07/10/2023
This gossipy outing by entertainment journalist Carlson (Queen Meryl) details the making of the 1992 film A League of Their Own. She describes how director Penny Marshall drew inspiration from a documentary, also titled A League of Their Own, about the WWII-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and enlisted veteran comedy writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel after failing to stir up interest from women screenwriters. Behind-the-scenes stories include star Geena Davis struggling to get a handle on the sport’s basics and Madonna complaining about being “dirty all day” from filming scenes on Wrigley Field. Elsewhere, Carlson discusses how Rosie O’Donnell refused Marshall’s request that she lose weight for her role, Marshall’s decision to cut a kissing scene between Geena Davis’s and Toms Hanks’s characters, and how the film beat the studio’s box office expectations. Fans will enjoy the on-set anecdotes, though some of the more tangential stories—about, for instance, Marshall doing LSD with Carrie Fisher in the 1980s or renting her guest house to Richard Dreyfuss—feel like fluff. Still, this connects more than it misses. (Sept.)
A definitive history of the biggest female-driven sports movie ever. Erin Carlson not only delivers juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits but also reminds us why A League of Their Own still matters all these years later.”—Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, author of Seinfeldia and When Women Invented Television
“Baseball stories are never just about baseball, Erin Carlson reminds us. And Carlson’s baseball story, about the making of A League of Their Own, is about the business of Hollywood, the telling of women’s stories, the magic that ensues when the right performers meet the right director and the right script, and what, precisely, takes place when Madonna, at the height of her fame, decamps for the third-largest city in Indiana to shoot a movie. No Crying in Baseball is sheer, joyous fun, studded with insight into the grit and determination it took then—and now!—to make a movie that celebrated the accomplishments of women.”—Saul Austerlitz, author Generation Friends
“If you’re a fan of A League of Their Own, you’ll love all the behind the scenes info, and if you’re not already a fan, this book will make you want to watch immediately! Erin brilliantly weaves juicy stories with the triumphant tale of getting the historic film made. I loved it. Perhaps there's no crying in baseball, but you may shed a tear or two of joy while reading this wonderful book!”—Danny Pellegrino, author of How Do I Un-Remember This?
“The second you saw A League of Their Own, you knew it was the type of movie we’d be talking about for decades. Decades later, with No Crying in Baseball, Erin Carlson gives us the definitive account not just of its making, but its continuing—and probably eternal—cultural impact. This book provides the same giddy sensations as the film: Laughter, tears, joy, and that incredible feeling of being a part of something larger than yourself. I loved every word of this—every word.”—Will Leitch, author of How Lucky and The Time Has Come
“Everything you could ever want to know about arguably the most celebrated baseball film of all time is offered by Erin Carlson in her new book….Carlson delivers…there are no bases left untouched….No Crying In Baseball is a better, more lasting experience of League than when meeting the real people who created the most entertaining baseball fantasy ever….Every page of No Crying In Baseball is a treasure trove of exciting ‘inside information; on who was doing what with whom, in front of the cameras and after hours on location….The only question left for Carlson to address is, could she please pen a sequel? What was left on the proverbial cutting floor should fill up another couple hundred pages.”—The Bradenton Times
“Afly-on-the-wall adventure through the making of A League of Their Own, 30 years later, complete with interviews with the film’s lead herself, Geena Davis, and first-person accounts of on-set memories and captivating stories from the original creators.”—Queerty
“[An] entertaining look at a memorable movie and the unique woman who directed it….The author’s playful tone and narratorial asides make this a charming read."—Kirkus Reviews
“No Crying in Baseball offers tears, laughs, and more….[a] fascinating story….You’ll turn the pages of No Crying in Baseball even if you don’t know a center fielder from a short stop.”—Washington Blade
"Among the 100 or so baseball books published this year, one stands out as the most creative, most unlikely, and most unusual."—IWBAA Newsletter
“This is deliriously fun stuff…. Epic fan service and undeniable movie-history magic.”—Booklist
“Thorough, detailed, and affectionate, this book will appeal to sports, history, and film fans."—Library Journal
"No Crying in Baseball...is an inside fastball of a book."—The Cap Times
“[Erin Carlson’s] book is a part of the permanent collection….It’s gold….It’s such a wonderful book.”—“Baseball and Barbeque” podcast
“No Crying in Baseball takes a fascinating look behind the scenes…With amazing stories…[Carlson’s] book brings the movie alive.”—The Twin Bill
2023-07-05
A peek behind the scenes of the hit movie A League of Their Own and the life of its director, Penny Marshall.
Entertainment journalist Carlson, author of I’ll Have What She’s Having and Queen Meryl, tells the story of a beloved film that chronicled the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, an all-women’s league of white baseball players that lasted from 1943 to 1954. While the movie became an instant classic—not to mention the most financially lucrative baseball movie of all time, “more than Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, The Natural, 42, and Moneyball”—fans would be hard-pressed to recognize it in its original form. For example, the film, which stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, and Tom Hanks, originally had a much different cast, including Debra Winger in Davis’ role and Jim Belushi in Hanks’ role. It also had a more complex plot, which included an illicit kiss between Hanks and Davis. The scene, which was included in the script, was deleted from the 2 million feet of film director Marshall insisted on shooting. The film, “a mere footnote in the Tom Hanks film library, was Penny’s pinnacle, even as it eclipsed her stardom.” Although the text meanders between filming decisions and on-set gossip—at one point, Marshall threatened to write Madonna out of the movie because of her bad behavior—the focus continually returns to Marshall, beginning with her childhood in the Bronx and ending with her 2018 death from “complications related to diabetes.” Consequently, the book feels more like a biography rather than a pure history of the film, and the sections about the nuts-and-bolts of the movie more like a list of trivia than a true narrative. Still, the author’s playful tone and narratorial asides make this a charming read.
An uneven but often entertaining look at a memorable movie and the unique woman who directed it.
With its title coming from one of the most iconic film lines ever, this audiobook tells the story of the making of the famed 1992 movie A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. It dives into the life of director Penny Marshall. While the author digs into the creation of the movie and its actors, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw gives an emotional narration that reflects the energy and happenings on and off the set. She doesn't imitate Marshall's thick New York accent but does so slightly when someone else is being quoted. The audiobook covers Marshall's detail-oriented approach to a film that required actors to have a modicum of athletic ability. Despite a few pronunciation missteps, Hutchinson-Shaw brings the author's fine research to light with her engaged narration. M.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
