I came across Deadball on YouTube while researching Cap Anson, one of the first superstars in baseball history. Since it was roughly 40 minutes, I decided to watch it. After the decent intro and opening credits, I could tell what I had gotten myself into. A low-budget comedy, parodying true events and characters.
In 1888, Albert Spalding (William Cleere) speaks with Henry Chadwick (Bob Miri) about statistics and bringing baseball across the globe. Ned Williamson (Charlie Crabtree) and Cap Anson (Kc Bowman) practice during spring training. Spalding approaches them and proposes his plan to take the best players on a world tour, introducing them to drunken Ed "Cannonball" Crane (Bobby Chastain).
From there, they have an awkward conversation with president Grover Cleveland and travel to Australia, Egypt, Italy, France and England to play baseball. There's a lot of dead conversation that has nothing to do with baseball, most of which isn't funny or informative. The green screen is obvious throughout, especially in the Egypt scenes.
There isn't a whole lot to like about this film except it's attempts to explain facts in the beginning and the end. Everything in between seems like it was made purely for fun, coming off like a school project rather than the serious film I was hoping for. I have to say, I did laugh more than I expected I would.
Written, directed and starring William Cleere as Albert Spalding, he certainly had a good idea for a film. I can tell by the credits that a lot went into making this film, but there wasn't enough substance to take it seriously. I hope one day, a real film can be made about Spalding, Cap Anson and the dead-ball era.
In 1888, Albert Spalding (William Cleere) speaks with Henry Chadwick (Bob Miri) about statistics and bringing baseball across the globe. Ned Williamson (Charlie Crabtree) and Cap Anson (Kc Bowman) practice during spring training. Spalding approaches them and proposes his plan to take the best players on a world tour, introducing them to drunken Ed "Cannonball" Crane (Bobby Chastain).
From there, they have an awkward conversation with president Grover Cleveland and travel to Australia, Egypt, Italy, France and England to play baseball. There's a lot of dead conversation that has nothing to do with baseball, most of which isn't funny or informative. The green screen is obvious throughout, especially in the Egypt scenes.
There isn't a whole lot to like about this film except it's attempts to explain facts in the beginning and the end. Everything in between seems like it was made purely for fun, coming off like a school project rather than the serious film I was hoping for. I have to say, I did laugh more than I expected I would.
Written, directed and starring William Cleere as Albert Spalding, he certainly had a good idea for a film. I can tell by the credits that a lot went into making this film, but there wasn't enough substance to take it seriously. I hope one day, a real film can be made about Spalding, Cap Anson and the dead-ball era.
