In the recent retrospective documentary on the Special Edition DVD of this movie, Robert Prosky (the Judge) claimed McGavin was cast late in the picture, and would have received a lesser billing than the other stars. Thus McGavin chose to go uncredited.

How old was Redford in The Natural?

Robert Redford was 46 during filming, but he played Roy Hobbs at 19 and 35. In Reel Life: When Roy makes it to the majors, he's 35 years old. In Real Life: Redford was 46 when the film was made, and even plays Roy as a 19-year-old in the movie.

How old was Roy Hobbs supposed to be in The Natural?

Now 19 years old, Hobbs heads to Chicago for a tryout with the Chicago Cubs, leaving behind his girlfriend, Iris. While on the train, he meets legendary ballplayer "The Whammer" (based on Babe Ruth), sportswriter Max Mercy, and Harriet Bird, a mysterious woman who is following The Whammer.

Where was Roy Hobbs for 16 years in The Natural?

In Chicago, Hobbs checks into his hotel and promptly receives a call from Bird, who is also staying there. When he goes down to her room, she shoots him in the stomach. The novel picks up 16 years later in the dugout of the New York Knights, a fictional National League baseball team.

What happened to Darren McGavin?

McGavin died on February 25, 2006, of cardiovascular disease in a Los Angeles hospital, aged 83.

Darren McGavin on Regis Philbin's Lifestyles 1985 or '86

What did Burt Reynolds say about Darren McGavin?

"I was a green kid as far as working in films was concerned," said Reynolds regarding his role as the young riverboat pilot, Ben Frazer. "Instead of helping me, McGavin looked on me with contempt. He did everything but destroy me on camera."

How old was Randy supposed to be in A Christmas Story?

Randy: (stage age 7-8 / vocal range = F#3 to D5) Ralphie's younger brother, he is cute, lovable and a bit whiny.

What was Roy Hobbs tragic flaw?

The tragedy of Roy Hobbs is that he is unable to understand his gifts and how he is meant to use them until the very end of the novel, when it is too late. Most significantly, he does not grasp the fact that Memo Paris is a destructive force, while Iris Lemon offers him the best chance for a happy life.

What happens to Roy Hobbs at the end of The Natural?

Roy smiles, finally content. In his second chance at life, he gets the glory, the girl, and the family. Any father or son watching this final scene pretends to have a bit of dust in his eye. Bernard Malamud, author of The Natural, imagined a much different fate for Hobbs.

Why was Eddie Waitkus shot?

In early May 1949, Steinhagen said, she decided to kill Waitkus. She told her mother and a friend of her intentions, according to United Press, but they didn't believe her. “I guess I got the idea to shoot him because he reminded me of my father,” Steinhagen said.

Is the story of Roy Hobbs true?

According to Wikipedia, Author Malamud, supposedly not a baseball fan himself, created “the Natural” story and his Roy Hobbs character from the real life of Eddie Waitkus, a major leaguer in 1941 and 1946-55.

What does savoy special mean in The Natural?

Edit. The bat that bat boy Bobby Savoy gives Roy is called the "Savoy Special". The Savoy Special was a brand of beer in the 1930s, and was made by the United States Brewing Company.

Where did they film The Natural?

What happened to Robert Redford in The Natural?

The film version follows the broad strokes of the book charting the journey of Roy Hobbs (Redford), a gifted ballplayer whose career is derailed after he takes a bullet in the gut fired by a female fan.

Is Roy Hobbs the father of Iris' son?

The virtuous Hobbs has rejected the Judge's bribe, as we knew he would. And right before Hobbs stepped to the plate for the final time, Iris had to spell out to him that he's the father of her son, a development everybody in the theater knew.

What's The Natural based on a true story?

“[The book's] immediate inspiration was the real-life case of one Eddie Waitkus, a first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies who was also shot by a deranged woman in a hotel room.” (Kevin Baker, in the introduction to a 2003 reprint of The Natural)

Why does Roy cry at the end of The Natural?

Roy learns that he is suspended from the sport of baseball forever. The boy says to Roy, “Say it ain't true…” and Roy can't hold back the tears.

Why does Roy eat so much in the natural?

It is significant that after Roy decides not to pursue Iris, he suddenly develops a great craving for food. He is attempting to fulfill himself in a way that Memo and his own self-centered playing cannot; only Iris has the ability to provide the true fulfillment that would end his desire for both food and Memo.

Did Memo poison Roy in the natural?

Roy and Iris re-establish contact, and Roy learns she has a son of an age that he now needs his absentee father. The Knights finish the season tied for first, but Roy is hospitalized from poisoning by Memo to aid gamblers who have bet against him.

Why did they shoot Roy Hobbs?

Roy's answer showcases his sense of arrogance, which Harriet is quick to shatter by shooting him. Harriet was likely a serial killer in The Natural who was attracted to talented athletes, and enjoyed knocking them off their high horse in the process.

Why is Roy Hobbs not a hero?

Malamud comments that to be a hero involves two factors: failure and redemption. Throughout the novel the readers are presented with a narrative that focuses on Hobbs' inability to reflect on his past failures and redeem himself in the present. Therefore at the culmination of the novel he fails to reach hero status.

Was Randy from A Christmas Story autistic?

Ralphie and Randy are relatable to autistic kids and adults because they have quite a few traits in common with us. No, I am absolutely not saying that these beloved Christmas characters can be diagnosed as autistic.

Are any of the original cast in a Christmas story Christmas?

Billingsley reprises his role as Ralphie Parker alongside Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R. D. Robb, Zack Ward, and Yano Anaya returning as Randy, Flick, Schwartz, Scut Farkus, and Grover Dill respectively.