Watching Babe Ruth try to act in Over the Fence

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for grainy, old-school sports shorts, sure. If you’re looking for actual dramatic tension, keep walking. This is for the kind of person who likes watching 1930s newsreel aesthetics mixed with a plot that feels like it was scribbled on a napkin five minutes before filming.

Babe Ruth isn’t going to win an Oscar here. Let’s be real. He mostly just stands there, looks confused, and then hits a ball into the stratosphere. It’s charming in a 'hey, look, it’s the guy' sort of way.

The vibe

The movie is barely a movie. It feels more like an extended commercial for why baseball is great, with a few jokes thrown in to break up the monotony. The pacing is a disaster, but somehow, you don’t really care because it’s over before you can get bored.

There’s a moment where the Babe tries to be romantic, and it’s honestly painful to watch. It’s like watching a bear try to play the violin. You want to look away, but you’re stuck because you can’t believe what’s happening on screen. ⚾️

Comparing the era

If you want to see how comedy worked back then, you could pair this with The High Sign. Buster Keaton had the physicality, but Babe? Babe just had that swing. That’s all he needed.

• The dialogue sounds like it was written by someone who had never actually spoken to another human being.
• The crowd scenes are just loops of people clapping. It’s hilarious once you notice.
• The baseball sequences are the only reason this exists.

It’s not as polished as Girl Crazy, but it’s got way more heart. Or maybe just more sawdust and locker room sweat. Either way, it’s a weird slice of history that nobody remembers, and that’s why it’s kind of cool.

Don’t go in expecting a story. Just go in for the swing. That sound of the wood hitting the ball? That’s the best part of the whole production. Everything else is just noise.