Karl Dane - "Slide, Kelly, Slide"

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Slide, Kelly, Slide (1927)

"Slide Kelly Slide" was a well-received baseball themed film directed by Edward Sedgewick. It featured some famous ball players, like Irish and Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, Lew Fonseca, and Mike Donlin. It is about an arrogant, grandstanding rookie named Kelly, played by William Haines, who is recruited to the Yankees, and eventually learns a few lessons about friendship and teamwork along the way.

Karl is "Swede" Hansen, a big guy with a heart of gold, described as "muscle bound...especially from the ears up." That's Guinn "Big Boy" Williams to the right.

Swede is not pleased at the ribbing he is receiving from newcomer Kelly, about the shortcomings of his swing.

Swede and Kelly finally make friends, and have "adopted" a young urchin maked Mickey (played by Frank Coghlan Jr). Here Mickey tells off Swede, who has bought him an atrocious new suit of clothes.

This deeply hurts the big lug's feelings, and here Mickey tries to make amends. "Junior" Coghlan was an outstanding and natural youngster, and was the Mickey Rooney of his day.

Kelly's arrogance and hard partying ways eventually result in huge morale problems for his teammates. Here, he cruelly taunts aging but beloved Yankee catcher Tom "Pop" Mumford as a has-been. From left to right, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Sally O'Neill, Harry Carey, Warner Richmond, Junior Coghlan, Karl, and William Haines.

Kelly leaves the team in shame, but Swede and team manager Cliff Macklin (Warner Richmond) frantically try to reach him to get him to pitch for their big game.

Mickey races off on his bike to find Kelly, and is hit by a car and nearly killed, much to Swede's horror.

The team is reunited when a chastened Kelly returns.