The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

As Ring Lardner once said, "you could look it up," and what you'd discover about Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg is that he was 1) the first man in baseball to win Most Valuable Player awards at two positions, 2) baseball's first $100,000 man, and 3) in 1938, challenged Babe Ruth's single season home run record. But as Aviva Kempner's stirring Oscar-nominated documentary recalls, Greenberg, the son of immigrant parents, was more important as a beacon of hope to Jews, who felt pride and inspiration seeing one of their own succeed in the national pastime at a time of virulent anti-Semitism. As one lifelong fan, a rabbi, states, "he was the baseball Moses." Kempner efficiently covers all the bases of Greenberg's career with the requisite archival footage and talking heads, including family members, former teammates and baseball legends, broadcasters and sportswriters, and such unabashed fans as Alan Dershowitz and Walter Matthau. While this bio-doc's style is not remarkable, its subject certainly was: in an interview from the 1980s, Greenberg recalls that the taunts and slurs he received from the hometown crowd "were a spur to make me do better. If I struck out, I would not only be a bum, but a Jewish bum." Winner of several film critics association awards for Best Documentary, this is a stirring film for all seasons. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review—Apr. 23, 2013—The Ciesla Foundation, 95 min., not rated, $30 (avail. from www.hankgreenbergfilm.org)—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2000's The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg sports a great transfer and a stereo soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by writer-producer-director Aviva Kempner, additional interviews (135 min.), Greenberg's text stats and biography, a filmmaker bio, text reviews and awards, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine special edition of an excellent documentary.]