The Pitch That Defied Physics

1949 brought a strange film that mixed science fiction with baseball. It was the only sci‑fi sports comedy starring Alan Hale Jr. The picture, called It Happens Every Spring, follows a chemistry professor who accidentally invents a substance that repels wood.

Ray Milland plays the professor, Vernon K. Simpson. A baseball breaks his window and mixes chemicals. The mixture creates a liquid called methylethylpropylbutyl. The ball now avoids wood. Simpson hides some of the formula in his glove and signs with the St. Louis team. He pitches so well that no batter can hit him. His team reaches the World Series. Alan Hale Jr. plays catcher Schmidt, who is amazed by the ball's hop.

Lloyd Bacon directed the film. He had earlier made the 1933 musical 42nd Street. Critics were split. The New York Times said the idea was not funny enough. Time magazine called it inventive. The movie was a detour for the cast and crew, but it stands out as a quirky sci‑fi comedy.

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