When you think of Alfred Hitchcock, you think of suspense and not athletics, however in his 1951 film, Strangers on a Train, we have a tennis player involved in a murder plot in what we can only describe as “Hitchcockian”. As good a movie as this was, was the sport of tennis really relevant to this film?



The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
Strangers on a Train (1951)

Actor:
Farley Granger

Role Portrayed:
Tennis Player

Why You Should Vote For Him:
We can’t say that we are exactly tennis fans, but we have a very interesting character here.

Why You Should Not Vote For Him:
The sport of tennis, which although was seen had limited relevance to the plot.

In the original (and vastly superior) Angels in the Outfield, the Pittsburgh Pirates were mired in the midst of a major slump, and foul mouthed Manager, Guffy McGovern gets help through the help of well, as the title would expect angels. As opposed to the remake, this film focuses more on the redemption of the Manager, and without going into too many plot details, the movie is solid, and more fun than many of the biopic films that were normally made about Baseball at the time. Baseball, at its core has always been a magical sport, and this is one of those films that remind us of that.

The Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame is pleased to welcome Guffy McGovern into the Class of 2017.


The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
Angels in the Outfield (1951)

Actor:
Paul Douglas

Role Portrayed:
Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates

Sonja Henie was a three time Olympic Gold Medalist in Ladies Figure Skating, and arguably the Norwegian was the most known female athlete in the world. How do you parlay that success? Well in Hollywood of course! Henie would embark on a successful second career, which began in “One in a Million”, where she played…a figure skater that competes at the Olympics. Good thing they already had the footage.



The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
One in a Million (1936)

Actor:
Sonja Henie

Role Portrayed:
Olympic Figure Skater.

Why You Should Vote For Her:
This may baffle today’s generation, but this lady was a major and bankable star.

Why You Should Not Vote For Her:
This was no stretch in terms of a performance for Henie, and this was a generic story at best.

We never cared who Richard Harris played, as we loved him in almost everything he did (except for when he sang MacArthur Park). In 1963, he was cast as Frank Machin, a coal miner consumed with anger, which was perfectly transferred to the rugby field where he became a local star. However, this was not a case where channeled rage into sports was therapeutic, as Machin showcased far deeper issues, and Rugby was more of a backdrop to what was really going on inside.

Ironically, though this featured Rugby, which is big in the U.K., and not in the United States, did better and was more critically received on the west side of the pond.



The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
This Sporting Life (1963)

Actor:
Richard Harris

Role Portrayed:
Loose Forward for a local Rugby team in Yorkshire

Why You Should Vote For Him:
We don’t have a higher profile Rugby nominee.

Why You Should Not Vote For Him:
As good as Machin was as a Rugby player, the film was more about his issues with anger as opposed to athleticism.