1943
WORLD SERIES

The first World Series film ever produced by Major League Baseball plus interviews with Walker Cooper and Johnny Lindell, who played in the series for The Cardinals and Yankees respectively, are all part of this high-quality 46-minute DVD from Rare Sportsfilms! Narrated by Bob Elson, this DVD covers all the highlights of every game of the series, won by the Yankees 4 games to 1. Not only is this official film by Major League Baseball shown, but also a shorter edition of the series made from rare news footage of the first three games at Yankee Stadium is included, in addition to the pair of interviews!

Prior to 1943, only a few feet of film of the World Series was shot each year by the old Major League Film Bureau, located in Chicago. The short 5-minute segment was then incorporated into a season league highlight film. These films were used for publicity purposes to promote baseball at public gatherings in the days before television. However, during the dark days of WWII, the American League, through the Major League Film Bureau, decided to present and dedicate the first World Series highlight film (1943) to the U.S. Armed Forces overseas. You’ll see and hear Babe Ruth as he introduces the film and assures our fighting forces that baseball is still being played in America, just as it was when they left! The wartime consciousness of America is in evidence throughout the film (Buy Bonds!), and you’ll also see Cardinal manager Billy Southworth’s son, a major who flew missions in the European Theatre, buzz Yankee Stadium in his WWII bomber before the opening game in a salute and good-luck token to his Dad!

Game 1 at Yankee Stadium: New York’s top pitcher of the year, 20-game winner Spud Chandler wins the opener over Cardinal starter Max Lanier,4-2. The Yanks break a 2-2 tie in the sixth on singles by Frank Crosetti and Billy Johnson, a wild pitch and another single by catcher Bill Dickey.

Game 2 at Yankee Stadium: Despite the death of their father in the early morning hours of the second game, the brother battery of Mort and Walker Cooper combines to help the Cardinals even the series at a game apiece. Although allowing the Yanks two runs in the ninth, Mort tosses one-hit ball for eight innings and wins, 4-3. Star shortstop Marty Marion and first baseman Ray Sanders are the hitting heroes for St. Louis, each with a home run!

Game 3 at Yankee Stadium: Hank Borowy vs. Al Brazle - As wartime travel restrictions were in effect, this would be the last game of the year at Yankee Stadium, regardless of the outcome of games in St. Louis. This game is the turning point of the series. Brazle pitches great ball for seven innings, giving up only one run, but in the eighth, the roof caves in and New York scores five runs! Johnny Lindell singles to start the inning and goes to second on an error. PH Snuffy Stirnweiss bunts and first baseman Sanders throws to third, trying to nail Lindell. But Johnny crashes into Whitey Kurowski, knocking the ball loose on a crucial play. With one out and the bases loaded, young Billy Johnson gets the big hit of the game, and possibly the series, smashing a bases-clearing triple, pushing the Yanks into the lead and chasing Brazle. Joe Gordon and Nick Etten each add run-scoring base hits and the Yankees go on to win, 6-2.

Game 4 at Sportsman’s Park: Max Lanier vs. Marius Russo - Russo twirls a seven-hitter, doubles and scores the winning run in the eighth, and New York prevails in a close one, 2-1.

Game 5 at Sportsman’s Park: Spud Chandler vs. Mort Cooper - The Cardinals rap out 10 hits, but can’t score off Chandler. Meanwhile, Bill Dickey’s two-run homer in the sixth inning provides the winning margin, and New York wins the game 2-0 to clinch the series. Yank pilot Joe McCarthy manages his last World Championship team!

Also on this DVD are never-before-seen 1953 interviews with catcher Mort Cooper (by then with the Boston Braves) and Johnny Lindell (then pitching for the Pirates), as they talk baseball and look back on the 1943 World Series ten years earlier!