1938 Chicago Cubs Game (Home Movie)

1938 home movie of a Chicago Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field. Shot by Chicagoan Jacob Glick.
More on the film courtesy of DNA Info Chicago: www.dnainfo.com...
Original: 16mm., B&W, Silent, Found in Chicago Film Archives Glick-Berolzheimer Home Movie Collection (www.chicagofilm...)
Explore over 1000 streaming films from Chicago Film Archives here!:
www.chicagofilm...

[@jeremyc2445]

50 years later, Aug 8 1988 I was in high school and an usher at first night game, which was actually not official because it was rained out. Cub luck.

[@keithcosta7864]

Did anyone notice the "Ricketts" advertisement at 00:25, on a left field ROOFTOP? WOW talk about a "Twilight Zone" moment!

[@famguy218]

I was actually about to comment that hahaha; I guess the Ricketts family had something then too?

[@davidwhite7942]

THE RICKETTS FAMILY REAL ESTATE COMPANY SPONSOR WAS A BIG TIME AD FOR WRIGLEY AT THE TIME!! IF YOU GO BACK IN TIME THEY HAD AN AD AT WRIGLEY FOR YEARS!!

[@PdippProductions]

I was gonna comment on that too haha and the weird thing was there is no relation, because Tom Rickett's said growing up his family was not rich, they were middle class, and they got rich when he got into like college I believe

[@stevebez2767]

cmon more tea,jerrys paidte makes sune?..

[@trisharicketts6355]

@@famguy218 NOPE. This is MY Ricketts family's sign advertising our restaurant which was housed at 2727 N. Clark Street. This new-to-Chicago Ricketts family is the newbie. We have been here since the late 1800s.

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

What is really amazing is that this film is 77 years old and was shot 30 years after the last time the Cubs won the World Series.

[@mikebdb1]

+GBev2K and incredible they havnt won a ws since then,,,,you could almost stumble into winning 1 after decades of time,,,,just think in 55 the brooklyn dodgers finally won a ws win and over the hated yanks....and thats 47 years after the cubs ws win....and its 2015 and no ws series win yet..incredible bad luck...it use to be red sox and cubs ...red sox now have 2 ,,,wow

[@stevebez2767]

its in yer Red Sox, Hugh Cornwell,Stranglers,but,thats 70s punk music in UK,can ask Mz Hollidazeee...aint?

[@destany9591]

So simple and easy going. People actually went out and did activities together without distraction. Now all you see is people on their phones or computers, in public too.

[@stevebez2767]

2 geva,get gather to?

[@jonnydanger7181]

Then getting hit in the face with foul balls while texting so they have to net the stadium.

[@TheYanksfan86]

Love this. What I would do to be able to go to games back then.

[@Ariamaluum]

I like how the scoreboard is perched on the outfield stands.

[@maximopartagas5539]

The good old days, when you could enjoy a cigar while watching a ball game.

[@jimfloyd4563]

thank god no more stinkgars at the ballpark polluting the air

[@bigrob68sox4ever6]

Whenever I see these old videos I've noticed that everyone that went to ball games had a suit on. It seems like people must of really respected the game and they wore their "Sunday's Best". I noticed this practice was pretty much the thing to do until probably the late 60's. Now you watch a game and you have shirtless people with letters on their bodies to root for their team. It must be the geek in me to notice things like this??

[@joeferguson2606]

people dressed like that to go outside of the house. IF you notice, all the men had hats on too. different time now. I see people go grocery shopping in pajamas and slippers...yes, slippers! Big fluffy ones

[@stevebez2767]

an someone sum 1 fir sooo Long they even MET george the dustbin spacer go ring roumd the bush,eh,o,watt zone linear line ear twoZaaa Tsar asiatic philleeez roots!!?

[@jimfloyd4563]

different time, but I am glad one is not expected to wear a suit to a ball game for cryin out loud

[@okrajoe]

Amazing vintage baseball video - thanks for posting.

[@crbishop]

Anyone else notice that the bleachers are absolutely packed, yet only half or less than half full on behind third base and along left field line?

[@JamieBakerM]

This is rather amazing indeed.

[@benchlife9375]

Long live Wrigley and Fenway 😊

[@czistarocharles6716]

my how it changed ty for this.

[@PepperCyanide]

Crazy to see a Chicago flag flying with only 3 red stars on it!!

[@djwuss1234]

This was back in the day when people actually went to Wrigley to watch baseball and not to just get drunk.

[@stevebez2767]

chew gum, thro bums a dime,in ya prime,wooden tune?

[@bryanw91178]

Look at how happy Cub fans used to be

[@zachlafleur6651]

What are those trees on each side of the upper deck bleachers (four to the left and four to the right of the scoreboard)? I have never seen anything like this on TV in recent years! They look like palm fronds brought in for a special game sometime back then? Maybe it was something that a young Bill Veeck thought of years before his exploding scoreboard on the south side at Comiskey Park? I see similarities here, already, and at the new Comiskey Park they have always had a fireworks scoreboard since that place opened!

[@EricD602]

Yes, as was the ivy - those trees did not last long from what I recall reading because of maintenance.

[@tomhasting7434]

Those were fast growing trees that blew down eventually. But this was keeping with the idea that it was a park and not a stadium. known as the parlor park of the world then. Now simply the friendly confines. Ah those days were wonderful

[@bobgassel6002]

I'm 99% sure this is actually the 1938 home opener, April 22, 1938 versus the Cardinals...

[@chicagofilmarchives]

Thanks Bob! Our 1937 date correlates to the date code on the 16mm film stock...which often can be off a year or two from the date the stock was actually used. Any further leads welcome :)

[@dirwuf]

chicagofilmarchives The flagpoles on the scoreboard were not configured like that until 1938, plus the parade of players (an old opening day tradition), and teams listed on the scoreboard fingerprint this to the date I listed above. Also note the color clip on your website from this same collection, is also from 4/22/38...

[@chicagofilmarchives]

thanks dirwuf...super helpful. We'll be sure to change the date on both sites to 1938.

[@WrigleyRegular]

Definitely April 22, 1938. Scoreboard shots match box-scores of that day. www.baseball-reference.com/games/standings.cgi?date=1938-04-22

[@boooootch]

I think you're right. mlblogsvineline.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/stadiums-wrigley-field-chicago-1938_3119-99_csu.gif

[@deanlake1614]

Enos Slaughter wins it for the Cards. This was only his fourth game in the majors.

[@jonnydanger7181]

How can you tell?

[@robfigulski1139]

What a cool ass video!

[@wachopper]

Ricketts sign on left field roof top?

[@trisharicketts6355]

My Ricketts Restaurant family, not the current Republicans.

[@joeblough261]

No offense Trisha, as your family's place looked pretty cool from the old postcards I've seen - but in spite of my love for old school Chicago stuff and "the little guy", and as much as I detest the "Iowa" Ricketts' politics (the sister isn't bad) I'll have to take the "new" Ricketts, as they gave Chicago one of the single greatest gifts we could ever ask for - that World Series win.

[@jonnydanger7181]

@@trisharicketts6355 where was the restaurant located?

[@johnanderson8932]

Sorry, year was not 1938, most likely 1939 because Ivy was not yet covering the outfield walls . Also, Gabby Hartnett 's pennant wining "Homer in the Gloaming" was hit over the temporary (1038) left field location of the scoreboard.

[@christopherdickson7043]

Ivy was planted in 1937. When this movie was shot (April 22) it was still too early in the season for it to show- it doesn't usually "bloom" until later in the spring.

[@dconfused9919]

Alcapone loves the cubs. 😆

[@elwoodblues6663]

must have bailed out from jail for the game

[@MFPhoto1]

This would have been the same year the new outfield bleachers premiered, right? Previously, there were only a small group of field level seats in right-center and left-center. I have a (re-print) of a photo circa 1935 showing what passed as the original bleachers.

[@stevebez2767]

yeah heat hit that ball so hard chalk went line too the white cliffs of roll yer own clovers?

[@mr.a5191]

Did not know that the clock was not a part of the original design. Also, where is the American flag atop the scoreboard?

[@EricD602]

The clock was added in 1941 with white face and painted green in 1944. Good catch..

[@EricD602]

Also, scoreboard original color was a reddish brown. In 1944 they painted it the green we know today. Batters complained the brown color was reflecting the sun.

[@blvk_sky]

Thank goodness I didn't live back then. Suits to a sporting event(or anytime for that matter)? yuck

[@jeffbanfieldsflwr3537]

00:25 does that day Ricketts?

[@spuzzlightyeartoo]

Pretty good footage. The seating and shots aren't all that great for this type of footage though.

[@your_man_herman]

Anyone else notice the Ricketts rooftop sign?

[@zachlafleur6651]

I also noticed that Ricketts sign across Waveland Ave. from the left center field bleachers! How funny it is that a family by the same name bought the Cubs and Wrigley Field about six years or so ago? How did the people know this back in 1938 (and it is 1938, not 1937 as the film shows), because they shrank the field that year by building a double deck bleacher section in center field (as well as the bleachers we know today from left center to right center)! It'll be great if they can rebuild what was torn down last fall (and I suggest something such as from 1914-37 with a 436-447 feet center field depth as well as extending the power alleys out some, because they have always been too shallow here)! Left field and right field line lengths can't be beat, however since 1938, because they are the longest in the majors! As for those bullpens down said lines, find a way to move them somewhere else, for there really isn't enough room here (maybe move them to under the new bleachers with a see through fence from the outfield)?

[@kenkunz1428]

There appears to be no Ivy growing on the outfield wall. Maybe it was too early in the season, but it looks like there are no bare vines on the wall.

[@CapAnson12345]

+Ken Kunz You can see the sprigs on the ground, they only just planted it the year before.

[@stevebez2767]

Hey hey yo thats the grape wall,co Billy on about,Stienbeck,lay tars flud wop 'ivysiders'?!

[@jgrab1]

Soooooooo...the title card said 1937, not 1938.

[@NicholleChristineEdwards]

🇺🇸⚾️♥️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@srercrcr]

What, no trolls??

[@stevebez2767]

prairie hise 'no east cyder cyber'rub ,just not cree kit,wiz wit

[@quentinkirk3870]

You Can See The Silos on Clark Street Where The McDonald's is Now

[@jonnydanger7181]

You mean the hotel? Lol

[@eddiechwalek1813]

Did they not take care of the grass back then it looks terrible

[@brycewakefield6565]

All these people are dead