The Great American Pastime (1956): Cast & Plot
The Great American Pastime is a 1956 comedy directed by Herman Hoffman, starring Tom Ewell as Bruce Hallerton, Rudy Lee and Anne Francis. It runs 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 30m (90 min)
- Director
- Herman Hoffman
- Genre
- Comedy
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Great American Pastime About?
The premise of The Great American Pastime without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The comic lead from 7 Year Itch returns, this time as Bruce Hallerton, who takes over as coach of the Panthers, a local little‑league baseball squad. Complications arise when an attractive widowed mother enrolls her son on the team, sparking tension with Hallerton’s own wife.
The Great American Pastime Themes & Keywords
· 42 tags- lawyer
- father son relationship
- little league baseball
- new york
- marriage
- picnic
- playing catch
- whistle
- baseball glove
- jumping jacks
- mannequin
- broken window
+30 more Show fewer
- pledge of allegiance
- peas
- celery
- typewriter
- smoking in bed
- reading in bed
- cheese puffs
- panther
- beer
- stein
- dog
- bar
- single mother
- breaking the fourth wall
- son
- baseball sport
- cougar as older woman
- mother son relationship
- cocktail
- cigarette smoking
- underwear
- spaghetti
- comic book
- brawl
- gift
- banana
- convertible car
- reference to detroit michigan
- coach
- baseball
The Great American Pastime Cast & Characters
Tom Ewell leads the cast as Bruce Hallerton, with Rudy Lee as Dennis Hallerton and Anne Francis as Betty Hallerton. Directed by Herman Hoffman; 11 actors are credited in all.
- Director Herman Hoffman
-
Tom Ewell as Bruce Hallerton - Rudy Lee as Dennis Hallerton
- Anne Francis as Betty Hallerton
- Judson Pratt as Ed Ryder
Also Starring in The Great American Pastime
· 7 more- Ann Miller Doris Patterson
- Raymond Bailey George Carruthers
- Bob Jellison Mr. O'Keefe
- Dean Jones Buck Rivers
- Dick Gordon Father (uncredited)
- Lomax Study Headwaiter (uncredited)
- Budd Knapp Mr. Dawson
More from Herman Hoffman
More films directed by Herman Hoffman: The Invisible Boy, It’s a Dog’s Life, The Battle of Gettysburg and The Hoaxters.
The Great American Pastime Plot Summary
What happens in The Great American Pastime from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In a small New York town called Willow Falls, the Panthers, a local Little League baseball team, need a new manager. Bruce Hallerton [Tom Ewell], a lawyer by trade, volunteers to coach so he can spend more time with his son Dennis [Rudy Lee]. When it turns out Dennis is instead assigned to the Tigers, Betty Hallerton [Anne Francis] assumes Bruce will quit, but he feels a commitment has been made and decides to press on. Bruce sets about guiding the Panthers to value effort over winning, though many parents disagree, and Tigers coach Ed Ryder [Judson Pratt] will spare no tactic to secure a victory.
Full summary
The whole story of The Great American Pastime, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Great American Pastime?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which sport is the central focus of the movie?
Seen The Great American Pastime?
Movies Like The Great American Pastime
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Kid from Left Field, Major League and The Seven Year Itch.
The Great American Pastime FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Great American Pastime, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Great American Pastime?
The Great American Pastime runs 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes).
When was The Great American Pastime released?
The Great American Pastime was released on November 28, 1956.
Who directed The Great American Pastime?
The Great American Pastime was directed by Herman Hoffman.
More films by Herman Hoffman Who is in the cast of The Great American Pastime?
The Great American Pastime stars Tom Ewell as Bruce Hallerton, Rudy Lee as Dennis Hallerton and Anne Francis as Betty Hallerton, among 11 credited actors.
Does The Great American Pastime have a post-credit scene?
No. The Great American Pastime has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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