ballpark

Olive Thomas (October 20, 1894 – September 10, 1920), American silent film actress and model. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_Thomas See also comments under www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/11733331783/

Though dressed as a New York Giant, this is an actor: "Nigel Barrie (5 February 1889, Calcutta, India – 8 October 1971, England) was an Indian-born British actor." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Barrie

See ithacamovies.proboards.com/thread/177 "The "Beatrice Fairfax" series tells the story of a fictional New York newspaper columnist who gets into trouble while trying to solve her readers' problems. In "Play Ball" Thomas plays the fiancee to actor Nigel Barrie's Bert Kerrigan, a baseball player who is kidnapped, along with Thomas, to prevent his participation at a baseball game. The film includes actual footage of the New York Giants and the New York Yankees at a polo field in New York City. Because of the rarity of the footage of these New York teams, this episode was donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY."

I wonder if this series of baseball-related shots at the Polo Grounds was taken at the filming of "Play Ball." Looks like Grace Darling and Harry Fox, lead actors in the serial, were there, as well as these two. Not to mention the managers of the Yankees and Giants, who would never have met to play at the Polo Grounds unless it was the World Series.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0201455/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

LOC has a copy of the film: lccn.loc.gov/97518304

"[Thomas'] first film role was in "PlayBall" in 1916, which was produced and directed by the Wharton Brothers here in Ithaca and in New York City for the International Film Company, owned by media mogul William Randolph Hearst."

Hearst was also present in this series of pictures

"The year 1916 brought more success with [Thomas'] first film role in "Beatrice Fairfax." She appeared in Episode 10, titled "Play Ball," which featured 18,000 baseball fans plus managers of the New York Yankees and New York Giants baseball teams. That year, she became the Yankees' official mascot.

www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2010/09/26/Olive-Thom...

OK, here it is, September 10, 1916, filming of a scene in the movie "Play Ball", concert by Nathan/Nahan Franko, and baseball game for charity: news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19160909&i...

On the right, New York Giants Catcher Chief Meyers, who would end his long tenure with the Giants at the end of the 1915 season to play for their Brooklyn rivals, the Robins (Dodgers). www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/schedule.php?y=1915&am... On the left, Brooklyn Catcher Lew McCarty, who would also switch teams and play for the Giants in 1916. www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=mccarle01

Opening day in 1915 for the Federal League's Brooklyn Tip Tops saw a game with the visiting Buffalo Buffeds (Blues) on April 10th at Washington Park.
<a href="http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/schedule.php?y=1915&t=BRF" rel="n