61*
From SoSH
61* is a 2001 HBO movie directed by Billy Crystal, and written by Hank Steinberg
Contents |
Tagline
Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Why did America have room in its heart for only one hero?
Plot Summary
Follows Maris and Mantle in their 1961 quest to eclipse Babe Ruth's single-season home run record (60), set in 1927. The film pays particular attention to the negative attention Maris' pursuit of record generated. The asterisk in the title is in reference to the fact that Ruth set his record in a 154 game season, while Mantle and Maris had 162 games. Baseball's commissioner at the time, Ford Frick, allegedly stated that if the record were not to be broken in 154 games or less, the new record holder's name would go into the record book accompanied with an asterisk.
Cast
- Barry Pepper .... Roger Maris
- Thomas Jane .... Mickey Mantle
- Anthony Michael Hall .... Whitey Ford
- Richard Masur .... Milt Kahn
- Bruce McGill .... Ralph Houk
- Chris Bauer .... Bob Cerv
- Jennifer Crystal .... Pat Maris ('61) (as Jennifer Crystal Foley)
- Christopher McDonald .... Mel Allen
- Bob Gunton .... Dan Topping
- Donald Moffat .... Ford Frick
- Joe Grifasi .... Phil Rizzuto
- Peter Jacobson .... Artie Green
- Seymour Cassel .... Sam Simon
- Robert Joy .... Bob Fitschel
- Michael Nouri .... Joe DiMaggio
- Tom Candiotti .... Hoyt Wilhelm
Quotes
- Mickey Mantle: I like women with small hands, they make my dick look big.
- Mickey Mantle: (whispers to Maris) That blonde back there has got the biggest tits I've ever seen in my life.
- Mickey Mantle: She looks me dead in the eye, and says, "I thought you was a homo." I said "What the hell are you talkin' about" she goes "well I heard you was a switch hitter."
- Mickey Mantle: I'm expectin' a guest, and his name is Mr. Jack... Daniels
Trivia
- Yankee Stadium scenes were shot at Tiger Stadium, in Detroit.
- Right-handed Anthony Michael Hall portrays left-handed pitcher Whitey Ford. All scenes with Hall pitching were shot with the actor wearing reverse insignia and numbers, then the film was flipped so as to appear as if he pitched left-handed. This is the same technique that was used with Gary Cooper when he played Lou Gehrig in The Pride of the Yankees (1942).
- The films contentions about Frick and the asterisk are apocryohal. On September 21 of 1961, 10 days before Maris hit his 61st home run Frick is quoted as saying, "As for that star or asterisk business, I don't know how that cropped up or was attributed to me, because I never said it." The record book would instead reflect two home run records, one for a 154-game season, and one for a 162-game season. Only the American League, which had expanded to 10 teams, played 162 games in 1961. The National League, which still only had eight teams, played 154 games that year.
- Thomas Jane, the actor who portrays Mickey Mantle, had never played baseball before taking this role according to interviews with Billy Crystal. Jane had to simultaneously learn to hit a baseball and swing exactly like Mantle did.
External Links
- 61* -at the Internet Movie Database
