What a wonderful film! Let me confess at once that I'm both a Charles Ray and a Sylvia Breamer fan, so if you don't appreciate Ray's brand of humor and Breamer's wonderful charisma (this is her first movie, would you believe?), you will not enjoy producer Thomas H. Ince's The Pinch Hitter which is now available on a very good Grapevine DVD. The movie was extraordinarily successful with contemporary audiences (and I'm solidly with them), and was actually re-made in 1925 with Glenn Hunter and Constance Bennett in the leads. The remake has disappeared, but it was directed by Joseph Henabery who was noted for his speed rather than his directorial acumen. This one, however, was directed by songwriter Victor Schertzinger. This was his first film, but he followed up with 89 credits as a director and around 120 as a songwriter. Here Schertzinger is already at the top of his form and has produced fine performances from the entire cast. Even minor roles such as that of the baseball coach played here by Louis Durham stay in the memory – and if you're on your toes, you can catch Aggie Herring in an early role as the waitress in the ice cream parlor. All in all, The Pinch Hitter is a most enjoyable experience – especially for baseball fans and those who enjoy Charles Ray and Sylvia Breamer at their best!
Review of The Pinch Hitter
