Take Me Out to the Ball Game poster & wallpaper

Betty Garrett, Edward Arnold, Esther Williams

"From the moment you picked up that grounder and threw it to third, I knew it was love." Baseball and romance make a nifty double play in Take Me Out to the Ball Game, a bright bauble from th...( read more  read more... )e golden age of MGM musicals. The premise is a stretch: two members of a turn-of-the-century baseball team (Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra) are vaudeville performers in the off-season. Their ballclub is inherited by Esther Williams, causing much consternation among the boys and anticipating the plot line of Major League by 40 years.

Since swimming star Williams was always seen to best advantage dripping wet, the movie finds a way to get her into a hotel pool. Kelly, mugging mercilessly, executes an extended Irish solo dance (take that, Riverdance), and Sinatra, whose skinny frame is the source of many jokes in the script, is pursued by the irrepressible Betty Garrett and croons the ballad "The Right Girl for Me."

None of this is remotely plausible, and the Comden-Green songs don't stand the test of time, but the film is buoyant--and the period costumes and dazzling Technicolor are eye-popping. This was a reunion for Sinatra and Kelly after Anchors Aweigh (1945), and they would quickly team up again in the superior On the Town (1949), alongside Take Me Out costars Garrett and looming Jules Munshin. As in those films, Sinatra and Kelly dancing side-by- side are a delightful spectacle: Kelly effortlessly hitting his marks while Sinatra gamely tries to keep up. Take Me Out to the Ball Game was the last film directed by the legendary director-choreographer Busby Berkeley, who gets just one shot at a huge production number, a pseudo-Rodgers and Hammerstein tune, "Strictly U.S.A." Peanuts and Cracker Jack not included. --Robert Horton

Flixster Users

74% liked it

3,779 ratings

Unrated, 93 min.

Directed by: Busby Berkeley

Release Date: January 1, 1949

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: September 19, 2000

Stats: 119 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Upload a Photo |

View All Take Me Out to the Ball Game Photos (1)

Your Rating


clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (119)

  • jam233
    November 11, 2009
    jam233
    Cute musical, great cast, especially Betty Garrett, who steals every scene she's in. Some good musical numbers, fine songs. A very pleasant film, well produced, excellent score.
  • placeinthesun455
    September 21, 2009
    placeinthesun455
    pretty cookie-cutter as far as 40s musicals go...nothing too memorable or stand-outish. Kelly and Sinatra are their usual suave, charming, goofy selves, and Esther Williams makes for a lovely heroine (with only one brief pool scene). the story, of course, was extremely campy an...( read more)d a bit saccharine, but it's still pretty fun. not really any fantastic musical numbers, but Kelly's dance number at the clam bake was one of his better efforts. overall nothing incredibly special, but for lovers of the Golden Age Musical, it's a can't-miss.
  • moviegirl50
    September 16, 2009
    moviegirl50
    This was pretty enjoyable....Gene Kelly one of the greatest dancers ever and Frank Sinatra one of the greatest singers. I loved the first half..Funny stuff! Then it went downhill a bit for me but I still liked it and can't believe I haven't seen it til now, wierd!
  • Ghw12158
    August 16, 2008
    Ghw12158
    Gene and Busby what a combo!
  • rindn5
    July 7, 2008
    rindn5
    FUN FUn fun...love watching Frank, Gene and Jules.
  • 01MovieMan
    May 12, 2008
    01MovieMan
    This is a good movie
  • thomasscott2
    March 15, 2008
    thomasscott2
    This movie is one of the best baseball movies of all time- a very entertaining piece of postwar americana celebrating the all-american sport.
  • Allizonme65
    November 19, 2007
    Allizonme65
    THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MUSICAL'S. I LOVE FRANK SINATRA AND GENE KELLY
  • hugonar
    November 2, 2007
    hugonar
    Classified as a classic = Interested.

View All Take Me Out to the Ball Game Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Official Trailer

View Larger Take Me Out to the Ball Game Trailer

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Singin' in the Rain
    Singin' in the Rain (100%)
  • Bathing Beauty
    Bathing Beauty (100%)
  • On the Town
    On the Town (60%)
  • Anchors Aweigh
    Anchors Aweigh (100%)

More Movies like Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Take Me Out to th... : Watch Free on TV

Take Me Out to the Ball Game Trivia

  • What is the first sound effect you hear at the beginning of the Princess Bride?   Answer »
  • Where did Danny and Eddie have to go or spring training in Take Me Out To The Ball Game ?  Answer »
  • Who was the new owner of the Wolves in Take Me Out To The Ball Game ?  Answer »
  • What does the K stand for in K C Higgens in Take Me Out To The Ball Game ?  Answer »
More Take Me Out to the Ball Game Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Take Me Out to the Ball Game to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?