The Lou Gehrig Story stars Wendell Corey as the legendary New York Yankees first baseman. With only an hour at its disposal, the play is compelled to concentrate almost exclusively on Gehrig's losing battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The highlight of the drama is Lou's emotional farewell to his Yankee Stadium fans, which occurred July 4, 1939. Interestingly, close ups of Corey are matched up with stock footage of the real Gehrig during this climactic scene. Jean Hagen co-stars as Gehrig's supportive wife Eleanor. Originally presented live on the TV anthology Climax (the broadcast ran overtime, eliminating the closing credits-which would have billed Darren McGavin in the minor role of a hotheaded Yankee player), The Lou Gehrig Story is currently widely available in kinescope form.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
- ALS [Lou Gehrig's Disease]
- Battling Illness
- Baseball
