# 42 (film)

42 is a 2013 American biographical sports drama film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Written and directed by Brian Helgeland, 42 is based on baseball player Jackie Robinson, the first black athlete to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the modern era. The title of the film is a reference to Robinson's jersey number, which was universally retired across all MLB teams in 1997. The ensemble cast includes Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, alongside Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, André Holland, Lucas Black, Hamish Linklater, and Ryan Merriman in supporting roles.
Spike Lee initially planned to direct a biopic in 1995 with Turner Pictures, but the project fell apart due to creative differences and later financial challenges. In 2011, Legendary Pictures took over, collaborating with Robinson's widow, Rachel, to ensure authenticity. Boseman, cast as Robinson in his breakout role, impressed Helgeland with his athleticism and emotional depth during auditions. Boseman trained to replicate Robinson's mannerisms and connected with Rachel for character insights. Filming began in 2012 across locations like Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, with Engel Stadium standing in for the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field. The production used digital recreations of historic stadiums and involved local extras.
42 was screened at the White House and premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles before it was released on April 12, 2013, by Warner Bros. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise centered on Boseman's heartfelt portrayal and Ford's stylized performance. The film earned $97.5 million worldwide against a $40 million budget, including a record-breaking $27.5 million opening for a baseball film. 42 was re-released in theaters after Boseman's death.

## Plot

Post-World War II saw baseball in the United States growing as a symbol of democracy. Yet, for African Americans, racism and Jim Crow laws limited black ballplayers (many of whom served in the war) to the Negro leagues. During this time, the 1946 Major League Baseball season saw 16 teams and 400 white players.
In 1945, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey tells scout Clyde Sukeforth that he wants to recruit a black baseball player for his team. Reviewing potential candidates, Rickey suggests Jackie Robinson of the Negro league's Kansas City Monarchs. Robinson, who has a confrontation over gas station usage, is approached by Sukeforth. Rickey tell Robinson the challenges of breaking the color line and emphasizes restraint in responding to provocations. Robinson agrees to join the Dodgers under these terms and proposes to his girlfriend, Rachel, who accepts.
In Daytona Beach, Florida, Robinson trains with the Montreal Royals, the AAA affiliate of the Brooklyn farm system. Rickey asks that their manager Clay Hopper treat Robinson equally. After performing well his first season, Robinson advances to the Dodgers and is trained as a first baseman in Panama City. Some Dodgers draft a petition refusing to play with Robinson, but are rebuffed by manager Leo Durocher, whom Rickey confides in. Robinson opens up to Wendell Smith, his black chronicler, saying he doesn't like needing people.
Durocher is suspended by Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler over his extramarital affair. Robinson signs with the team and plays on the 1947 season's opening day; Rickey convinces former player Burt Shotton to take over as manager. Sometime later, Robinson and Rachel have a baby boy, whom Robinson vows to be there for.
On the field, Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman relentlessly taunts Robinson with racial epithets. In the dugout, Robinson angrily strikes his bat against the wall, breaking into tears. Rickey tells him that Chapman expects Robinson to stand up for himself. Fellow teammate Eddie Stanky defends Robinson, who scores the winning run. A Philadelphia hotel denies the Dodgers, leading to an altercation between Robinson and Dixie Walker. When Chapman's behavior generates negative press for the team, Phillies' general manager Herb Pennock, who had earlier disapproved of Robinson playing in Philadelphia, requires Chapman to pose with Robinson for magazine photos. Teammate Pee Wee Reese sympathizes with Robinson, standing with his arm around Robinson's shoulders, silencing a hostile crowd at Crosley Field. In a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Enos Slaughter spikes Robinson on the back of the leg with his cleats. Robinson calms vengeful Dodgers, insisting they focus on winning the game. While Robinson is treated, Rickey tells him that Robinson inspired him to love baseball again.
Robinson hits a home run against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Fritz Ostermueller, who had earlier hit him in the head (which led to a fight between Robinson's teammates and the Pirates), helping the Dodgers clinch the National League pennant, sending them to the 1947 World Series. The black community in Brooklyn erupts in cheers while Wendell documents the achievements of Robinson, who confidently sprints toward home plate. An epilogue highlights Robinson's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Rickey and Reese; Wendell becoming the first African American member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America; and the annual commemoration of Robinson's achievements, in which all players wear his number, 42, which remains retired across baseball. Inspired, a young Ed Charles later played for the 1969 World Series champion "Miracle Mets".

## Cast

* Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson.
* Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
* Nicole Beharie as Rachel Robinson
* Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher, the Dodgers manager who supported Robinson but was later suspended
* André Holland as Wendell Smith, a black sportswriter who supports Robinson
* Alan Tudyk as Ben Chapman
* Lucas Black as Pee Wee Reese
* Hamish Linklater as Ralph Branca, staring pitcher
* Brett Cullen as Clay Hopper
* Ryan Merriman as Dixie Walker
* Brad Beyer as Kirby Higbe
* Gino Anthony Pesi as Joe Garagiola
* T. R. Knight as Harold Parrott, a Dodgers staff member
* Max Gail as Burt Shotton
* Toby Huss as Clyde Sukeforth
* James Pickens Jr. as Mr. Brock
* Mark Harelik as Herb Pennock
* Derek Phillips as Bobby Bragan
* Jesse Luken as Eddie Stanky
* John C. McGinley as Red Barber, sports announcer
* Dusan Brown as young Ed Charles
* Linc Hand as Fritz Ostermueller
* Matt Clark as Luther
* Peter MacKenzie as Happy Chandler
* C. J. Nitkowski as Dutch Leonard

## Production
### Initial development

Spike Lee planned to write and direct The Jackie Robinson Story based on the life of Jackie Robinson and had it set up at Turner Pictures under his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks in 1995. The studio wanted to release it in 1997 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Robinson's breaking of the color barrier, and courted Denzel Washington to star, but the project fell apart in 1996 over creative differences. In March 1997, Lee found favor with Columbia Pictures, who signed him to a three-year first-look deal. Columbia President Amy Pascal reflected that it would bring "enormous potential for Spike to reach audiences that are not traditionally associated with Spike Lee movies." The project eventually fell apart due to difficulties securing funding, a script, and a lead actor. In 2004 Robert Redford set up a separate biopic as producer with Deep River Productions, as well as his own production company, Wildwood Productions. Redford also intended to co-star as Branch Rickey, and Howard Baldwin joined as producer the following year.

### Resurgence

In June 2011, it was announced that Legendary Pictures would develop and produce a Jackie Robinson biopic with Brian Helgeland on board to write and direct, under a distribution deal with Warner Bros. He was approached by producer Thomas Tull about a potential Jackie Robinson biopic. Helgeland, who had previously worked with Tull, received the call while on a bus trip to New York with his father. During the conversation, he noticed a billboard featuring Robinson's image with the message "Character: Pass it On", which he later described as a moment of serendipity that solidified his interest in the project.
Three days later, after reading Robinson's autobiography, Helgeland met with Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, to present his vision for the film. While Rachel initially envisioned a cradle-to-grave portrayal, Helgeland proposed focusing on a specific period—Robinson's transition from the Negro Leagues in 1945 through his rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Helgeland had to gain her trust by explaining his vision for the story. Initially seeking a broader timeline covering Robinson's life beyond baseball, she ultimately agreed that focusing on 1946-47 would heighten the drama. Rachel provided invaluable insights to Boseman, describing Robinson's physical traits and personality, as well as the depth of their relationship. "She told me how disciplined he was, how adamant he was about not drinking, and how opinionated he was", Boseman shared.
Helgeland prioritized accurate depictions of baseball sequences, avoiding what he viewed as overly choreographed action seen in some sports films. He studied past baseball movies and cited The Bad News Bears as a standout for its naturalistic portrayal of the sport's emotional and unifying elements. Rachel had previously been involved with Redford's project.

### Casting and preproduction

When asked about Robinson and Rachel, Hegeland emphasized the importance that the actors "be accepted at once by the audience." He found it tricky for "someone famous to play someone else famous".
Boseman, who had been directing an off-Broadway play at the time, initially considered transitioning to directing full-time but decided to audition for the role. Helgeland recounted that his introduction to Boseman came through casting director Victoria Thomas, who brought Boseman in early during auditions for the role of Jackie Robinson. Helgeland appreciated Boseman's bold choice to perform one of the most challenging scenes during auditions, where Robinson breaks a bat in frustration. Part of the audition process involved playing baseball; Boseman had been involved with Little League as a child. Rachel commented that Boseman's performance was like seeing her husband again. To replicate Robinson's mannerisms, Boseman trained for five months with professional baseball coaches who "would tape [his] practices every few weeks, and they would basically split-screen [his technique] with [Robinson's]" to allow him to compare. Boseman met Hank Aaron, whose career briefly overlapped with Robinson's. Aaron shared his experiences with racial adversity in baseball, helping Boseman deepen his understanding of the role. When Aaron visited the set, Boseman said it felt as if Robinson himself were there.
Initially, Helgeland was hesitant to cast Ford, seeking a character actor for the role of Rickey. However, Ford's persistence and dedication to the role, including studying Rickey's life and adopting significant physical transformations, won Helgeland over. Ford's commitment to embodying Rickey involved wearing a fat suit, prosthetics, and mastering Rickey's distinctive voice and mannerisms. He researched Rickey's life, listened to recordings from the Baseball Hall of Fame, and worked with a voice coach to capture Rickey's distinct speech. "I loved the language of the guy, I loved his style," Ford noted.
Nicole Beharie, who portrayed Rachel Robinson in 42, described her journey into acting as somewhat haphazard, influenced by her lively family. A Juilliard graduate, she was familiar with Robinson's historical significance but was unaware of the depth of his struggles and the profound impact he had beyond baseball; Beharie compared him to a "godfather of Barack Obama". In preparation for her role, Beharie had the opportunity to meet Rachel, who visited the set, provided insights, and shared personal details about her life and relationship with Jackie. Beharie recalled spending evenings speaking with Rachel and reading letters exchanged between Jackie and Rachel while he was on the road, describing their correspondence as "the most incredible love story" and a key element that drew her to the role.

### Filming

In the spring of 2012, Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, served as a stand-in for Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. Filming at the stadium began on April 21, 2012. Some interior scenes were shot at Atlanta Film Studios Paulding County in Hiram, Georgia. 42 was partially filmed in historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, serving as a stand-in for several major and minor league ballparks. The Tutwiler Hotel was also used to depict Philadelphia's Ben Franklin Hotel in a scene where the Brooklyn Dodgers were turned away due to Robinson's race. The production hired between 600 and 700 local extras during its filming in Alabama. The filming of 42 was a significant economic boost for Chattanooga, with an estimated $5 million injected into the local economy. Filming in Chattanooga marked the longest-running and largest-budget production the city had hosted at that time, surpassing previous Hollywood projects such as Water for Elephants.
Boseman's deep character study enabled him to note when his stunt double was playing Robinson incorrectly, and he insisted on doing his own stunts, but former minor league player Jasha Balcom was Boseman's stunt double for some scenes. Using old photographs and stadium blueprints, Ebbets Field, Shibe Park, The Polo Grounds, Crosley Field, Sportsman's Park, and Forbes Field were recreated for the film using digital imagery. Inflatable people were used in the stands for reference for the visual effects team. They were all replaced with individual fans that were shot individually against a blue screen. Home base and the infield were moved. The scoreboard and outfield ads were recreated, and the rest of the field was green-screened so the stands could be added. Extras, many of whom were local residents, filled roles as players and other period-specific figures. While filming wrapped in Chattanooga on May 25, 2012, the green screen setup around Engel Stadium remained in place for several more weeks in case additional shots were needed. The green billboards were torn down later.

### Music

42 features an orchestral score composed by Mark Isham who developed the main themes through piano at his in-built studio in his house. The score was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London, led by a 60-piece orchestra with further emphasis on French horns and solo trumpet, being the voice of Robinson. WaterTower Music released the score album on April 9, 2013, along with an accompanying soundtrack that featured the songs heard in the film.

## Release
### Marketing

Marriott International collaborated with Warner Bros. to promote Marriott Rewards, the company's loyalty program, to African American audiences. On February 25, 2013, Marriott launched a month-long sweepstakes on Facebook offering daily prizes, including tickets to 42 and a grand prize of an all-expenses-paid trip to the film's premiere on April 9, 2013, in Los Angeles. A special trailer for 42 featuring Chadwick Boseman was shown on LodgeNet entertainment systems in over 1,000 Marriott hotels across the United States. Key cards distributed at Marriott hotels in 11 cities, including New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, featured promotional materials about the Facebook contest. Marriott also hosted exclusive screenings of 42 for members of its loyalty program in Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
On April 15, 2013, Jackie Robinson Day was celebrated at Dodger Stadium. During the Los Angeles Dodgers game against the San Diego Padres, the film's trailer was shown on the stadium's video boards. Kelley Jakle, a cast member of the film and the great-granddaughter of Branch Rickey, performed "God Bless America". Harrison Ford and Boseman, along with other cast members of 42, participated in pre-game ceremonies and media interviews at Dodger Stadium. Ford threw the game's ceremonial first pitch.
The 30 teams of Major League Baseball organized private screenings for thousands of students from eighth to twelfth grade across the United States and Canada. Commissioner Bud Selig hosted the first screening in Milwaukee, joined by Jackie Robinson's daughter, Sharon Robinson. Selig described the film as depicting "the proudest moment in baseball history" and emphasized its role in educating future generations about Robinson's impact on the nation.

### At the White House

On April 2, 2013, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a screening of the film at the State Dining Room of the White House for 80 high school and college students from across the country. A question-and-answer session featured Robinson's widow Rachel, and members of the cast and crew, including Boseman, Ford, and director-screenwriter Brian Helgeland. The panel was moderated by Paulette Aniskoff, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Michelle noted that both she and President Barack Obama found the film "very powerful" and encouraged students to recognize that success requires perseverance rather than innate talent. According to ESPN, Michelle gave 42 a glowing review.

### Premiere

42 premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, on April 9, 2013. People present included cast members, Rachel, rapper Big Sean, actresses Naya Rivera and Calista Flockhart, and football player Bill Cowher. 42 also premiered at AMC Barry Woods Theater in Kansas City on April 11, 2013, a day before its nationwide release on April 12 by Warner Bros., as a benefit for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Boseman, Ford, and Robinson's son David were present in the premiere; Ford participated in the fundraiser.

## Reception
### Box office and home media

42 grossed $95 million in the United States and $2.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $97.5 million, against a production budget of $40 million. The film earned $27.5 million for its opening weekend, the best-ever debut for a baseball-themed film. This surpassed the previous highest opening of $19.6 million set by The Benchwarmers (2006) and Moneyball's $19.5 million (2011). 42 then made $17.7 million and $10.7 million on its second and third weekends, finishing second and third, respectively.
42 was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 16, 2013. This release sold 1.3 million units ($18 million), becoming the 33rd highest-grossing DVD of 2013 in the United States.

### Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, 42 holds an approval rating of 81% based on 197 reviews, with an average rating of 6.90/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "42 is an earnest, inspirational, and respectfully told biography of an influential American sports icon, though it might be a little too safe and old-fashioned for some." On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade.
Richard Roeper wrote, "This is a competent but mostly unexceptional film about a most extraordinary man." Lisa Kennedy, of the Denver Post, lauded the film, saying "This story inspires and entertains with a vital chapter in this nation's history." Conversely, Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor, criticized the film as "TV-movie-of-the-week dull.... Robinson's ordeal is hammered home to the exclusion of virtually everything else in his life." The film's actors were generally praised, with Owen Gleiberman saying of Ford, "He gives an ingeniously stylized cartoon performance, his eyes atwinkle, his mouth a rubbery grin, his voice all wily Southern music, though with that growl of Fordian anger just beneath it". The Hollywood Reporter commented that Boseman "has the necessary appeal, proves convincing as an athlete and is expressive in spite of the fact that the man he's playing must mostly keep his true feelings bottled up." Geoff Boucher of Entertainment Weekly noted that Alan Tudyk's portrayal of Phillies manager Ben Chapman in 42 "put a face to the racism" Robinson endured, showing how prejudice was often delivered with a smirk as much as a scowl. Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post wrote, "By the time Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) famously puts his arm around Robinson during a game in Cincinnati, 42 has taken on cumulative, undeniable momentum".
   "It was important to me because I wanted it to be an authentic piece. I wanted to get it right. I didn't want them to make him an angry black man or some stereotype, so it was important for me to be in there. ... I love the movie. I'm pleased with it. It's authentic and it's also very powerful."
Critics, even those who viewed the film negatively, felt that Boseman being a relatively unknown actor was a benefit when playing an icon and an athlete; Mick LaSalle of San Francisco Chronicle wrote that "as [...] played by Chadwick Boseman, Robinson is a hero we can recognize", and Mary Pols for Time said that "Boseman is not a hugely close physical match to Robinson, except for perhaps in the power he conveys, but he's a great choice to play the ball player". The Guardian's Mike McCahill noted that "Boseman hits his key scenes out of the park", but felt the film would not interest people who are not baseball fans, with Dana Stevens of Slate suggesting that the film made black history "squeaky-clean" and did both Robinson and Boseman's performance as him a disservice.
When writing about Hegeland's past filmography and Boseman's portrayal of Robinson, Scott Foundas of Variety noted, "A movie about Robinson isn't obliged to be dark or edgy, but for all of 42's self-conscious monument building, the cumulative effect is to render its subject markedly smaller and more ordinary than he actually was." Mark Kermode of The Guardian wrote, "It's inspirational fare, although such a remarkable story perhaps deserves a rather more remarkable movie." John Harlt of The Seattle Times described 42 as "a kind of feel-good movie about racism", writing, "42 can feel incomplete (the bland music and [Hegeland]'s obsession with dates and places are problematic), yet at the same time it offers a very good place to start." John Baldoni of Forbes contrasted 42's depictions of real life events, saying, "There is raw honesty between Robinson and Rickey, in particular when Robinson is challenged by Rickey to be "strong enough not to fight back" against racists taunts." Caleb Wheeler of The Chimes compared the film with the 2011 Oscar-nominated Moneyball, writing, "42 portrays baseball with the proper amount of grit and class."
In 2020, Boseman told Essence that he spoke with Rachel while preparing for the role. "When you're doing a character, you want to know the full landscape. You want to know them spiritually, mentally and physically. So I asked her: were there any physical things that he did that stood out. We sat down for hours and talked about his personality and what his tendencies were", he recalled of their meeting. "The way he stood, and the way he held his hands in the backfield...all of those physical things I tried to do." In a 2023 interview with James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter, Ford said Branch Rickey is one of his roles he is most proud of.

### Accolades

| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
| American Black Film Festival | Most Promising Performer | Chadwick Boseman | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male | Chadwick Boseman | Nominated |
| 45th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Chadwick Boseman | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2013 | Most Promising Performer | Chadwick Boseman | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Harrison Ford | Nominated |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Harrison Ford | Nominated |
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards 2013 | Best Supporting Actor | Harrison Ford | Nominated |

### Boseman posthumous

Boseman died at his Los Angeles home as a result of complications related to colon cancer on August 28, 2020, at the age of 43. MLB and the Dodgers issued statements honoring Boseman, in light of his acclaimed portrayal of the player. Numerous publications noted Boseman died on the observance of Jackie Robinson Day, seven years after his having portrayed Robinson. Several theater chains, including AMC and Regal, re-released the film in September after Boseman's death. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Ford said "Chadwick Boseman was as compelling, powerful and truthful as the characters he chose to play".

## Analysis
### Themes and interpretations

A central theme of 42 is integration, particularly Jackie Robinson's entry into Major League Baseball as a challenge to segregation. Signed by Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, Robinson's presence in the league forces America to confront its racial divisions. Robinson's struggle is met with violent and psychological resistance. Opposing pitchers target him, base runners spike him with their cleats, and he receives death threats against himself and his family. A key moment highlights opposing manager Ben Chapman relentlessly taunting him with racist insults, testing Robinson's ability to endure without retaliation. NPR positions Robinson as a symbol of nonviolent resistance, embodying the philosophy of "turning the other cheek". NPR also noted that 42 portrayed Robinson's integration of Major League Baseball with a high degree of accuracy. Stanford professor and Robinson biographer Arnold Rampersad stated that "fundamentally, the story is accurate".
Branch Rickey's role in Robinson's career is initially framed as a financial decision, likened to an early form of "moneyball". Robinson's integration also forces his teammates to take a stance. Initially, many resist Dodgers sign a petition against playing with him. Meanwhile, Pee Wee Reese, a white teammate from Kentucky, publicly puts his arm around Robinson in front of a hostile Cincinnati crowd, demonstrating allyship in the face of public racism. According to NPR, the character of Wendell Smith, a Black sportswriter assigned to cover Robinson, reflects the role of the press in shaping public perception. Though the film condenses multiple historical figures into Smith's character, it highlights how journalists, including those omitted from the film like Daily Worker writer Lester Rodney, played a crucial role in pushing for integration. During an intimate talk at the Gene Siskel Film Center, André Holland reflected on his role as Wendell in 42, emphasizing the importance of accurately portraying historical figures. He stated, "If I'm going to play people, real people, I've got to do everything I can to tell the truth about what happened. It's a form of violence, I think, to obscure the truth." Holland had prepared for the role by meeting with Smith's widow to understand his legacy, but he was disappointed when crucial scenes depicting Smith's advocacy for Robinson were cut from the final film.
Ford emphasized the film's broader message, stating that 42 is not just a sports story but a reflection on racial equality in America. "This is a movie about the history of racial equality in the United States, and it makes it visceral history", he said. Helgeland also hoped the film would encourage more positive and diverse portrayals of African Americans in cinema. Boseman highlighted the film's portrayal of a black love story on a major Hollywood platform. "I realized that I had not seen two black people in love in a major motion picture", he said, hoping 42 would set a precedent for future films. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times Helgeland explained that he deliberately included the racially charged language Robinson faced, particularly in a sequence depicting Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman's relentless verbal assault on Robinson. "Those words had to be violent", Helgeland said. "If we trivialized it, some people might say, 'Oh, he didn't have it so bad.'"

### Historical inaccuracies and omissions

Robinson and Rachel Isum became engaged in 1943, while he was still in the United States Army and before he began his professional baseball career, unlike in the film, where he proposes after signing the contract with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers 1947 spring training was in Havana, Cuba, not in Panama.
The suspension of Leo Durocher was not directly as a result of his affair with Laraine Day, but largely because of his association with "known gamblers".
The scene of Robinson breaking his bat in the dugout tunnel is not based in fact. Both Rachel Robinson and Ralph Branca, film consultant and Dodger pitcher in the dugout that day, say it did not happen. Director Helgeland concurs, explaining that his justification for including the scene was that he felt "there was no way Robinson could have withstood all that abuse without cracking at least once, even if it was in private."
Red Barber would not have broadcast Dodger away games from the opposing team's ballpark in Philadelphia and Cincinnati, as shown in the film. Radio broadcasts of away games in this era were recreated back at the studio from a pitch-by-pitch summary transmitted over telegraph wire from the stadium where the game was being played.
Wendell Smith is shown to have been the first black member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). In reality, Sam Lacy was the first, having joined in 1948.
Pirates pitcher Fritz Ostermueller threw left-handed, not right-handed as in the film. His first-inning pitch hit Robinson on the left wrist, not his head, and he claimed it was a routine brushback pitch without racist intent. There was no fight on the mound afterwards. The climactic scene in which Robinson hit a home run to clinch the National League pennant for the Dodgers came in the top of the fourth inning of the game and did not secure the victory or the pennant (it made the score 1–0, and the Dodgers eventually won 4–2). The Dodgers achieved a tie for the pennant on that day, before winning the pennant the next day.