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The Spy Behind Home Plate

Play trailer 2:18 Poster for The Spy Behind Home Plate 2019 1h 41m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
76% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Verified Ratings
Morris Moe Berg was an enigmatic and brilliant Jewish baseball player turned spy. Berg caught and fielded in the major leagues during baseball's Golden Age in the 1920s and 1930s, but very few people know that Berg also worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), spying in Europe and playing a prominent role in America's efforts to undermine the German atomic bomb program during WWII.

Critics Reviews

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Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle 07/18/2019
3/5
Despite the abundance and thoroughness of the historical research and on-camera interviews, the film never fully completes its picture of [Moe] Berg. Go to Full Review Scott Marks San Diego Reader 07/09/2019
2/5
Reaching too hard for nostalgia, the distracting wall-to-wall soundtrack plays like a K-Tel collection of wartime hits. And for every talking head author, there's a copy of their book hogging the frame. A fascinating story nonetheless. Go to Full Review William Bibbiani TheWrap 06/14/2019
The film doesn't take an extra step towards cinematic showiness, nor does it glamorize or sensationalize Berg's life. It's just a nice time talking about World War II and baseball, sharing stories and retelling old jokes. Go to Full Review Doris Toumarkine FilmDINGHY.com 02/11/2020
The considerable footage of Berg in both Japan and Europe (before and during the war) expand the doc into a kind of personal and period travelogue. Go to Full Review M.V. Moorhead Phoenix Magazine 01/07/2020
It's an amazing tale; Berg seems like the lovingly-crafted hero of a Michael Chabon novel. Kempner spins it straightforwardly and briskly, with enthusiastic talking heads and deftly-edited archival footage. Go to Full Review Hunter Lanier Film Threat 12/17/2019
7/10
Even though there's a lot to take in, Kempner divvies out the information in a way that's logical and easy to follow. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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06/25/2019 Very well done - informative - highly recommend this film, especially for history buffs. See more 06/21/2019 It was informative but very slow moving. Which made it challenging to watch. See more 06/02/2019 Excellent documentary. Held my interest throughout. I would recommend this to all fans of baseball, WWII history and Jewish studies. Compelling. See more 07/19/2019 Interesting, but ultimately compromised by too much politically-correct editorializing. See more Sheldon O @ShelO 07/15/2019 An amazing story told with a great deal of researched information. This documentary provides much historical information not only about the life of Moe Berg, but it also provides much information about famous world leaders as well as illustrates some famous baseball legends associated with Moe Berg. See more 07/09/2019 Fascinating documentary about an enigmatic figure who made major contributions to US and the world, but on his own terms. A true American hero. See more Read all reviews
The Spy Behind Home Plate

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Cast & Crew

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Aviva Kempner

Director

Aviva Kempner

Producer

Barbara Ballow

Film Editing

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The Spy Behind Home Plate

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The Spy Behind Home Plate

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Movie Info

Synopsis Morris Moe Berg was an enigmatic and brilliant Jewish baseball player turned spy. Berg caught and fielded in the major leagues during baseball's Golden Age in the 1920s and 1930s, but very few people know that Berg also worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), spying in Europe and playing a prominent role in America's efforts to undermine the German atomic bomb program during WWII.
Director
Aviva Kempner
Producer
Aviva Kempner
Distributor
The Ciesla Foundation
Production Co
Ciesla Foundation
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 24, 2019, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$285.9K
Runtime
1h 41m