{"id":46,"date":"2024-06-15T16:55:19","date_gmt":"2024-06-15T16:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/?p=46"},"modified":"2024-10-12T21:06:24","modified_gmt":"2024-10-12T21:06:24","slug":"the-spy-behind-home-plate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/2024\/06\/15\/the-spy-behind-home-plate\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spy Behind Home Plate"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Spy Behind Home Plate<\/strong>\u00a0 (2019)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ciesla Foundation\/Documentary\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 RT: 101 minutes\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No MPAA rating (brief language, disturbing war images)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Director: Aviva Kempner\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Screenplay: Aviva Kempner\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Music: John Keltonic\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cinematography: Reuben Aaronson, Jerry Feldman, Roger Grange and Michael Moser\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Release date: May 31, 2019 (Philadelphia, PA)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cast (Interviewees): Moe Berg (archival), Nicholas Dawidoff, David Ignatius, Thomas Powers, Ed Markey, Michael Frayn, Larry Merchant, Ira Berkow, Brad Ausmus, Jerry Reinsdorf, Bud Selig.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Rating<\/strong>: *** \u00bd \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0I didn\u2019t originally plan to see the documentary The Spy Behind Home Plate<\/strong> yesterday. I was going to see something else but changed my mind when I saw that director Aviva Kempner was there to do a Q&A after the 1pm and 4pm showings. I met her about four years ago at a Q&A for her last film Rosenwald. After speaking with her for a couple of minutes, I decided to change my schedule and attend the 4pm showing. In retrospect, I\u2019m glad I did. After sitting through the interminably dull and pointless French comedy Non-Fiction, a film as promising as The Spy Behind Home Plate<\/strong> was definitely in order. I\u2019m pleased to announce that it\u2019s a home run!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0The Spy Behind Home Plate<\/strong> isn\u2019t Ms. Kempner\u2019s first foray into the world of baseball. She also made the 2001 documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, a film that I still haven\u2019t seen but would love to. You may be saying to yourself, \u201cWhy should I watch another documentary about a Jewish athlete?\u201d I have a good answer to that. Moe Berg, the subject of the movie, wasn\u2019t just a baseball player. He was also a spy during WWII. In fact, he was one of the first people appointed to the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, forerunner of the CIA) when it was founded in 1942. His status as a famous ball player made it easy for him to travel to foreign countries, Italy in particular. His job was to collect information on the Germans\u2019 progress in building an atomic bomb. He had a gift (i.e. his personability) for getting people to reveal crucial information. But look at me getting ahead of myself here. Like all good stories, we must start at the beginning.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0Moe Berg, born in 1902, was the son of Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up in Newark, NJ where his father was a pharmacist. It was his wish that Moe become a lawyer. Moe had other dreams; namely, he wanted to play baseball. So he went to Princeton and Columbia and got his law degree during the off-seasons. He passed the bar but never practiced law. Instead, he played in the majors- Brooklyn Robins, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox- from 1923 to 1939. H started out as a shortstop until it was discovered that he was a tremendous catcher. He was known as the \u201cbrainiest guy in baseball\u201d. He spoke 10 languages, was well read and loved to travel. His friends included Babe Ruth, Chico Marx and Albert Einstein. He was a remarkable man.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0When America entered the war in \u201941, Moe wanted to do his part. FDR himself named him to the OSS. He was to gather as much info as he could on their atomic bomb project. This was while the US was secretly working on one of their own (\u201cThe Manhattan Project\u201d in Los Alamos, NM).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0The Spy Behind Home Plate<\/strong> also delves into Moe\u2019s private life. Despite stories about him being gay, he liked the ladies. So says the 102-year-old daughter of Babe Ruth who, in a taped interview, recalls Moe flirting with her on a ship headed to Japan. Moe and Babe, along with Lefty O\u2019Doul and Ted Lyons, were going to teach the Japanese the finer points of baseball. It was during this trip that Moe filmed footage of Japan that would later come in handy. Berg was a secretive man. Whenever asked about his off-field activities, he\u2019d put his finger to his lips and go \u201cShhhh\u201d.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0I must say that The Spy Behind Home Plate<\/strong> is a very compelling film. It\u2019s a lot to take in though. I was exhausted by the time the end credits rolled. BTW, be sure to stay for a funny anecdote about Einstein and a closing shot of Kempner\u2019s granddaughters (they\u2019ve been involved with all her films). ANYWAY, the exhaustion I felt was the good kind. I felt as though I learned a lot even if it was delivered in whirlwind fashion. The archival footage is terrific. I\u2019m not a sports fan but baseball history is a subject of interest. It was fascinating to hear about Berg playing with some of the greats (e.g. Lou Gehrig). The interviews, which include some shot about 35 years ago by co-producer Neil Goldstein (also at the Q&A), are enlightening. We actually get to hear from people who knew Moe personally.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0I highly recommend The Spy Behind Home Plate<\/strong>. Even if you don\u2019t like sports, you will find Ms. Kempner\u2019s film most fascinating. It\u2019s playing around the country in limited runs at arthouse theaters. It\u2019s totally worth seeking out.<\/p>\r\n

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