A real trick in filmmaking, we think, is to develop an utterly ridiculous premise and make a decent film of it.
Take the 1951 film Rhubarb, a comedy about a baseball team owned by a cat.
Yes, we know. There’s no way a baseball team would be owned by a cat. And what cat would want a baseball team, anyway?
But hear us out. The film invests a lot of time in getting us to buy this crazy idea and, despite our better selves, we go along with it.
First, what does “rhubarb” mean in the context of this film? According to the site Word Origins, rhubarb is “baseball slang for an argument or fight”, notably in Brooklyn where it is “a heated verbal run-in, especially between players and umpires.”
The site also notes: “The word rhubarb was used by radio actors to imitate the sounds of raucous crowd. The actors would murmur ‘rhubarb, rhubarb’ in the background to simulate crowd noise.” The term, apparently, was coined in 1938.
Rhubarb is also the name of the cat in this film. He’s a feline who hates everybody, and woe to the poor dog who Crosses His Path.
So how on earth does an ill-tempered cat end up with a baseball team? It’s actually a pretty good story.
It starts on the golf course.
Wealthy Brooklyn baseball team owner Gene Lockhart observes a cat stealing golf balls, much to the annoyance of a rich foursome. Lockhart estimates the foursome is worth around $200 million combined, and he’s impressed the cat doesn’t care. “That cat I’ve got to have,” he says.
You see, Lockhart doesn’t Suffer Fools and he’s impressed by people who Fight Back. He adopts the cat and makes it his heir above his own daughter (Elsie Holmes), a self-absorbed weightlifter who treats her father like a walking ATM.
Naturally, this creates a mess when Lockhart dies and leaves his baseball team and his fortune to Rhubarb the cat. As for Holmes, the daughter, she inherits a measly $6,000 a year, which ain’t much compared to the $30 million the old man was worth.
Ray Milland, team press agent, is the sucker named by the will to chaperone the cat. Milland thinks it’s a Ridiculous and Unpleasant job, but he accepts it just to spite Holmes.
About the Brooklyn baseball team: They are a lacklustre bunch with a years-long losing streak and now, on top of everything else, they have to answer to a feline. The team thinks this is stupid – and so does everyone else in the league.
Milland has to sell the cat on the players, and vice versa. “Now listen, you lug,” he tells Rhubarb. “You’re in the chips now, the blue chips. So stop acting like a goon squad.”
This is a whimsical film, with witty lines and sight gags. There are many twists in the story, between Holmes’ attempts to kill Rhubarb, a kidnapping by Organized Crime and other Brooklyn cat owners claiming paternity suits.
But the biggest problem is Milland’s fiancé, the funny and charming Jan Sterling. She’s allergic to Rhubarb, and that puts a crimp in her wedding plans. The team insists Rhubarb stay with Milland for security reasons, which means Sterling is benched until the end of the season.
And what about the upcoming Championship Game! Will Rhubarb’s team, after years of losing, finally win the Big Prize?
Elsie Holmes loses her inheritance to a cat. Image: Fairfax House
Rhubarb was based on the 1946 novel by American humourist H. Allen Smith. According to the New York Times, Smith “was rarely off the best‐seller lists in the 1940’s (his works reportedly sold 1.4 million copies between 1941 and 1946)”.¹
The film adaptation was made by some of the best in the biz: costumes by Edith Head; direction by Arthur Lubin; and location courtesy of Paramount Studios.
We think you’ll like Rhubarb. It’s a little-known gem and well worth the 94-minute run time.
Notes
Rhubarb: starring Ray Milland, Jan Sterling, Gene Lockhart. Directed by Arthur Lubin. Written by Dorothy Reid & Francis Cockrell. Paramount Pictures, 1951, B&W, 94 mins.
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I saw this one a loooong time ago – would love to see it again!!
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This is a terrific film. I think I’m going to make it a yearly tradition.
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Oh, and ‘Rhubarb’ is played by a cool cat named Orangey, who was also costarred as Cat in ”Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and in the horror comedy “A Comedy of Errors” with Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Basil Rathbone!
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Right – I knew about “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” but didn’t realize Orangey also starred in the other film. What a celeb!
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You do find weird and wonderful films. Thanks for telling me all about them.
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Ha! Thanks, Alex. I love finding obscure films.
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This sounds too cute. I’ve never even heard of it. I agree with Alex, you do find the most interesting films.
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Thanks, Margot! I like these unusual films – it’s almost like finding lost treasure.
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Hi Ruth. This sounds good. I hadn’t known about it.
Did you ever see the Harold Lloyd silent film called Speedy? There’s a hilarious scene in it with Babe Ruth. See you —
Neil Scheinin
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Hey Neil, that Harold Lloyd film is one that I haven’t seen yet. But I know it will be a new fave when I do watch it.
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I am forwarding this to all my fellow cat-loving friends. This is hilarious.
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The cat in this film is worth the price of admission alone – and with this cast, that’s really saying something (as you know).
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This sounds like something Disney would make in the 60s. I gotta seek this one out.
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That’s true! I never thought about it that way, but I can see it now, starring Dean Jones in Ray Milland’s role.
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This baseball fan has read a lot of baseball fiction, and this is one of those stories that has stayed in my memory. Every so often I think “Gee, I’d like to see that movie.” So, you were right; it just may be the best baseball movie I’ve never seen. I’d love to double it up with It Happens Every Spring. Wouldn’t we have a time!
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That would be an amazing Double Header. I’ll bring the popcorn!
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I love baseball and cats, so I simply must see this movie. Thanks for reviewing it! 🙂
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It’s a fun film, Debbi. I think you’d get a kick out of it.
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LOL!!! Amazing! My cat might want a baseball team! I wouldn’t put it past him.
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Haha! If you have a cat with MLB Ambitions, this is the film for you. 😉
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Never saw the movie, but the novel on which it’s based is a wonderful bit of humor.
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The novel is on my To Read list. It sounds like there are a lot of interesting characters.
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That first line sums up so many movies, but a cat owning a ball team is truly the epitome!
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So true! When I first hear about this movie, I wondered if I could sit through all of it. But it was so much fun it’s become a new favourite.
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RHUBARB used to pop up frequently on TV when I was young (and, of course, many more older movies were shown on local stations). It’s not as funny as the other Ray Milland baseball picture, but it always makes me laugh. Arthur Lubin was certainly a skilled comedy director.
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Arthur Lubin certainly knew his stuff, and so did the cast. I was enchanted with this film.
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Only $6,000 for his daughter!!! Unreal!
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…especially since his estate was worth $30 million.
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I really enjoyed your post – you sold me on watching it all over again. 🙂 The dialogue was so fun in this one; it seemed worthy of a Damon Runyon story. I forgot this was based on a novel. It sounds like a fun read!
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Yes, so true. The dialogue was reminiscent of Damon Runyon. I have you to thank for introducing me to this film. I think it’ll have to be an annual tradition when spring training starts!
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Fun post. I’ll have to check this film out. Thanks so much.
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I hope you get a chance to see it. This film has an unlikely premise, but it’s handled well, I thought.
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