It Happens Every Spring

Play trailer

It Happens Every Spring

1949

1h 27m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

62%

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).

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

03/25/2006

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.

Go to Full Review

Ian Kane

Epoch Times

05/13/2023

3.5/5

Possibilities percolate with a new kind of baseball

Go to Full Review

Frank Eng

Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)

06/12/2021

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

Go to Full Review

Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

11/30/2015

Zany, inventive baseball comedy.

Go to Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

08/17/2005

3/5

Daniel Eagan

Film Journal International

06/21/2005

4/5

Excellent baseball comedy about a scientist who perfects a pitching potion

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Martin B

@RT44235356 Jun 29

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.

See more

Ed M

@RT80499164 04/27/2022

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

See more

steve d

@RT35616104 07/21/2020

A really dump premise and equally dumb script.

See more

Blobbo X

@Blobbo 01/16/2019

Blobbo favorite baseball movie.

See more

02/15/2015

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

See more

07/21/2014

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

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

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

Monkey Business

74%

68%

Monkey Business

Watchlist

I Was a Male War Bride

76%

72%

I Was a Male War Bride

Watchlist

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

88%

74%

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

Watchlist

Cluny Brown

94%

80%

Cluny Brown

Watchlist

How to Marry a Millionaire

81%

78%

How to Marry a Millionaire

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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