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Play Ball!
(1917) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by Bobby Burns and Walter Stull
Cast: Bobby Burns [Pokes], Walter Stull [Jabbs]
Jaxon Film Corporation production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Produced by Louis Burstein. / Released July 1917. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [The Moving Picture World, 8 September 1917, page ?] Pokes and Jabs, clerks in the brokerage office of Adam Fossil, are both smitten with the charms of Edna, the stenographer. Fossil also indulges in an occasional flirtation with her. The baseball season is about to begin and the enthusiasm of Pokes and Jabs is aroused to concert pitch by announcements of the opening game. Old Fossil catches them playing an imaginary game and fires Jabs and puts Pokes to work posting the ledger. Pokes resorts to a little liquid refreshment to brighten his spirits. Edna has a headache and is excused for the afternoon. Pokes writes himself a letter stating his grandma is seriously ill, and is also excused. He meets Edna and they go to the ball game. In the midst of an exciting play Edna discovers the boss is directly behind them, and Pokes sneaks off to another section. Meantime Jabs has entered into a plot with Bill Blutch to rob Fossil’s safe. The game is at its height. The last inning score tie and two men out, three men on bases, when the heaviest hitter has an argument with the umpire and is ordered out of the game. Pokes offers to take his place and hits the first ball so hard that it flies into Fossil’s window, hitting Jabs on the head just as he has lit the fuse to blow up the safe. Pokes scores a home run and the stands go wild with delight. The safe explodes and the noise arouses Pokes from his slumber. Rushing through the offices, he finds everything going on as usual. Returning to the counting room he throws the bottle of rye out the window, repeating to himself, “never again.”
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Sports: Baseball
Listing updated: 19 November 2022.
References: Edelman-Baseball p. 125 : Website-IMDb.
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