The advertisements on MOVIES TV, a digital broadcast television station, bill their all day slate of baseball movies on Monday April 2nd, as “Opening Day Movies,” but we baseball fans know that opening day actually happened a few days earlier. Nevertheless, I am happy to report the that MOVIES has taken over where the American Movie Classics left off in the 1990s. AMC used to feature some of the same baseball movies back in the late 1980s and early 1990s that will be shown on MOVIES TV stations all across the United States (affiliate list) on Monday April 2nd.
The schedule of baseball movies begin Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time and include:
It Happened in Flatbush (1942)
Synopsis: After blundering his sports career, a tough baseball player takes charge of a disorganized team owned by an equally opinionated owner.
Stars: Lloyd Nolan, Carole Landis
Fear Strikes Out (1957)
Synopsis: Anthony Perkins stars in this powerful true story of the life of Jimmy Piersall, who battled mental illness to achieve stardom in major league baseball.
Stars: Anthony Perkins, Karl Malden
Rhubarb (1951)
—MY FAVORITE—
Synopsis: A Brooklyn baseball team rebels after learning that the eccentric millionaire owner has bequeathed the team to his cat, Rhubarb. The players change their tune, however, when the cat begins bringing good fortune.
Stars: Ray Milland, Jan Sterling
Safe at Home (1962)
Synopsis: After a boy claims to know Yankee players to impress his Little League teammates, promising to bring Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris to the team banquet, he surreptitiously attempts to meet his heroes during spring training.
Stars: William Frawley, Patricia Barry, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Ralph Houk
The Bad News Bears (1976)
Synopsis: A bunch of clumsy Little League baseball players are coached by a beer-guzzling ex-minor leaguer who leads them to the championship.
Stars: Walter Matthau, Tatum O’Neal
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977)
Synopsis: The Bad News Bears team up again for a cross-country adventure, enlisting the star player’s estranged father as their coach.
Stars: William Devane, Clifton James, Jackie Earle Haley , Chris Barnes , Jimmy Baio
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978)
Synopsis: A hustler coaches the Bad News Bears against Japan’s best Little League team, a ruse for his money-making con.
Stars: Tony Curtis, Jackie Earle Haley
Thank you very much MOVIES for bringing back Opening Day Baseball movies! I love your network.