Screen Directors Playhouse: Rookie of the Year (1955)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This is an interesting installment of "Screen Directors Playhouse" because it is directed by John Ford and stars John Wayne. Ward Bond (another Ford regular), Vera Miles, James Gleason and Patrick Wayne (John's son) co-star in this one.When the show begins, Mike Cronin (Wayne) is a sports writer at a newspaper. He doesn't like this particular paper and is looking to make a name for himself so he can find a better newspaper job. His big chance occurs when he notices a similarity between a hot new rookie and a guy who was banned from baseball. Could the two be related? What's next? Give this excellent episode a look and see for yourself.Overall, this is a well-written and worth addition to the show. Plus, it's John Wayne's TV debut...with John Freakin' Ford directing! So of course it's worth your time!

As posted by others, I caught this on TCM and was amazed ! A half hour TV drama with John Wayne, directed by John Ford. From the date, I'll place this just after Wayne's I Love Lucy appearance. Instead of the actor/director craft, I'd just like to mention the timing. Right on the cusp of the movie/TV revolution/evolution. The stars of the biggest, co-existing with the craft of, the smallest. John Wayne went on to more TV later on, mostly as a guest on friend's shows, Red Skelton, Jack Benny, Dean Martin, etc. But, John Ford, being a director, went on to unheralded roles as the same. Check out a long sought after episode of Wagon Train, or, Flashing Spikes, (which I actually saw with baseball commentary by a long gone uncle). In the early days, the film stars avoided TV, as earlier stage stars avoided film !?! Yeah, right !

Screen Directors Playhouse: Rookie of the Year (1955)*** (out of 4)Good drama about a down on his luck sports writer (John Wayne) who comes across the story that could get him back on top. It turns out the current Rookie of the Year (Patrick Wayne) is actually the son of a former MLB player (Ward Bond) who was kicked out of the league after throwing a World Series game. It goes without saying but this made-for-TV movie was the first time Wayne and Ford had worked on such a format but both men actually turn in a very good job and deliver a pretty good story. The story is actually a pretty good one as it contains some nice drama about what the story coming out would actually do to an innocent kid who isn't aware of the scandal and it also says a lot about what would really come about if something from the past does get a spotlight shined on it again after most people had forgotten it. The screenplay makes for some nice drama and Ford's direction is also very good and I think many could make the argument that his work here is much better than many of the theatrical films he was doing around this time. Wayne turns in a pretty strong performance as he certainly fits the part of this reporter who is on his last legs but finds this story. I thought he handled the material quite well and made for a memorable character. Bond is only in one scene but he too is powerful and Patrick Wayne does a nice job in his brief bit. Vera Miles plays the kid's girlfriend and she nearly steals the film with a memorable speech about what this story would mean if it came out. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR isn't a perfect film but if you're a fan of the cast or director then it's a must see.

I was excited when I saw this was going to be shown on TCM yesterday. I'm a huge John Wayne fan, and this was one of the very few things Wayne had done that I hadn't seen. It hadn't been seen on TV in over 50 years, and I was ready to be blown away. A 30 minute teleplay directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Ward Bond, and Vera Miles.I guess I over-anticipated. With so much talent crammed into 30 minutes on the small screen, I think it just overwhelmed and smoked the script. Don't get me wrong, it was a decent watch, but Ford and Wayne avoided TV for good reason- they were just too big for the average 12 to 15 inch B&W screens of 1955 (anyone remember horizontal hold?).The story was an overly sentimental tale of baseball, betrayal, and redemption. It also had a couple of rather cornball gimmicks thrown in, one of which was obviously placed there to make sure you stayed tuned in through the commercials.A must see for fans of the John's. Those who aren't fans won't need to keep an eye out for this episode of Screen Directors Playhouse next time it appears on TCM (and it WILL show up again). This was definitely not the best work of any of those involved.