THE PINCH HITTER
Starring Charles Ray and Sylvia Breamer
VARIETY
May 4, 1917
A rather different sort of comedy is "The Pinch Hitter," the latest Triangle-Ince-KayBee, in which Charles Ray is starred. The story was written by C. Gardner Sullivan and directed by Victor L. Schertzinger. The author has seemingly taken three or four characters from George Ade's "The College Widow" as the types for his yarn, and has woven about them a romance of a small college in a manner that keeps one guessing until the last reel. The hero, a bashful youth from a small country town, who is afraid of himself and who does not gain self-confidence until the finish of the picture, wins all the sympathy and is delightfully played by Charles Ray. The story is simple enough in itself. The country youth is sent to the small college by his dad, not because he holds any illusions regarding the youth, but because of a promise made to the mother on her death bed. The boy bears all the earmarks of a "boob," and the moment he hits the campus of the school he is a butt for all of the pranks of the students. He tries hard, but does not seem to be able to hit his stride. The little lady of the story is the self-supporting miss who conducts the cream puff parlor which the boys patronize. She pities the gawky youth, and then begins to love him. Finally, he is taken on the ball team, not because of his ability as a player, but he is such a boob that the manager of the team figures that he must bring good luck as mascot. He is kept in ignorance of his actual participation in the work of the team until the day of the big game. Then at the last minute he is forced into the game through an accident and, working up a good lot of suspense, he wallops the ball for a homer and wins the approval of dad, and the girl, and develops enough self-confidence to propose. "The Pinch Hitter" is full of good comedy and a picture that will interest.
For more information, see "The Pinch Hitter" as our "Feature of the Month"
Video source: Grapevine