''Elmer, the Great'' is a 1933 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joe E. Brown and

Patricia Ellis Patricia Ellis (born Patricia Gene O'Brien; May 20, 1918 – March 26, 1970) was an American film actress from 1932 to 1939, who then had a brief singing career until 1941. Early years Born in Birmingham, Michigan, in 1918 (although she gave he ...

.The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:''Elmer, the Great''
/ref>

Plot

Elmer Kane ( Joe E. Brown) is a rookie ballplayer with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

whose ego is matched only by his appetite. Because he is not only vain but naive, Elmer's teammates take great delight in pulling practical jokes on him. Still, he is so valuable a player that the Cubs management hides the letters from his hometown sweetheart Nellie (

), so that Elmer won't bolt the team and head for home. When Nellie comes to visit Elmer, she finds him in an innocent but compromising situation with a glamorous actress (

Claire Dodd Claire Dodd (born Dorothy Arlene Dodd; December 29, 1911 – November 23, 1973 ) was an American film actress. Early life Dorothy Arlene Dodd was born on December 29, 1911, in Baxter, Iowa, to Walter Willard Dodd, a farmer whose family w ...

). She turns her back on him, and disconsolate Elmer tries to forget his troubles at a crooked gambling house. Elmer incurs an enormous gambling debt, which the casino's owner is willing to forget if Elmer will only throw the deciding World Series game (which he refers to as the World Serious). Elmer brawls with the gambler and lands in jail, where he learns of a particularly cruel practical joke that had previously been played on him. Out of spite, he refuses to play in the Big Game, and thanks to a jailhouse visit by the gamblers, it looks as though Elmer has taken a bribe, but when he shows up to play (after patching things up with Nellie), Elmer proves that he's been true-blue all along. Based on the 1928 Broadway play by Ring Lardner and George M. Cohan, ''Elmer, the Great'' betrays its stage origins in its static early scenes, before building to a climax during a rain-soaked ball game.

Cast

* Joe E. Brown as Elmer Kane *

as Nellie Poole * Frank McHugh as Healy High-Hips *

as Evelyn Corey * Preston Foster as Dave Walker (as Preston S. Foster) *

Russell Hopton Harry Russell Hopton (February 18, 1900 – April 7, 1945) was an American film actor and director. Biography Hopton was born in New York City, New York. He appeared in 110 films between 1926 and 1945, often playing streetwise characters f ...

as Whitey *

Sterling Holloway Sterling Price Holloway Jr. (January 14, 1905 – November 22, 1992) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows. He did voice acting for The Walt Disney Company, playing Mr. Stork in ''Dumbo'', Adult Flower in ...

as Nick Kane (as Sterling Halloway) *

Emma Dunn Emma Dunn (26 February 1875 – 14 December 1966) was an English actress. After starting her acting career on stage in London, she became known for her works in numerous films and Broadway productions. Career Emma Dunn appeared onstage in ...

as Mrs. Kane * Charles C. Wilson as Mr. Wade (as Charles Wilson) * Charles Delaney as Johnny Abbott *

Berton Churchill Berton Churchill (December 9, 1876 – October 10, 1940) was a Canadian stage and film actor. Early years Churchill was born in Toronto, Ontario. After his family moved to New York City, he graduated from high school there, studied law at nigh ...

as Colonel Moffitt * J. Carrol Naish as Jerry (as J. Carroll Naish) *

Gene Morgan Gene Morgan (March 12, 1893 – August 13, 1940) was an American actor. He appeared in 111 films between 1926 in film, 1926 and 1941 in film, 1941. Background Morgan was born in Racine, Wisconsin. In his early roles he was cast in westerns ...

as Noonan * George Chandler as Cubs Player

References

External links

* * * 1933 films 1930s sports comedy films American baseball films American sports comedy films American black-and-white films Chicago Cubs 1930s English-language films American films based on plays Films directed by Mervyn LeRoy First National Pictures films 1933 comedy films 1930s American films English-language sports comedy films {{sport-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links