Author: scottcroker / Source: buzznet
When Penny Marshall passed away in 2018, she left an incredible legacy behind. As a writer, director, and actress, she was beloved. One of her most memorable movies was A League of Their Own. The comedy is a retelling of the real-life story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Marshall filled the movie’s dugout with stars. From Tom Hanks to Geena Davis to pop icon Madonna, even the smallest roles in the classic film went to big celebs.
The movie isn’t about the actors, though. It’s about the amazing women who played baseball at a time they were supposed to be stay at home moms. This is the story of A League of Their Own.You won’t believe how long the first cut of the film was on slide !
Starting In Television
Before directing A League of Their Own, Penny Marshall was known as Laverne in Laverne and Shirley. The television comedy paired her with Cindy Williams, playing working class women in Wisconsin. Airing a show about working women in the ’70s was groundbreaking at the time.
The role of Laverne earned Marshall three Golden Globe Awards. Near the end of the show’s run, she began directing episodes and found a new love working behind the camera. When the show ended, Marshall worked quickly to make her first movie, Jumping Jack Flash.
Race To $100 Million
Jumping Jack Flash was a critical failure but a commercial success when it was released in 1986. Two years later, Marshall hit her sophomore effort out of the park with Big. Starring Tom Hanks, the movie about a 12-year-old boy who wakes up one day as a 30-year-old man was massive.
By the end of it’s run, Big made over $100 million.
This made Penny Marshall the first woman to ever direct a film that reached the century mark. It would not be the last record she broke.“There’s No Crying In Baseball!”
In 1992, four years after Big came out, Penny Marshall directed A League of Their Own. Another critical and commercial darling, the film has stood the test of time. But what makes it so special? For starters, it put a large cast of women in front of the camera.
Most movies see male characters far outnumber the female characters. Not A League of Their Own. One look at the cast list makes it clear that this is a movie made by a strong woman about strong women.
Keep reading to learn more about what makes “A League of Their Own” special!
It All Started With World War II
The story behind A League of Their Own was actually born out of male fear. During World War II, MLB stars were enlisting in the army. Rich businessmen feared the sport would go bankrupt until Walter Harvey came up with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Havery hired Ira Lowenstein to run the league and Ernie Capadino to look for players. In 1943, the league began its first season. The movie follows the story of the World Series winning Peaches, coached by Jimmy Dugan.
Diving Into The Past
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