Jackie Robinson as Supporting Character

For many, Jack Roosevelt Robinson is the most important and recognizable figure in the history of Organized Baseball. He is a cultural icon who revolutionized American sports when he took first base on April 15, 1947. But despite the impact that Robinson has had on sport and society, popular culture largely remembers him for that singular act of breaking the color barrier. He is, what Michael G. Long calls, “unjustly stuck in 1947,” instead of evaluated for the whole person that he was.1

At his very essence Robinson was flawed and complicated. He rightfully challenged authority and was relentless in his pursuit as a civil rights activist. He spent his entire life fighting for first-class citizenship for Black Americans and other disenfranchised people. His commitment to activism transcends his major-league career, yet his accomplishments on the field are what he is most remembered.

Society largely ignores the difficult and uncomfortable qualities of our heroes and icons. Hollywood bears much of the responsibility for controlling that narrative. As this volume makes clear, there are no shortage of movies, television shows, and plays with the Jackie Robinson character, fictional and non-fictional alike. As a main character, stories told of Jackie Robinson often focus on the same events in his life, and rarely do they explore the nuance that defined him. Interestingly, however, Robinson is often not the main character in the fictional worlds in which he appears. In minor roles, the Robinson character serves as an important literary aid, either driving the plot, revealing qualities about the main characters, or setting the tone for the story.

The Jackie Robinson character appears in minor roles in several movies and television shows that span decades. The allure of having a “Jackie Robinson character” is that it brings tremendous value to the story because of his legacy. The problem is that his character is portrayed as largely one-dimensional and is usually a trope for racism, prejudice, tolerance, and heroism. More often than not, his character is a misrepresentation of the “real” Robinson either by physical appearance, or demeanor which may have deleterious effects on his legacy. Yet despite the many inaccuracies in his portrayal and liberties taken to create his character, Jackie Robinson still serves as an important symbolic figure in a minor role.

As a minor character Jackie Robinson recently appeared in the first episode of HBO’s Lovecraft Country, titled, “Sundown,” which first aired in September 2020. Lovecraft Country was adapted from the novel of the same name written by Matt Ruff, about a Black American man, Atticus, traveling across the Jim Crow United States in search of his father. The novel is based on the characters, imagery, and themes from influential author H.P. Lovecraft who was considered the father of cosmic horror and science-fiction. His canon featured grotesque, and fantastical creatures with immense power over humans. Lovecraft was also an unapologetic racist. Ruff took the monsters that Lovecraft created and authored a story using a Black man as a protagonist, in protest of Lovecraft.

Creator and show-runner of Lovecraft Country, Misha Green, adapted the novel for television to “reclaim all of those storytelling styles for characters who’ve typically died at the beginning of those stories.”2 Green noted that Robinson was an ideal choice for a character because Atticus loved baseball, but given the protest angle for the story, Robinson’s pedigree makes him the most suitable athlete hero. Robinson’s character appears twice in “Sundown,” first as part of the powerful narration of The Jackie Robinson Story and second in person to save Atticus. The character plays a key role to establish themes of racism, discrimination, and triumph over evil.

The opening scene of “Sundown” begins with Atticus fighting through the cosmic trenches of a Korean war battlefield. Overlaid is the narration from The Jackie Robinson Story, “This is a story about a boy and his dream but more than that. It’s a story of an American boy and a dream that is truly American.” The narration continues, with sinister, Jim Crow voices, “Where are you going, Black boy? Black boy, we’re the welcoming committee.” The narration serves two purposes. One, to tell the viewer that they are watching a dream, and two it sets the tone for Lovecraft as a series about the racism and discrimination in the United States.

Robinson’s second appearance is in the flesh to save Atticus from a giant, grotesquely tentacled monster, Cthulthu, Lovecraft’s most famous creature. As the towering Cthulthu bears down on Atticus, the beast is suddenly sliced in half and collapses to the ground. Behind it, Robinson appears in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform, covered in slime, shouldering his bat, a job well done. As Robinson struts towards Atticus, he says, with a grin, “I got you, kid.” Then, almost immediately, the monster respawns larger than before, and lunges towards Robinson. Robinson, ever ready to confront a challenge, stands-in to re-attack at which time Atticus wakes up from his dream.

Misha Green posits that The Jackie Robinson Story would have been released around the same time that Lovecraft Country is set, meaning that Atticus would have likely seen the movie and been thinking about Robinson, his hero.3 However, the decision to have Atticus dream of Robinson may be part of the larger context of Robinson’s influence on and devotion to American youth. Robinson lived in the hearts and minds of young Black men throughout the 1940s and 1950s. He was their incomparable hero. So, it come as no surprise that Atticus summoned Robinson to save him. Given that the real-life Robinson devoted his time and money to support American youth, it was fitting to have him come to Atticus’ aid.

There is no question that Robinson’s notoriety came from “breaking the baseball color barrier” in 1947, and he should be remembered for this. The problem, though, is with every portrayal of his character that focuses on that act, his larger legacy erodes the nuance that made Robinson the person that he was, and his efforts as a civil rights activist are at risk of being diluted or forgotten entirely. To that extent, Robinson’s minor character role was an important symbolic figure in Lovecraft Country not for saving Tic’s life in his dream, but for his relentless effort battling Cthulthu, demonstrating his perseverance, grit, and courage for when the deck is stacked against him; in the same manner he fought for first-class citizenship in the United States.

Cold Case is a CBS police procedural drama where homicide detectives re-investigate unsolved crimes. Episode four, season three, titled, “Colors,” centers around the mysterious death of a promising young Negro League baseball player, Clyde Taylor.4 Taylor’s dead body was discovered following an exhibition game between the Negro League and major-league baseball all-stars in which Taylor hit the game-winning home run. Robinson’s minor character role was important to Taylor, as he acted like a big brother to the star, a common theme for fictional Robinson. His character appeared in three scenes and was portrayed as a shell of the man he was, yet he was a symbolic figure.

In Robinson’s first appearance Taylor is up to bat, with the game on the line, looking nervous. Robinson encouragingly remarks to a pessimistic teammate, Moody Brown, that Taylor “is gonna be just fine, he’s got a ton of guts.” No doubt a nod to Branch Rickey, but out of context. In his second scene, Robinson very calmly diffuses an altercation between Taylor and Moody by merely walking up to the two and asking, “Hey, what’s going on?” In his third and final appearance, Robinson suggests to his teammates as they prepare for the game that Taylor will be “the first Black player to play in the major leagues.”

Robinson is the most famous and recognizable Black baseball player that ever lived. It is no surprise that a “Jackie Robinson” character had a role in an episode about a Black baseball player in the 1940s. To a CBS audience that is historically older, White adults, Robinson’s character brought familiarity to the themes of racism and discrimination as well as historical context to the viewer.5 The use of his character in this manner also reveals more about how society remembers Robinson and reinforces how society wants to continue to remember him.

Howard Bryant noted that “Robinson lives in the chamber of American sainthood, what he symbolized was far more important than the details of his life.”6 “Colors,” continued that narrative by portraying an exceptionally clean, safe, and non-threatening character, one which the predominantly White audience could relate to and like. There was no sense of urgency or competitiveness in his character; he seemed subdued and overly cordial. He did not resemble the man who was pained by pervasive discrimination in every aspect of his life.

It was also interesting to see Robinson’s character outwardly supportive and protective of his teammates because of what is known about Robinson’s real-life experience in and thoughts about the Negro Leagues. Robinson was famously outspoken about his brief time as a Kansas City Monarch, lamenting that “it turned out to be a miserable way to make a buck.”7 He did not approve of his teammates carousing with women. He did not smoke or drink, making him somewhat of a pariah, and during the 1945 season he attempted to leave the Monarchs on multiple occasions. If that was not enough expression of his displeasure, in 1948, he penned a scathing indictment about the Negro Leagues in Ebony magazine titled, “What’s Wrong with the Negro Leagues.”8 This portrayal of Robinson was a missed opportunity to provide an edge to an otherwise tame hour of television.

The Robinson character also plays an important, symbolic role when it is unseen. The character contributes more to the plot and determines the main actor’s decisions and evokes their emotions. Two television specials, A Home Run for Love and Brooklyn Bridge, use the Robinson character as the central figure of their plots, despite the man himself never making an appearance.

A Home Run for Love used the Robinson character primarily as a learning opportunity for children. The movie was adapted from the children’s novel, Thank You, Jackie Robinson, and produced as part of the ABC Afterschool Special series, airing in 1972.9 Afterschool Special was an anthology of one-hour long installments that tackled difficult issues facing children, teenagers, and young adults. It spanned 25 years and 143 episodes ranging from topics of underage drinking, teenage angst, sexual health, and abuse. The stories were authentic and relatable, with non-fairy tale endings as an opportunity to teach children about the hardships in life.

A Home Run for Love is about the journey of an unlikely friendship between a young White boy and an older Black man in the 1940s. Sammy Greene is a typical boy, curious, occasionally defiant and consumed with Brooklyn Dodgers baseball. Sammy’s mother owns a local inn where he works the front desk and buses tables in the dining room. His father recently passed away. Davey Henderson is the newly hired Black cook who takes a special interest in Sammy. Their relationship blossoms when they discover each other’s love of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson.

The ABC specials take complex and difficult themes and distill them down for children and youths to comprehend. Robinson’s character is important because it is used to teach children about prejudice, tolerance, and loss through the eyes of a child. Robinson’s role was small, only appearing for a few lines midway through the movie, but the friendship that Sammy and Davey forged was a direct result of Robinson playing in the major leagues. And even though Robinson is a minor character, his legacy outweighs any role that he plays. He is symbolic because he represents the fight for tolerance and acceptance in America. It is not until Sammy attends his first Dodgers game that he learns a valuable lesson about the hardships that Jackie Robinson and other Black Americans faced.

Davey and his family take Sammy to his first Dodgers game. Oblivious to the disapproving stares from White spectators, Sammy is reveling in the afternoon. However, his enjoyment grinds to halt when he witnesses a player “spike” Robinson as he slid into second base. The crowd is in hysterics. Sammy, distraught, disbelieving, and searching for answers, asks Davey, “Did you see that? They spiked him deliberately and nobody did anything.” Davey then explains to Sammy, “that’s just part of what the first Negro in major-league ball has to put up with.” Sammy was speechless and looked like he was trying to make sense of Davey’s comment. For a young viewer, this was a powerful scene because it was an honest commentary on the life of Jackie Robinson.

Robinson’s character in Home Run garners a call to action. For all his efforts to fight racial injustice at the systemic level, Robinson also encouraged people to act against prejudice at the individual level. “So I think the first step for each of us…is to stop thinking in terms of what we heard…and instead make certain that we judge other people as individuals.”10 Children observe two realities when watching the movie: first, they learn that it was wrong that Robinson was spiked without recourse, and two, he was attacked because he was Black. Home Run shows children to stand up for their beliefs and speak up when something is wrong, the way Robinson did.

Brooklyn Bridge was a CBS sitcom about the life of a teenage boy, Alan Silver, growing up in the 1950s, whose life revolved around his family, friends, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. It aired for two seasons and 33 episodes between 1991-93. Bridge was short-lived due to its small audience, yet it has received much acclaim on the entertainment websites, Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB. Bridge is far from “prestige TV,” but its stories are wholesome, and the characters are charming.

Robinson’s character is at the center of the plot for season one, episode 11, “Where Have You Gone, Jackie Robinson?” In this episode, Alan and his family cope with disastrous news: an extra-marital affair in the family and Jackie Robinson being traded to the New York Giants. Both are devastating to this close-knit Jewish family, but the Robinson ordeal was felt worse. Alan’s younger brother, Nathaniel, refers to the Robinson trade as a “family emergency.” Upon hearing the news of the trade, Cousin Bernard sobs hysterically, Uncle Willy, the adulterer, blames himself stating, “me moving to Long Island means nobody is safe, anyone can leave Brooklyn.” Phyllis Silver, Alan’s mother copes by reciting Robinson’s rookie year stat line, and biographical information to the family. And Nathaniel refers to Robinson as “more than a baseball player, he’s like a friend.” Their collective responses may appear dramatic and embellished even for television, but the real-life relationship between Robinson and Jewish people reveals the impact that Robinson had on their community which was felt by the Silver family.

In the United States in the 1940s and 1950s Jewish people identified with Robinson through their shared experiences of bigotry and persecution.11 Robinson was their hero as they believed that if he could successfully integrate what was then defined as major-league baseball, Jewish people could be welcomed in America.12 Robinson’s fame and admiration among Jewish people was further fueled by their love of the Dodgers as, at that time, a third of the Brooklyn population was Jewish.13 Rachel Robinson even noticed that they were making more Jewish friends when they lived in Brooklyn, “We made friends. For whatever reason, many happened to be Jewish…they were interested people who wanted to know us, just as we wanted to know them.”14 In all likelihood, the Robinsons began making friends with Jewish people as they were more ready to accept the Robinsons than any other Whites.15

It was not only Jewish Brooklynites that admired and supported Robinson. In his 1948 autobiography, Jackie Robinson, My Own Story, Robinson recounts his first interaction with Jewish baseball legend Hank Greenberg. Following a collision between the two players at first base, Greenberg offered Robinson the following words of advice, “Don’t pay any attention to these guys who are trying to make it hard for you. Stick in there, you’re doing fine.” This meant the world to Robinson because he believed that Greenberg truly understood his struggle.16

As his career progressed, Robinson leveraged his celebrity to address social injustice. His relationships with Jewish people strengthened through his dealings with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); Robinson, recognizing the success of the ADL, sought to align their strategies with Black civil rights groups. In 1950, Robinson was awarded the Good Sportsmanship Trophy by the Maccabi Association (a major Jewish athletic group) for his work advancing tolerance and understanding of minority groups in America.17 There is no doubt that Jackie Robinson would have made an impact on the fictional Silver family as a Brooklyn Dodger. During his tenure, the team won six pennants and the 1955 World Series. However, accolades aside, it would be fair to say that the Silver family would have had a strong connection to Robinson beyond his baseball career which reflected in their emotional response to his trade. This rarely explored aspect of the Robinson legacy, his connection to the Jewish community, is an underreported perspective of the character of Robinson.

Jackie Robinson serves as an important symbolic figure as a minor character because of the weight that his legacy carries. His image is synonymous with heroism and bravery. His character often does not need to speak or be visible for the audience to feel his presence. Right or wrong, his legacy is largely defined by breaking the baseball color barrier and as such his character is used to provide important historical context for stories about race and baseball. Furthermore, his character is often a misrepresentation of the real Robinson likely to make the audience comfortable and to seamlessly move the story. As such, Hollywood misses an opportunity to elevate their stories because the best of Robinson was not only his on-field heroics, but his passion for his family, commitment to doing what is right, and his grit in the face of adversity. But in the end, it’s Robinson’s legacy that is ultimately at stake with each inaccurate portrayal of him as a minor character.

NICK MALIAN lives with his wife and daughter in LaSalle, Ontario, Canada, where he was born and raised. Growing up in a border city, he idolized Detroit Tiger greats Cecil Fielder and Alan Trammell. As an impressionable 12-year-old, his allegiance shifted from the Tigers to the New York Yankees following their post-season dominance in 1996. He still attempts the “Derek Jeter jump-throw” (with limited success) at his weekly softball games. Nick is a pharmacist by day and amateur home-chef by night. He enjoys reading anything about baseball and getting lost in science-fiction and fantasy novels. This is his first baseball publication.

 

Notes

1 Michael G. Long, ed., 42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy, (New York: New York University Press, 2021), 4.

2 Ariana Brockington, “This is What Lovecraft Country Really Means,” Refinery29, August 16, 2020. https://www.refinery29.com/enus/2020/08/9959175/what-lovecraft-country-means-hp-racism

3 @MishaGreen, Misha Green. 2021. “The characters were baseball fans in @bymattruff’s novel. The Jackie Robinson Story came out in 1950, which means Atticus would have seen it. So that naturally evolved into using the voice over from the movie, & having Atticus’s biggest hero save him from Cthulhu in his dream.” September 22, 2021. 5:41 PM https://twitter.com/MishaGreen/status/1440793384529002506

4 Season three ran from September 2005 to May 2006.

5 Emily VanDerWerf, “CBS is remarkably defensive for being American’s most-watched network, Vox, May 17, 2017. https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/5/17/15655310/cbs-fall-schedule-2017

6 Howard Bryant, “Righting the wrongs of ‘42’”.,” ESPN.com, April 24, 2013. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/9207998/42-getssome-jackie-robinson-history-wrong-starts-conversation

7 Jackie Robinson, I Never Had It Made (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1972), 35.

8 Donn Rogosin, Invisible Men (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983), 178.

9 Barbara Cohen, Thank You, Jackie Robinson (New York: Harper Collins, 1997)

10 Michael G. Long, ed., Beyond Home Plate; Jackie Robinson on Life After Baseball (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2013), 66

11 Rebecca Alpert, “Jackie Robinson, Jewish Icon,” An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies Vol. 26, No. 2 (2008): 45.

12 Alpert, 47.

13 Ilana Abramovitch & Seán Galvin, eds., Jews of Brooklyn Waltham, Massachusetts: Brandeis University Press, 2002), 346.

14 Arnold Rampersad, Jackie Robinson, A Biography (New York: Random House Publishing Company, 1997), 221.

15 Rampersad, Jackie Robinson, A Biography, 221.

16 Jackie Robinson, My Own Story (California: Allegro Editions, 1948), 146-147.

17 Rampersad, Jackie Robinson, A Biography, 221