We were on a 3-day motorcycle trip up the California coast, staying at The Inn of the Tides in Bodega Bay (where Hitchcock filmed "The Birds" many years ag0). The Inn had HBO, so I turned it on and got to see a great documentary: "The Brooklyn Dodgers, Ghosts of the Flatbush."
While I am a San Francisco Giants fan and hate the current Los Angeles Dodgers, I couldn't help but love the Brooklyn Dodgers by the end of the documentary. There is so much history outside actual baseball that is tied up in the story, of course Jackie Robinson and race being the foremost example. But I learned all sorts of other things that I did not know, being a "West-Coast Kid" my entire life -- such as this cat Robert Moses who was the dictatorial urban planner for all boroughs of NYC. Also I just loved the reminiscing of the fans, many of whom were kids at the time and who are now prominent like Lou Gossett, Jr. and Tom Oliphant. Plus, many of the Boys of Summer who are still alive give some great, often funny, insight.
I have good friends who grew up in New York who are always waxing nostalgic about the Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, and the whole scene at that time, but I really didn't get it. Now, having seen this fine documentary, I TOTALLY understand their unabashed love and passion.
I just checked the HBO schedule and see that the show is being re-run many times in the next couple of weeks and well as being available "On Demand." And, if you would like to read a good review of the program, check this out.
Even if you think you don't like baseball, I highly recommend that you check out "The Brooklyn Dodgers, Ghosts of the Flatbush" on HBO. My wife, who hates to watch sports or go to baseball games, watched the whole thing and really enjoyed it.
~ Tom says five stars.
2 comments:
Dad,
Thanks for the review on the Ghosts. I will definitely check it out now! On Demand is the best.
Jesse
Tom, I caught it the other night myself, and it had me in tears several times, as well as laughing at others. The Bums were my team as a little boy, and Jackie Robinson was my model for how to be a corageous and dignified human (not that I necessarily lived up to it). I had all the playing cards for the whole team from the late 1940s to when they left. But when the Dodgers left Brooklyn, I gave them away, and never really cared much for baseball after that. They broke my heart. It's a great tribute to the Brooklyn years and the great teams that played there. Thanks for writing about it. Lal
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