the film is held by the Library of Congress.'Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress', (<-book title) page 4 c.1978 by The American Film Institute
Plot
Frank X. Farrell (Joe E. Brown) is an ace baseball player whose insistence on making excuses earns him the nickname "Alibi Ike." In the course of his first season with the Chicago Cubs, Farrell falls in love with Dolly Stevens (Olivia de Havilland), sister-in-law of the team's manager. Farrell's "alibi" habit prompts Dolly to walk out on him, after which he goes into a slumpwhich coincides with attempts by gamblers to get Farrell to throw the World Series.
Cast
* Joe E. Brown as Frank X. Farrell
* Olivia de Havilland as Dolly Stevens
* William Frawley as Cap
* Ruth Donnelly as Bess
* Roscoe Karns as Carey
* Eddie Shubert as Jack Mack
* Paul Harvey as Lefty Crawford
* Joe King as Johnson, the owner
* G. Pat Collins as Lieutenant
* Spencer Charters as Minister
* Gene Morgan as Smitty
'Cast notes:'
*Several popular Major League Baseball players make cameo appearances in the film, including Guy Cantrell, Dick Cox, Cedric Durst, Mike Gazella, Wally Hood, Don Hurst, Smead Jolley, Lou Koupal, Bob Meusel, Wally Rehg, and Jim Thorpe.
References
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