It Happens Every Spring

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It Happens Every Spring

1949

1h 27m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A college chemistry professor, Vernon Simpson (Ray Milland), invents a substance that keeps insects away from wood. But after a baseball crashes through the window and gets coated in the fluid, Simpson discovers that the ball repels wood. To further his experiment, Simpson tries out as a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals and becomes a master of the screwball, propelling him into the spotlight as a star player, much to the confusion of his fiancée, Deborah (Jean Peters).

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Mar 25, 2006

Lloyd Bacon's uninspired direction is as monotonous as the script. Once the audience gets onto the one snapper, it's all over with this film.

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Ian Kane

Epoch Times

May 13, 2023

3.5/5

Possibilities percolate with a new kind of baseball

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Frank Eng

Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)

Jun 12, 2021

This new Ray Milland vehicle is highly Improbable but fairly amusing ln its exploitation of a single wacky idea.

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Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Nov 30, 2015

Zany, inventive baseball comedy.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Aug 17, 2005

3/5

Daniel Eagan

Film Journal International

Jun 21, 2005

4/5

Excellent baseball comedy about a scientist who perfects a pitching potion

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Martin B

@RT44235356 Jun 29, 2026

At the time the movie was made baseball was America's sport. To enjoy it fully you have to look past the fact the movies premise is based on cheating in America's past time and a professor dating a student had to be a bit cringe worthy even in the 1950's. If you can do that and just go with the flow it's an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours.

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Ed M

@RT80499164 Apr 27, 2022

Slow. Hokey. It is kind of funny to see a college professor dating a student.

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steve d

@RT35616104 Jul 21, 2020

A really dump premise and equally dumb script.

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Blobbo X

@Blobbo Jan 16, 2019

Blobbo favorite baseball movie.

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Feb 15, 2015

This film is a lot of fun and worth adding to your collection.

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Jul 21, 2014

In the old days this was the quintessential baseball movie shown on TV every April!

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Lloyd Bacon

Director

Ray Milland

Prof. Vernon K. Simpson

Jean Peters

Deborah Greenleaf

Paul Douglas

Monk Lanigan

Ed Begley

Edgar Stone

Ted de Corsia

Manager Jimmy Dolan

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Synopsis

A college chemistry professor, Vernon Simpson (Ray Milland), invents a substance that keeps insects away from wood. But after a baseball crashes through the window and gets coated in the fluid, Simpson discovers that the ball repels wood. To further his experiment, Simpson tries out as a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals and becomes a master of the screwball, propelling him into the spotlight as a star player, much to the confusion of his fiancée, Deborah (Jean Peters).

Director: Lloyd Bacon
Producer: William Perlberg
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 10, 1949, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 6, 2014
Runtime: 1h 27m

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