<P> In a 1941 press campaign publicizing plans for the film, RKO Pictures announced a major talent hunt for Gehrig's portrayer; but Goldwyn and Wood reportedly never considered casting anyone but Cooper in the title role . Although he was ideally suited to the part due to his physical resemblance to Gehrig and the quiet strength and masculine appeal that he projected, Cooper was reluctant to accept it because he, like Goldwyn, had no interest in baseball . By one account, he had never watched a game prior to taking the role . Another problem was Cooper's age (41), particularly in scenes involving Gehrig as a young man . Cinematographer Rudolph Maté lighted Cooper from below during those early scenes to conceal lines and wrinkles, then gradually reduced and finally eliminated the lighting effect as the story progressed . </P> <P> Another important (and problematic) casting decision was Babe Ruth, as himself . Ruth's health had been declining steadily since his retirement in 1935, and by 1942 he weighed nearly 270 pounds . He was put on a strict diet to achieve a presentable weight before filming began . This rapid weight loss, on the heels of a heart attack followed by a car accident, combined with the tough shooting schedule and Ruth's propensity to keep late hours, weakened him significantly . By the time filming wrapped he had developed pneumonia severe enough to require a period of hospitalization . </P> <P> Multiple published sources have asserted that Cooper, who was right - handed, could not master a convincing left - handed swing . To remedy the problem, the story went, he was filmed wearing a mirror - image uniform and swinging from the right side of the plate, then running to third base instead of first; technicians then purportedly flopped the print of the film . Tom Shieber, a curator at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, has shown, however, that Cooper did indeed learn to bat left - handed, and never wore a backwards Yankees uniform nor ran to third base after swinging . Film footage was, in fact, flopped only once, during a brief sequence portraying Gehrig's minor league days at Hartford, in order to make Cooper appear to be throwing left - handed--a far more difficult task for a right - hander to master . ("(Cooper) threw the ball like an old woman tossing a hot biscuit," said Lefty O'Doul, who tried unsuccessfully to teach him a convincing left - handed throw .) Scenes requiring Cooper to throw a ball as a Yankee were filmed using his stand - in, the left - handed Babe Herman . </P> <P> Scenes purporting to depict Yankee Stadium, Comiskey Park, and other ballparks were all filmed at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Angels of the old Pacific Coast League, and a popular venue for baseball movies of the era, as well as the Home Run Derby television series . </P>

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