Watch The Stratton Story For Free

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League pitcher who lost a leg and went back to playing baseball. We see his rise, in the 1930s, to be a world-class pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. In 1938 he loses his leg after a hunting accident and we see his recovery and eventual return to baseball.Powerful, moving story, well told. Doesn't drift, or get overly sentimental.Mr Nice Guy, James Stewart, is perfectly cast in the lead role, and doesn't disappoint. Plays the role perfectly. The radiant, always- cheerful June Allyson is perfect as his wife. Good supporting cast.A lesser-known Jimmy Stewart gem.

James Stewart's career in motion pictures was in a terrible slump during the late 1940s, and "The Stratton Story" was the movie that saved him. The subject of this film is one of America's favorite pastimes: baseball. Based on the true story of pitching legend Monty Stratton (played by Stewart), "The Stratton Story" is truly a pleasant, touching movie. The major climax occurs when Monty, while hunting with his dog Hap, trips and accidentally discharges a bullet in his right leg, forcing an amputation in order to save his life. After a period of despondency, Monty finally has the courage to move forward. He straps on an artificial leg and, with the sincere encouragement of his family and friends, resumes an inspirational pitching career.The cast of "The Stratton Story" could not have been better. The hard-working James Stewart is superb as the equally-hard-working Monty Stratton, whether it be on the farm or on the pitcher's mound. (Monty Stratton himself, serving as technical adviser on the film, met with Stewart every morning to help improve his pitching, and Stewart proved to be a great pupil.) June Allyson is wonderful as Monty's sweet-natured wife Ethel. When she first meets Monty on a blind date, she expresses absolutely no interest in baseball, so it does not appear to be a match made in heaven. But she soon realizes that Monty is a pleasant young man of strong moral character, and she decides she cannot be without him. Throughout Monty's rise to fame and his eventual hardship, Ethel proves to be a very loving, encouraging, and supportive wife. Frank Morgan is terrific as the lovable Barney Wile, a down-on-his-luck former big-league catcher who finds a hot new prospect in sandlotter Monty. Barney decides to lay off the bottle and work with Monty all winter long in smoothening out his pitching so that Monty will be ready for the big leagues. Barney eventually becomes a friend of the family and rekindles his baseball career as a pitching coach. Agnes Moorehead was the perfect choice to portray Monty's widowed mother. She, like Ethel, originally believes that Monty is completely wasting his time on the baseball field, surmising that farm life would serve him much better. But once she accepts her son's choice of career and meets Ethel, she could not be any prouder of her son, hence she does away with her close-mindedness and treats Monty, Ethel, & Barney like royalty.My favorite moments from "The Stratton Story" include the following. Monty surprises Ethel when he starts dancing with her and doing quite well at it (the "press interviews" he kept telling her about secretly turned out to be dancing lessons). Ethel reads Monty's press notices while Monty playfully pitches balls of socks at her. Monty's mind is clearly not on the game when he learns that Ethel had a baby boy. In probably the most heartwarming moment of the film, Monty straps on his prosthetic leg and takes his toddler son out for a walk in the backyard; the sight of both father and son learning to walk together is quite a joy for Ethel and Ma. And after Monty regains his spirit and becomes used to his artificial leg, Ethel helps him get his pitching arm back into shape.Directed by Sam Wood, "The Stratton Story" was a big hit, just what James Stewart needed to revitalize his career. It is a movie about overcoming a severe physical hardship in order to pursue a dream, and Monty Stratton did just that!

I love this story, and Jimmy Stewart along with June Allyson are, in my opinion superb. Great supporting cast! The type of movie, that I go back to and watch again and again. Gets the point across without a lot of foul language!Though it isn't true to fact. I recently discovered, after having watched this movie many times, that he is a cousin to my mother in law.Mom says Monty had to crawl home after accidentally shooting himself in the leg. Subsequently having to have it amputated above the knee.He was a pretty nice guy, according to her and they spent time together as kids and young adults. After adulthood, they drifted apart.If you are a baseball fan and love Jimmy Stewart as I did and want a clean movie to share with your family, then by all means...this one is a keeper.

In everyone's list of the top 10 baseball films ever made are usually the Pride of the Yankees and the Stratton Story. No coincidence I think that neglected director Sam Wood is responsible for both.James Stewart's biggest commercial post World War II hit was this gem of a film. It marked a return to his pre-war studio of MGM and in marked the first of three teamings with June Allyson. Monte Stratton was a promising young pitcher for the Chicago White Sox in the late Thirties. An off-season hunting accident cost him a leg because in his very rural part of Texas, medical help was not readily available. But that did not keep him down.The film has a nice baseball feel to it, no doubt helped like in Pride of the Yankees by the appearance of several ballplayers. Bill Dickey of the Yankees for one and long time Chicago White Sox manager Jimmy Dykes for another. The White Sox in the thirties were pretty much a middle rank team in the American League with two franchise players, shortstop Luke Appling and pitcher Ted Lyons, both now in the Hall of Fame. Actors Dean White and Bruce Cowling play both respectively and well.Two other fine veterans round this cast out. Agnes Moorehead in a kinder gentler version of the rural farm wife she played in Citizen Kane is Stratton's mother. And Frank Morgan does very well as down and out baseball veteran Barney Wile who scouts Stratton and sees him as a meal ticket to get back in the big leagues.The chemistry of Stewart and Allyson was discovered here and they made this film the hit it was and deserved to be. A truly inspiring story told here.