Rawhide

Amusing western starring baseball legend Lou Gehrig. The Iron Horse plays himself in this as he heads Out West to live on his (fictional) sister's ranch. There he joins forces with singing cowboy lawyer Smith Ballew to battle perennial heavy Cy Kendall and Arthur Loft, who have a nice little protection racket going. Fun stuff, although not always for the right reasons. Simple coloring book-level of intellect and craftsmanship went into this, but I can't say it isn't entertaining in its way. It's a low budget oater with a baseball player as the star. No one should expect Stagecoach.

A couple years before he died, Lou Gehrig (yes, THAT Lou Gehrig) co-starred in an amiable little western called "Rawhide". The title refers to the name of Gehrig's ranch---to which he's retiring. However, when he arrives he finds there is a 'protective association' that controls all the local ranches. What this actually turns out to be is a protection racket run by some mobsters. In other words, if you don't join, 'accidents' happen to your spread and you can't buy needed materials. However, Lou is tough and he and his new buddy (the crooner Smith Ballew) decide to fight instead of knuckling under to their bullying tactics. Much of the rest of the film is a battle of wills and fists between these men.

The film had some very nice singing. Ballew had a very good voice and the lyrics were catchy. As for Gehrig, I am pretty sure his singing was dubbed. I also was surprised by his speaking voice, as it was 100% New York--and sounded nothing like Gary Cooper in "Pride of the Yankees". Because of this, it further accentuated the 'fish out of water' aspect of the film with this city boy taking up an odd new life as a rancher! It's all a bit surreal but also pleasant and worth seeing just for its curiosity factor.

Take away the participation of the great Gehrig and this is just another Saturday morning kid movie that youngsters shelled out nickels for in the day. From a baseball perspective it's most interesting to see Lou right after the 1937 season, his last one in which he put up the kind of statistics that he was known for. As the 1938 season went on his level of play began to slip and the next year, visibly weakened he left the game. ALS, the disease that bears his name, took him only 3 years after this film was made.

Not really perfect, but ...

Robert Redford starred in a movie called "The Natural." I read the book; it was stupid; I didn't see the movie. The book was about a baseball player. Well, Lou Gehrig WAS a baseball player, but he was really a natural as an actor.

Some other commenter called Gehrig as stiff as his bat. Wrong! Gehrig was so relaxed, so -- that word again -- natural in this cowboy movie, it is more than a shame, more than a tragedy that this was his last year of an active life, that soon after making "Rawhide," Lou Gehrig developed the disease that now bears his name.

He appeared in front of a camera as if he'd been doing it for years.

The nominal star was that incredibly talented Smith Ballew, possessor of one of the most beautiful voices to appear on screen, especially in Westerns. He was a very tall and good-looking man, with real grace as a cowboy, and genuine singing talent. In fact, he made hundreds of records in several genres.

But even Smith Ballew was at least slightly over-shadowed by the great, the legendary Lou Gehrig, one of the most honored baseball players of all time.

In "Rawhide," he showed he could have anticipated other baseballers such as Chuck Connors and had a whole career in motion pictures. He is thoroughly likable, very personable and charming, and seems as if he's been performing for years. What a shame he wasn't allowed to keep doing so.

"Rawhide" is about Lou's retiring to the ranch his "sister" has bought for the two of them. It would have perhaps worked even better if another name had been applied to the character, but it still works well for "Lou Gehrig" and his sister.

That sister is beautifully played by the beautiful Evalyn Knapp. She gives such a charming performance here, I am both angered and saddened she didn't become the huge star she obviously was capable of being.

"Rawhide" works partly because its three stars are so believable and likable, and partly because there are superbly talented co-stars and atmosphere players, and many of them.

B Westerns are so much better when there are many smaller parts and especially when they are so excellently performed by such a superlative cast as this movie has.

"Rawhide" is a special treat because it's Lou Gehrig's only fictional movie talking appearance. He could have been a major star if his life had not taken such a tragic turn.

He even looks like John Wayne in some of the stills, with his 10-gallon hat and craggy good looks -- and not like Gary Cooper who played him in the biopic.

"Rawhide" is available at YouTube in a not-great print, but it's good enough for you to appreciate the clever and well-written story that is very ably directed and that even has some really nice, non-intrusive, music. I highly recommend "Rawhide."

...then you must watch this movie. I've been a big fan all my life and have always thought that there just wasn't enough extended film footage on him. There are lots and lots of interviews with Babe Ruth yet it's difficult to find anything like that with Gehrig so I had searched for a long time to get a good copy of Rawhide - Lou's one and only full length movie. Of course this movie was made in 1938 so the quality is not the best, but all and all, the movie was entertaining. Lou plays himself. After finishing the baseball season, he heads out to Montana for some rest and relaxation on his sister's ranch. Well, as it turns out, she is being pressured to join the "association" which provides protection for local ranchers. Yet it's really just a bully organization that bleeds all of the local ranchers of their profits. Gehrig's performance is enjoyable. He's almost giddy in his acting which makes the movie all that more watchable. There's a real good fight scene in the local saloon where Lou takes out his opponents one-by-one by throwing billiard balls at him. And of course, the movie ends on a happy note. Hope you're able to get a copy of this movie. Watch it and enjoy.