Exclusive“Pat and Mike” (1952): First Sports Film

Music Hello there. Are you here to sign up for the Women's Grand National? Yes, I am. What event? Oh. Tennis? Well, yes. Tennis number one. I'm really good at that. But also golf, and of course the usual shooting. Skeet, range, and a little archery. Ice hockey, basketball, and a little baseball. What? No boxing? Only 16-ounce gloves, I'm afraid. Eights have a tendency to... Oh, say no more. You must be quite an athlete. Name, please? Mrs. Pat Pemberton, under the management of Mike Conovan. Is that important? Yes, it is. You see, we're a team. 5-0, 5-0. All right, then. If you're anything like you say you are, my money's going to be on you. It better be. No one stands a chance against Pat and Mike. I'm Tiffany Brannan. I'm Rebecca Brannan. Welcome to Real Thoughts on Cinema. Music Many people love sports, so it's no wonder that there are a lot of very popular films about athletic events and athletes. Yes, you can go quite a way back in Hollywood history in the somewhat more modern era, but find a lot of them. Rudy and Hoosiers and Rocky, Space Jam, Chariots of Fire. All about all different kinds of sports and different athletes, either real or fabricated. But I think a lot of people imagine that sports movies are a more modern idea. But really, as far back as the early 1930s, since the earliest day of talking pictures and possibly even in silent films, there have been many interesting movies about athletes and sporting events. Yeah, I could name multiple classic films that are about sports, but it's always an interesting trick to find, like, what is the best one really as an introduction to classic films for a sports fan or someone who really likes movies about athletics? Our pick for this category is Pat and Mike from 1952. A lot of the older sports movies that come to mind, there are a lot of them about boxing, several football, especially college football, horse racing. But the thing about most of these movies is that they star actors, A-list actors pretending to be athletes. Right. But the reason that Pat and Mike is interesting is because it stars an A-list actor, or in this case actress, who actually was a great athlete. Yes, Catherine Hepburn, known for being a really wonderful, dramatic actress, is an amazing athlete. You wouldn't necessarily know that just from knowing her other acting performances. But you really see this other side of her in this movie, which is just amazing. And it really seems like it's tailored to show off her athletic strengths, which is always great to see. Indeed. It stars, of course, Catherine Hepburn, opposite her frequent co-star, Spencer Tracy, with supporting roles played by Aldo Ray and William Ching. It was directed by George Cukor, who was her favorite director. And the screenplay was written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Cannon, a married pair of screenplay writers who were very good friends of Spencer Tracy and Catherine Hepburn. This was the second of two movies which they wrote for them, the first being Adam's Rib. Right. Both of which were directed by George Cukor and both of which were nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. And her sweetheart just makes her very nervous. He tries to tell her not to get frazzled, but he keeps telling her how important it is. And she's an amazing golfer, but she just loses her nerve and can't do anything. So she decides that she has to sort of strike out on her own and encouraged by, would you say he's the manager of the golf course? Yeah, he seems to be also in charge of the sports shop at the country club. Yes, he tells her you're a great athlete, you can be a professional. So she enters this big golfing competition and almost wins it. But then the last day, her sweetheart shows up and she sees him watching her and she just can't do it. But she encounters this sort of shady character, Mike Conovan, played by Spencer Tracy, who tells her she could make a lot of money by coming in second place, which she's not interested in at all. But he does tell her that he could make her a really great lady athlete. So she decides to head off to New York and see him and he agrees to be her manager. And so he begins training her and then she starts winning a lot of competitions, both as a tennis player and a golfer. And gradually a romance starts to bloom between them. So this screenplay was so interesting because it really was written to highlight their individual strengths and their talents and even their personalities. So this is really what they were like. Spencer Tracy really was kind of cranky but lovable and maybe a little rough around the edges but a soft heart. And Catherine Hepburn was a very strong-minded woman but a great athlete. She was considered one of the best tennis players in Hollywood and a great golfer. So she gets to show that off in this movie. Rather than just being an actress who was cast in a sports film, it was a sports film all around her athletic abilities. This was her favorite of their films together. That's right. They made nine movies together and they were a well-known, perhaps not at the time, but now we know that they were an off-screen couple to what degree remains debated. But they had a very successful partnership at MGM and this was one of their later movies together. And it is really an interesting story and you can see why she loved it because they were sort of being themselves and she got to be athletic in it. I know that in real life she really sort of took care of him a lot and he struggled a lot with alcohol and she really kind of helped keep him off of that. And I think it's really sweet in this movie he kind of looks after her and takes care of her and it's very nice. Seeing the relationship, it is a romance but they never kiss or anything. It's just very affectionate and very fond. And you can see how gradually over time they just realize that they're meant to be together. It is interesting that people will comment like this is the only non-romantic film they've made together. It's romantic. They're engaged at the end. I would say it lends a little insight perhaps into what their relationship was. Because some people have suggested perhaps they weren't having an actual affair but they were more close confidants. Because she was known for being a very prudish woman in some ways. So perhaps, like Pat and Mike, it's more of a meeting of the minds that they actually had in real life as their good friends would have known. As you often see in films of the era, it's just very sweet. Even like he will come into her room at night and see if the windows are right and she kicks the covers off so he'll just cover her up. And just like that, almost in a paternal way, just really looking after her and taking care of her. He's kind of stunned when she suggests the idea of it being something more than that. Even though he's open to the idea. The title is an inside joke that people would have understood in the 50s. Because the saying, a Pat and Mike story, was sort of a joke or a story about two Irishmen. Especially a story about a couple of drunken Irishmen. Like they tell stories like, Pat and Mike, welcome to a bar. Because those are two really popular Irish names. So it's a joke that they're these pals who kind of take care of each other, Pat and Mike. That's really clever. I didn't know that. Yeah, it's something that you wouldn't really know these days unless you hear about it. One thing that I find really interesting is that not only do we see Catherine Hepburn being a great athlete, but there are some real famous athletes of the day alongside her. That's right. Particularly in the first golfing game, right? Who was one of the most famous female athletes of that time. And you see her out there playing golf in a real tournament setting. Obviously it is staged for the movie. And in the tennis games too, Dawn Budge and Alice Marble were real tennis players at the time. So that's even more impressive that you have this actress alongside real athletes. She's holding her own. And she's holding her own. She's doing a great job. There's a wonderful shot of her, which I believe is in the theatrical trailer of the movie, of her just knocking out a row of golf balls. A perfect drive on everyone. It just really shows off her swing. There's a really good blend of sports, romance, and humor in this film. That's an excellent point. I think it could be appealing to people who aren't avid sports fans because it's not overwhelming. The story is very strong aside from that. And then it's just kind of an impressive addition, particularly because it is an actress actually performing these sports. But the story, apart from that, the romance and just the sort of human relationships are very fascinating to watch. Probably the most comical element is the Aldo Ray character. He had a really funny voice. And he plays the kind of dopey boxer who was also managed by Mike. And he doesn't like her at first because she thinks that she's taking away too much of Mike's attention. But then when she gives him a secret to be successful as a boxer, then he loves her. Yes, even though he is sort of the comic relief character, you do see a transformation. She kind of makes him a deeper person in a way, I think. And you could say that there is a strong message in this, too, of transformation and realizing how you can support each other. And even how people maybe you like aren't good for you. Like Collier, her sweetheart, her beau, her fiancé. He's never called many things. Played by William Ching. He's really annoying. And they purposely cast an actor who could be annoying. Right. And Spencer Tracy, I think, puts it so well to me. He's talking about his horse, Little Nell, was just losing every race. He said she had trouble coming in last. And he couldn't figure out what it was. And finally he realized it was the jockey he had riding her. So he got her a new jockey, and now she wins races. So he said, you're the wrong jockey for this girl. And it's something that's very important, I think, for her character to realize. And for a lot of us, too. It's like sometimes even if there's someone you do have feelings for that person, if the person doesn't make you feel confident about yourself or feel good about yourself, then that's not right. And Mike always knows the right thing to say or to do to make her feel confident. And she strikes out on her own to really… She says she has to beat herself. And that's the same thing that she tells the boxer. Yes. It's not you against the world. It's just you against yourself. And that goes along with a lot of inspirational sayings. Like you're kind of not your own worst enemy, but you have to… You can be if you get your way. Yeah, you can be. And you have to sort of conquer your own fears before anyone else. It's not really about who your opponent is. It's just you being as good as you can be. Do your own best. Right. Be your best self. Play the game the best you can. Rather than becoming insanely competitive to the point of being petty. It's like the inner game of tennis. The famous book on screen. It's the outer game of tennis. But it is the same idea. And you see how much she gets unnerved by Collier. He's like making faces at her. It's brilliantly illustrated in this one tennis scene. When there's sort of special effects. Like she starts imagining the nets getting really high. And her opponent has this huge racket and hers is tiny. And then she starts seeing his face everywhere. Everyone laughing at her. And it's sort of a panic attack, honestly, when she actually passes out. But it's so amazing. In anything that's a high-pressure situation, you can just freak yourself out that much. Yes. That is very well illustrated in this. And of course the dialogue is so believable and so witty. As in all movies directed by George Cukor. Especially with that great screenwriting team. You believe it. It's so believable. And the way she transforms him is also very moving. Because he's, like you said, he's kind of a shady character. He works with gamblers. Although they make it clear that he himself doesn't have any criminal charges. You know, he's mixed up with these guys who are basically gangsters. Right. And then later on they come in there trying to fix things. And he tells her, when you came in on this deal, I told you this was strictly on the level. She really is a good athlete. And then they don't like that. But he stands his ground. Because she's really made him realize that this is the right way to do business. So they help each other. He helps her to have confidence in herself and stand on her own two feet. And she helps him to be honest. So it is really a beautiful love story. As well as a funny comedy. And just a fun opportunity to see some great athletics from the past. And it is always interesting to see how they played sports differently. Yes, that's true. It's simpler in many ways. More uncomplicated, less theatrical. Even though it's a movie than when you see professional sports games now. Yes, I think it just wasn't like baseball was an actual pastime. I don't think it was as much of an obsession. And people didn't get paid the way they do now. No. Things have changed a lot about it. But one of the things I enjoy seeing is how even Katherine Hepburn, who was known for being, you know, a more independent woman and less feminine in terms of wanting to wear pants when it wasn't as popular. But she has a more feminine style than the average athlete today. And you see that throughout the film in different outfits. She'll often wear slacks, but sometimes cute skirts. Skirts for golf and tennis. My outfit is inspired by the costume that Katherine Hepburn wears in that first very important golfing match. She starts out wearing slacks, but then at her beau's suggestion puts on a skirt about this length with a sweater and turtleneck and a small bow in her hair. And of course she has golf cleats, but I didn't have any. So just plain little black shoes. Throughout the film, there were a few times when you see Pat in a more feminine outfit like a fancier dress. For instance, the night before an important golf match, she wears a dress similar to this going to dinner with Mike. I'm wearing a black dress, which is very much in the style of the 1950s with a little bit of a cream trim and a collar to suggest that tailored style which she always has. But the full black skirt, which evokes the 1950s and the hourglass style with the belt and high heels, which is very flattering whether you're more voluptuous, as many actresses were in the 50s, or very slender like Katherine Hepburn. We have discussed a lot about Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn and their special bond, but I always like to say this. I just love seeing a movie that really shows you the actors, their actual relationships, especially in a case like this where they did make multiple movies together. I think common pairings like that are always lovely to watch and seeing their relationship develop across films. This one is very organic. I really like watching her when he's saying his lines sometimes. As great of an actress as she is, sometimes you can tell she's thinking about him saying his lines. She's trying to help him. If you've ever worked with a fellow cast member who's struggling, you know that feeling. It's like, I'd like to help you. It's like, come on, you can do it. But it's charming because I think it works for her character. It adds another dimension to the story, to see the story behind the story. This movie is readily available. You can buy or rent it on Amazon Prime Video or YouTube, other streaming services, wherever it's available to rent and buy movies. You'll find this. You can also buy it on DVD if you have a DVD player. On Amazon, Barnes & Noble, maybe Walmart, eBay. And it's a great introduction if you like sports movies a lot or a little or you're interested in seeing the classic actress play golf and tennis. I think you'll really enjoy this movie. And it may make you want to watch more of the movies which Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy made together. In today's climate of political upheaval, it's fascinating to take a look into the past and see the golden era's view of politics. Join us next week as we talk about a very unusual film which blends the genres of romantic comedy and intense political drama starring a wonderful comedic actress. Thank you for watching. Goodbye.