It Happens Every Spring

1949
Approved
1h 27m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Ray Milland, Paul Douglas, and Jean Peters in It Happens Every Spring (1949)

A scientist discovers a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. He promptly sets out to exploit his discovery.A scientist discovers a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. He promptly sets out to exploit his discovery.A scientist discovers a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. He promptly sets out to exploit his discovery.

Director
- Lloyd Bacon
Writers
- Valentine Davies
- Shirley W. Smith
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

1.9K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Lloyd Bacon
Writers
- Valentine Davies
- Shirley W. Smith
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 nominations total

Photos7

Top cast49

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Ray Milland

Prof. Vernon K. Simpson…

Jean Peters

Deborah Greenleaf

Paul Douglas

Monk Lanigan

Ed Begley

Edgar Stone

Ted de Corsia

Manager Jimmy Dolan

Ray Collins

Prof. Alfred Greenleaf

Jessie Royce Landis

Mrs. Greenleaf

Alan Hale Jr.

Schmidt

William Murphy

Tommy Isbell
(as Bill Murphy)

Robert Adler

Reporter
(uncredited)

Baird Allington

Baseball Player
(uncredited)

Ward Brant

Baseball Player
(uncredited)

John Butler

Fan Visiting with Debbie
(uncredited)

Johnny Calkins

Boy Sitting Next to Debbie at Ballpark
(uncredited)

Harry Carter

Baseball Fan in Stands
(uncredited)

Bill Cartledge

Newsboy
(uncredited)

Harry Cheshire

Team Doctor X-Raying King's Hand
(uncredited)

Pat Combs

Telegram Delivery Boy
(uncredited)

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
All the baseball teams are identified by their city but never by their nicknames. Even the home team uniforms, which should have the team nicknames, list the city instead. The reason is because the commissioner of baseball, Happy Chandler, would not sanction the movie because of the cheating element in the movie. So 20th Century Fox could not use the the name of the teams or even use cameo baseball player walk ons like the studio wanted to do.

Goofs
If the Professor's magical chemical really repelled wood, then when swinging the bat at the ball it would be pushed away from the batter and cause a foul or in field ball, rather than just hop over the bat.

Quotes
Manager Jimmy Dolan: [Kelly unexpectedly walks off the field, in the middle of a game, to avoid being seen by Professor Greenleaf and Manager, Jimmy Dolan wants to heavily fine him] Kelly's not indispensable!
Monk Lanigan: I know, but the team can't get along without him.

Crazy credits
After the movie's introductory song concludes, an Albert Einstein quote shows for ten to fifteen seconds. It is: "The results of scientific research very often force a change in the philosophical view of problems which extend far beyond the restricted domain of science itself." Albert Einstein's name is all capital letters, below the quote or remark, as ALBERT EINSTEIN. Albert Einstein & Leopold Infeld co-authored book, "The Evolution of Physics".

Connections
Featured in Sports on the Silver Screen (1997)

Soundtracks
It Happens Every Spring
(1949) (uncredited)
Music by Josef Myrow
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Sung by a duet during the opening credits
Played occasionally in the score

User reviews38

Review

Featured review

9/10

Thankfully, It Happens Every Spring

Not quite in the league of "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," but a great fantasy story of the egghead professor in the hard boiled world of baseball.

Paul Douglas steals the movie as the craggy old pro catcher, Monk Lanigan. Watch for a young Alan Hale, Jr., later to be the Skipper in "Gilligan's Island." Take a look at the writing credits for the writer of this one. Sterling. Also, a great feel for 40's baseball fans, baseball stadiums, just baseball. I loved this film as a kid, still love it now.

This film should be as much a harbinger of spring as the first robin. Don't miss it!