Saturday Night at the Movies: The Slugger's Wife

It's Saturday Night at the Movies, tonight's feature is the 1985 film; "The Slugger's Wife", starring Michael O'Keefe (Caddyshack's Danny Noonan..."Noonan...Nooooonan...Nooonan") and Rebecca DeMornay ("Risky Business", "And God Created Woman", "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle").

Written by famous playright Neil Simon, the story centers around a power hitting ballplayer for the Atlanta Braves; Darryl Palmer, who falls for a gorgeous rock singer, Debbie Huston. After interspersed scenes of persistant courting by Palmer (which includes scenes of DeMornay actually singing "Little Red Corvette") the film cuts to scenes of Palmer striking out at the plate during a game. Get it, he's striking out in courting her and at the plate too. Wow, that's coincidental.

At the bar one night, when Debbie is performing, the music stops and the spotlight moves to Darryl. While smoking a cigar and being cocky, he promises to hit two home runs the next day. If he accomplishes the feat, then she agrees to go out with him. If not, then he'll donate $1,000 to her favorite charity. Randy Quaid's character, (one of the co-stars on his team) then utters, "two homers..you can't even drive a truck that far!" Palmer then states that the reason he hasn't done well that year is that he hadn't had any inspiration, then he points to Huston and states, "that - is my inspiraton."

At the game the next day, while stepping towards the plate, his manager asks, "When was the god-damn last time that you hit two home runs in a game?" Palmer answers, "High school, it was a 24 inning game..I batted twelve times."

But even against a filthy Mark Fidryich pitching for the Astros, Palmer knocks one out in his first two at bats of the game and the film abruptly cuts to the dinner scene. His two HR's finished, who cares about the rest of the game.

After time, their romance hits the big leagues and they eventually marry. While his career flourishes and he's knocking homers all over when they're together (trying to break the HR record of 61 (pre-steroid era)), her career falls apart and she gives up singing to be with him. After time, she realizes what she misses and her mistake, and thus leading to their separation.  Darryl stops hitting homers and his manager tricks him by having another girl pretend to be Huston.  In the end, Darryl breaks the record (against Al Hrabosky), and there's a meeting at the ballpark between the two (Huston and Palmer..not Hrabosky), but its unsure if their relationship will ever be back to the way it was.

A review of this movie in one word: "Schlocky." I'm not really sure what that means but it sounds appropriate. If pressed for another word, "Chintzy" comes to mind.

The music is lounge lizard bad.  The songs and stylings are those you'd here in a bar on the outskirts of town, because they'd never make it in town.  There's some really bad cover versions of famous songs such as "Love the One You're With" (Stills), "Hungry Heart" (Springsteen), and "Hey Hey My My" (Young).

It should be noted that the director of the film; Hal Ashby, did however make some outstanding movies earlier in his career, including "Harold and Maude", "Bound for Glory", "Coming Home", and one of my all time favorites, "Being There."

Turner Classic Movies online states that the film was loosely based on Mike Marshall (Dodgers and Mets 1B and OF) and Belinda Carlisle (Go-Go's).

Fun Note: About Mike Marshall.   The legendary announcer, Harry Caray, once said during a Cubs telecast that, "Mike Marshall is going back to LA to get some cocaine for his foot." His partner in the booth, color commentator Steve Stone, quickly interjected, "Uh, Harry, that's novacaine."


Watch the trailor here: http://www.starz.com/titles/TheSluggersWife


Watch and listen to a weird clip of someone recording a speaker playing Rebecca DeMornay singing "Oh Jimmy" (youtube below) from the movie:



BSOD 4/3/2010: "OH Jimmy"
Artist: Rebecca DeMornay
Released: 1985


"OH JIMMY"
Written by Sarah M. Taylor
Produced by Tom Bähler
Performed by Rebecca De Mornay

Other Notable Songs from the Soundtrack.  Not notable because they're good, but notable, because they're popular songs.

"HUNGRY HEART"
Written by Bruce Springsteen
Produced by Tom Bähler, Brock Walsh and John Van Tongeren

"LITTLE RED CORVETTE"
Written by Prince
Produced by Tom Bähler, Brock Walsh and John Van Tongeren
Performed by Rebecca De Mornay

"SINGIN' IN THE RAIN"
Written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown

"HEY HEY MY MY"
Written by Neil Young
Produced by Tom Bähler, Brock Walsh and John Van Tongeren
Performed by Rebecca De Mornay and Loudon Wainwright III

"LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH"
Written by Stephen Stills
Produced by Tom Bähler, Brock Walsh and John Van Tongeren

"WHEN I NEED YOU"
Written by Carole Bayer Sager and Albert Hammond
Produced by Tom Bähler, Brock Walsh and John Van Tongeren

"STRAY CAT STRUT"
Written by Brian Setzer
Produced by Tom Bähler, Brock Walsh and John Van Tongeren

"SUMMER IN THE CITY"
Written by John Sebastian
Produced by Tom Bähler, Brock Walsh and John Van Tongeren

"LOVE POTION NUMBER NINE"
Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Produced by Tom Bähler, Brock Walsh and John Van Tongeren