About How to Play Baseball

'How to Play Baseball' is a 1942 animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film was directed by Jack Kinney. The 8-minute long sport-themed movie takes a humorous look at America's favorite pastime, baseball. The movie doesn't follow a traditional narrative but instead is a series of gags that use the rules and traditions of baseball to get a laugh.

Making / Production

This film was one of many instructional shorts produced by Walt Disney Productions during the World War II era. The purpose of these films was mostly to provide entertainment and a quick laugh for audiences of the day. As it was produced and released during wartime, there were constraints and limited resources available, but the team skillfully managed to deliver a movie that is remembered even today.

Actors

• Fred Shields: The Narrator. His clear and dramatic narration adds humor to the film.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film was first released on September 4, 1942, as a pre-show to the feature film 'The Major and the Minor'.
• It was the first in a series of sports-themed shorts, followed by other sports like football and ice hockey.
• The movie, despite being a cartoon, was realistic enough to be used as an instructional video.

Awards

This film did not receive any known awards despite its popularity.

Quotes

• "Yep, baseball is a funny game."
• "The manager signals the Brooklyn pitcher to hurl another apple."

Music, Soundtrack

The film's music was composed by Disney's well-known collaborator, Oliver Wallace. The music is fun and catchy, perfectly suiting the sports-themed cartoons' lightheartedness. While no specific tracks were released as a soundtrack, the background score is a quintessential part of this theatrical cartoon short.