Kill The Umpire (1950)

Kill the Umpire lobby cards image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

Director Lloyd Bacon and Columbia Pictures delivered the hilarious Kill the Umpire to movie theaters in 1950. William Bendix plays the rookie umpire, with Una Merkel, Ray Collins and Gloria Henry in support. Play ball!

Lloyd Bacon Directs Kill the Umpire

Frank Tashlin wrote Kill the Umpire for Columbia Pictures. Lloyd Bacon (Footlight Parade, The Oklahoma Kid, It Happens Every Spring) directed. Heinz Roemheld created the playful music score and Charles Lawton Jr. served as cinematographer.

William Bendix heads the cast as Bill “Two Call” Johnson. Other players include Una Merkel (Betty Johnson), Ray Collins (Jonah Evans), Gloria Henry (Lucy Johnson), Jeff Richards (Bob Landon), Connie Marshall (Suzie Johnson), William Frawley (Jimmy O’Brien), Tom D’Andrea (Roscoe Snooker), Luther Crockett (Sam Austin), Jeff York (Panhandle Jones), Glenn Thompson (Lanky), Bob Wilke (Cactus), Jim Bannon (Dusty), Ralph Dunn (Electrician), Billy Gray (Boy Catcher), Alan Hale Jr. (Harry Shay), Harry Hayden (Hotel Manager), Tommy Ivo (Boy Second Baseman) and Larry McGrath (Rogers).

Kill the Umpire Filmed at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles

Much of Kill the Umpire was filmed at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. Located at 42nd Place and Avalon Boulevard, L.A.’s Wrigley Field – not to be confused with the more famous one in Chicago – served primarily as the home of the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League from 1925 to 1957. A number of other baseball films were shot here as well, including Babe Comes Home (1927), Pride of the Yankees (1942), The Winning Team (1952) and The Kid from Left Field (1953).

L.A.’s Wrigley Field, named for the chewing gum magnate William K. Wrigley Jr., had officially opened on September 29, 1925. It later served as the home of the expansion Los Angeles Angels of the American League for one season only (1961). Demolished in 1969, L.A.’s Wrigley Field is now the site of a playground.

William Bendix Plays Baseball Umpire

Kill the Umpire follows the triumphs and tragedies of Bill Johnson, an ex-ballplayer and rabid fan who harbors an abiding hate for the boys in blue. Residing in St. Petersburg, Florida, Bill invariably loses his job every year when spring training rolls around. Threatened with a walkout from his wife, Bill reluctantly signs up for umpire school with the help of his father-in-law, Jonah Evans, a retired professional ump.

At his new educational digs in Florida, Bill tries his best to get tossed out of school. But Jimmy O’Brien, the venerable director of the institution, finally convinces Bill that he would make a darned good umpire.

A reinvigorated Bill successfully completes the curriculum and is assigned to the Texas Interstate League. In time, he gains a measure of popularity, earning the nickname “Two Call Johnson” after indulging in a fellow ump’s eye drop medicine, resulting in temporary double vision.

Following a controversial call against the home team, a huge rhubarb ensues with Bill barely escaping the ballpark as angry fans follow in pursuit. Donning various disguises, Bill manages to sneak back into the stadium just in time to work the big game.

Kill the Umpire Opens in New York City

Kill the Umpire came to New York City’s Rivoli Theater on May 27, 1950.

“Since the weather is fast becoming balmy, let’s blame it for such visitations as Kill the Umpire. For this decidedly seasonal farce…is, unlike the men in blue it lampoons and lauds, not to be taken seriously on any score,” reported A.H. Weiler of The New York Times (5/29/50).

“Lame-brained comedy about a fanatic baseball fan (William Bendix) who hates umpires but becomes one when he needs a job…For undemanding fans,” observed the uncharitable critic for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Kill the Umpire Trivia, DVD

• Kill the Umpire acquired its title from the classic Ernest Lawrence Thayer poem, “Casey at the Bat,” which first appeared in the San Francisco Examiner on June 3, 1888. One stanza reads in part: “‘Kill him! Kill the umpire!’ shouted someone in the stands, And it’s likely they’d have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.”
• Willam Bendix (1906-1964) is perhaps best known for his other baseball role, that of George Herman “Babe” Ruth in The Babe Ruth Story (1948).
• William Frawley (1887-1966), who played Fred Mertz on TV’s I Love Lucy (1951-57), actually had a clause in his contract allowing him to take time off from work to attend the World Series if his beloved New York Yankees were playing.
• On DVD: Baseball Double Feature – Kill the Umpire/Safe at Home (Sony, 2007).

“Just call ‘em like you see ‘em!” a young, freckled-faced Tony Taylor tells William Bendix during a kids’ sandlot game. 

That could be difficult, especially for an umpire saddled with the moniker “Two Call Johnson”…