The Fireball
The Fireball is a 1950 American drama film starring Mickey Rooney and Pat O'Brien, and directed by Tay Garnett. The cast also includes Beverly Tyler and the eighth screen appearance of Marilyn Monroe.
| Fireball | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover | |
| Directed by | Tay Garnett Charles Kerr (assistant) |
| Produced by | Bert E. Friedlob |
| Screenplay by | Horace McCoy |
| Starring | Mickey Rooney Pat O'Brien |
| Music by | Victor Young |
| Cinematography | Lester White |
| Edited by | Frank Sullivan |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film, released by 20th Century Fox, had its screenplay written by Horace McCoy based on a story by McCoy and Garnett.
Plot
Johnny Casar (Mickey Rooney) runs away from a home for wayward boys, tired of being teased about being short and a poor athlete. He soon finds a pair of roller skates and is befriended by Bruno Crystal (Ralph Dumke), who allows him to wash dishes at his café, while a priest who runs the home, Father O'Hara (Pat O'Brien), secretly keeps an eye on him.
A traveling roller-skating team takes an interest in Johnny after he shows some aptitude. He clashes with Mack Miller (Glen Corbett), a cocky champion, and falls for Mary Reeves (Beverly Tyler), another top skater. Johnny ends up featured in grudge matches against Miller, where they take turns one-upping one another.
As his fame grows, Johnny becomes every bit as arrogant as Miller and more. Life takes a bad turn when he is diagnosed with polio. A long period of physical therapy follows, until a wheelchair-bound Johnny tries to get his life back on track.
Cast (in credits order)
- Mickey Rooney as Johnny Casar
- Pat O'Brien as Father O'Hara
- Beverly Tyler as Mary Reeves
- James Brown as Allen
- Ralph Dumke as Bruno Crystal
- Milburn Stone as Jeff Davis
- Bert Begley as Shilling
- Marilyn Monroe as Polly
- Sam Flint as Dr. Barton
- Glen Corbett as Mack Miller
- John Hedloe as Ullman
External links
- The Fireball on IMDb
- The Fireball at AllMovie
- The Fireball at the TCM Movie Database
- The Fireball at Rotten Tomatoes