''Death on the Diamond'' is a 1934 comedy-mystery film starring Robert Young. It was based on the novel ''Death on the Diamond: A Baseball Mystery Story'' by Cortland Fitzsimmons, directed by
Edward Sedgwick
Edward Sedgwick (November 7, 1889 – March 7, 1953) was an American film director, writer, actor and producer.
Early life
He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, both stage actors. At the age ...
and produced and released by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
.
Synopsis
Unless his team can win the pennant, owner Pop Clark ( David Landau) will lose his baseball team, the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. He gets Larry Kelly ( Robert Young) in order to try and seal the deal. However, rival teams and mobsters are trying to stop his team from winning the pennant race, with some of his star players getting killed on and off the field.
Production
Appearing uncredited in the film were a number of ex- Major Leaguers, including
Bob
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
* Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname ...
and
Irish Meusel
Emil Frederick "Irish" Meusel (June 9, 1893 – March 1, 1963) was an American baseball left fielder. He played in the major leagues between 1914 and 1927 for the Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, and Brooklyn Robins ...
,
Ping Bodie
Frank Stephen "Ping" Bodie (October 8, 1887 – December 17, 1961), born Francesco Stephano Pezzolo,Ivan Olson and Pat Flaherty, plus one player who was still very much active, slugger Wally "Red" Berger.
Reception
Leonard Maltin described the film as an "absurd crime tale" while giving it 2 out of 4 stars.
Madge Evans
Madge Evans (born Margherita Evans; July 1, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American stage and film actress.Obituary ''Variety'', April 29, 1981. She began her career as a child performer and model.
Biography
Child model and stage actress
B ...
as Frances Clark
*
Nat Pendleton
Nathaniel Greene Pendleton (August 9, 1895 – October 12, 1967) was an American Olympic wrestler, film actor, and stage performer. His younger brother, Edmund J. Pendleton (1899-1987), was a well-known music composer and choir maste ...
as Larry "Truck" Hogan
*
Ted Healy
Ted Healy (born Charles Ernest Lee Nash; October 1, 1896 – December 21, 1937) was an American vaudeville performer, comedian, and actor. Though he is chiefly remembered as the creator of The Three Stooges and the style of slapstick comedy th ...
DeWitt Jennings
DeWitt Clarke Jennings (June 21, 1871 – March 1, 1937) was an American film and stage actor. He appeared in 17 Broadway theatre, Broadway plays between 1906 and 1920, and in more than 150 films between 1915 and 1937.
Biography
He was born ...
as Mr. Patterson
*
Edward Brophy
Edward Santree Brophy (February 27, 1895 – May 27, 1960) was an American character actor and comedian, as well as an assistant director and second unit director during the 1920s. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he frequently ...
as Police Sgt. Grogan
*
Willard Robertson
Willard Robertson (January 1, 1886 – April 5, 1948) was an American actor and writer. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1924 and 1948. He was born in Runnels, Texas, and died in Hollywood, California.
Biography
Robertson first w ...
as Police Lt. Luke Cato
*
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...
Joe Sawyer
Joe Sawyer (born Joseph Sauers, August 29, 1906 – April 21, 1982) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1927 and 1962, and was sometimes billed under his birth name.
Early life
Sawyer was born August 29, 1 ...