Chicago and the Cubs: A Lifelong Love Affair (1986) watch online HD

FIRST OF ALL, let us start by saying; "Shame on you Chicago Cubs fans!" You're all collectively guilty ion allowing a White Sox fan write the first review of this direct to video film. And fan or not, this is all about the Charter Member of the "Senior Circuit" in MLB; whose franchise has represented you and your ancestors ever since 1876!*

YES, IT'S TRUE, the National League was founded in the same year that Custer's Last Stand occurred on June 25-26 of that year. That means that the Cubs (then called the Chicago White Stockings**) probably lost 2 games while George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry were losing only one, but what a loss!

AS FOR THIS direct to video film from Major League Productions, it is well produced, informative and most entertaining. The archival photos chosen were outstanding and cleverly used. Zooming and out with the camera lens gives a certain life of its own and one soon forgets that it is not a true "motion picture" being watched.

THE MAN CHOSEN to be our guide through the then 110 years of Cubs' history is Mike Royko. A true lifelong Chicagoan, Mr. Royko was a veteran newspaperman in the Windy City; having written a daily and Sunday Column for THE CHICAGO DAILY NEWS (now defunct), THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES and finally winding up plying his trade for THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE. He also penned an unauthorized biography of Mayor Richard J. Daley titled BOSS.

HE WAS ALSO a great advocate for Chicago's 16" Softball as well as professing to be a life-long Cubs fan. Although Mike was not a professional actor and never a favourite of ours, he turned in a fine on camera and voice over performance.

THE FILM GAVE its viewers a most informative and introspective look at the team through the years. So many names in Cub history are highlighted and noted. There are names like: Stan Hack, Mordicai "Three Finger" Brown, Hack Wilson, Gabby Hartnet, Andy Pavco, Billy Herman, Joe Tinkers, Johnny Evers, Frank Chance, Ernie Banks, Don Kessinger, Ron Santo, Glen Hubbard, Billy Williams, Ryne Sandberg, Ferguson Jenkins and managers like Joe McCarthy, Leo Durocher and Charley Grimm.

ALTHOUGH THE Tendency is dwell on the fact that the Cubs haven't appeared in a World Series ever since 1945 and haven't won since 1908, fact is that the Cubs have appeared in more WS than most any other National League save the NY/San Francisco Giants. (We also like to remind the world that 1n the only "All Chicago" World Series" of 1906, The American League Champion Chicago White Sox, dubbed "the hitless wonders", beat the Cubs by a margin of 4 games to 2.)

CRISP NARRATION BY Royko goes behind the scenes and tells us of all of the great broadcasters who did the games on radio and television. Among the outstanding talents, we had: Bob Elson, Harry Caray, Jack Brickhouse and a future Hollywood film actor and President of both the Screen Actors Guild and the United States of America named Ronald Reagan.

NOTE * Putting things into perspective, this was the same year as The Battle of the Little Big Horn; whereas the American League didn't come into existence until 1900, playing heir first season as a Major League in 1901.

NOTE: ** When the peace accord was foisted on the AL by the NL, the Chicago franchise was not allowed to be called by the name of the city. The energetic and highly 'frugal' owner, Charles Comiskey seized the moment in naming his club, "Comiskey's White Stockings". The "Old Roman" may have lost "Chicago"; but he compensated by swiping the original name of the National Leaguers. Beside the White Stockings", the future "Cubs" were at one time or another called: the Orphans and the Colts.