The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is a 1998 documentary film written, directed, and produced by Aviva Kempner about Hank Greenberg, first baseman of the Detroit Tigers, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A Jewish player who chose not to play on Yom Kippur in 1934 during a heated pennant race, Greenberg had to face a great deal of antisemitism. In 1938 he nearly broke Babe Ruth's 60 home run record by hitting 58 home runs.

Like many players of the era, Greenberg had his career interrupted by military service during World War II. Initially, Greenberg was classified as unfit for service due to flat feet. However, upon re-examination, he was cleared. Before Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Congress had released men over age 28. After the attack, Greenberg immediately reenlisted in the United States Army Air Forces.

In 1947, Greenberg, as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and playing his final season, was one of the few ballplayers to give a warm welcome to Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson, the majors' first black player in many years. Robinson later said, "Class tells. It sticks out all over Mr. Greenberg".

Production Kempner states that the film took 13 years to make. "It was all about raising money for the rights to the archival and feature footage. That was so expensive that I had to stop and start about 20 times." After its theatrical run, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg was acquired by Cinemax for its Reel Life series.

Film credits

Produced by Aviva Kempner .... producer Ari Daniel Pinchot .... associate producer

Directed by Aviva Kempner

Written by Aviva Kempner

Cast overview

Reeve Robert Brenner .... Himself – interviewee Hank Greenberg .... Himself (archive footage) Walter Matthau .... Himself – interviewee Alan M. Dershowitz .... Himself – interviewee (as Alan Dershowitz) Carl Levin .... Himself – interviewee (as Senator Carl Levin) Stephen Greenberg .... Himself – interviewee Joseph Greenberg .... Himself – interviewee (as Joe Greenberg) Rabbi Max Ticktin .... Himself – interviewee Bill Mead .... Himself – interviewee Lou Gehrig .... Himself (archive footage) Basil 'Mickey' Briggs .... Himself – interviewee Don Shapiro .... Himself – interviewee Bert Gordon .... Himself – interviewee Joe Falls .... Himself – interviewee Henry Ford .... Himself (archive footage) Fr. Charles Coughlin .... Himself (archive footage) Dr. George Barahal .... Himself – interviewee Ira Berkow .... Himself – interviewee Harold Allen .... Himself – interviewee Robert Steinberg .... Himself – interviewee Charlie Gehringer .... Himself – interviewee (also archive footage) Herman 'Flea' Clifton .... Himself – interviewee Billy Rogell .... Himself – interviewee Birdie Tebbetts .... Himself – interviewee (as George 'Birdie' Tebbetts) Ernie Harwell .... Himself – interviewee Elden Auker .... Himself – interviewee (as Eldon Auker) Dick Schaap .... Himself – interviewee Goose Goslin .... Himself (archive footage) Dizzy Dean .... Himself (archive footage) Harvey Frank .... Himself – interviewee Marilyn Greenberg .... Herself – interviewee Harriet Colman .... Herself – interviewee Alva Greenberg .... Herself – interviewee Mickey Cochrane .... Himself – interviewee Charlie Grimm .... Himself – interviewee (archive footage) Michael Moriarty .... Himself – interviewee Max Lapides .... Himself – interviewee Gabby Hartnett .... Himself (archive footage) Joe Louis .... Himself (archive footage) Shirley Povich .... Himself – interviewee Al Rosen .... Himself (archive footage) Rip Collins .... Himself – interviewee Tommy Bridges .... Himself (archive footage) Joe DiMaggio .... Himself (archive footage) Jane Briggs Hart .... Herself – interviewee Harry Eisenstat .... Himself – interviewee Bob Feller .... Himself – interviewee (also archive footage) Hoot Robinson .... Himself – interviewee Rudy York .... Himself (archive footage) Hal Newhouser .... Himself – interviewee Barney McCosky .... Himself – interviewee Bobo Newsom .... Himself (archive footage) (as 'Buck' Newsom) Paul Derringer .... Himself (archive footage) Junior Thompson .... Himself (archive footage) Bucky Walters .... Himself (archive footage) Franklin Delano Roosevelt .... Himself (also radio broadcast) (archive footage) Del Baker .... Himself – interviewee Arn Tellem .... Himself – interviewee Barney Ross .... Himself (archive footage) Caral Gimbel .... Herself – interviewee Glenn Greenberg .... Himself – interviewee Sander Levin .... Himself – interviewee (as Congressman Sander Levin) Walter Briggs, Jr. .... Himself (archive footage) (as Walter 'Spike' Briggs, Jr.) Walter Briggs, Sr. .... Himself (archive footage) Happy Chandler .... Himself (archive footage) Bill Shuster .... Himself (archive footage) Steve O'Neill .... Himself (archive footage) Paul Richards .... Himself (archive footage) Virgil Trucks .... Himself – interviewee George Kell .... Himself – interviewee Billy Herman .... Himself (archive footage) (as Billy Hermann) Jackie Robinson .... Himself (archive footage) Kenesaw M. Landis .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) Connie Mack .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) Maury Povich .... Himself – interviewee (uncredited) Babe Ruth .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Awards 2001 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards – "Best Feature Documentary" 2001 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards – "Best Documentary" (tied with The Filth and the Fury (2000)) 2001 Columbus International Film & Video Festival – "Silver Chris Award – Religion" 2001 Florida Film Critics Circle Awards – "Best Documentary" 1998 Hamptons International Film Festival – "Audience Award for Most Popular Documentary (Aviva Kempner) tied with Red, White & Yellow (1998)" 2001 Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards – "Best Documentary" 2000 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards – "Sierra Award for Best Documentary" 2000 National Board of Review, USA – "Best Documentary" 2001 National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA – "Best Documentary" 2000 New York Film Critics Circle Awards – "Best Non-Fiction Film" 2001 Peabody Award 1999 Washington Jewish Film Festival – "Audience Award for Documentary (Aviva Kempner)"

Reception On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an aggregate score of 97% based on sixty-three positive and two negative critical reviews. The website’s consensus reads: "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is an affectionate, often very funny portrait of a baseball pioneer."

See also Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story, 2010 documentary film List of baseball films

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

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