US Release date: 21 April 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 11 February 1950
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Running time: 106 minutes
Director: Sam Wood
Cast: James Stewart, June Allyson & Frank Morgan
Australian Distributor: MGM
Melbourne Premiere Venue: MGM’s St. James Theatre for one week from 2 December 1949 with the re-issue of Eyes in the Night as support.
Suburban Release Type: Union 8-W-1.
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 393 | 12 |
| EF PPE | 7.71 | 25 |
| Metres Travelled | 558,803 | 40 |
| Average MT | 10,957 | 72 |
| Engagements | 51 | 65 |
| Slots | 85 | 21 |
| Weeks | 34 | 24 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 66.67% | 42 |
| Saturdays | 12 | 185 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 23.53% | 258 |
| Tuesdays | 5 | 261 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 9.80% | 308 |
| First billed | 51 | 34 |
| Second billed | 0 | 293* |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Independent Ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 48 |
| Ratio | 94.12% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 7.45% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 1 |
| Ratio | 1.96% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -5.66% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 2 |
| Ratio | 3.92% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -1.79% |
| Hoyts eng | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.84% |
| Independent eng | 39 |
| Ratio | 76.47% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.64% |
| Suburban eng | 12 |
| Ratio | 23.53% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 1.48% |
Notes: Who said baseball films don’t work in Australia? Well, it should be noted that the sport was far more popular in this country then than it is now and that this bio-pic was a story of overcoming adversity (champion pitcher loses his leg in a hunting accident and is determined to play again). Add in the MGM gloss and two popular stars and you have 393 EF points and a ranking of 12th for the year. It should be noted that such an exceptional performance could not have been predicted by a solitary city week.
The Stratton Story engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| North Carlton | Adelphi | Independent | 11/2/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Eyes in the Night |
| Collingwood | Austral | Suburban | 11/2/50 | 1 | T | 1 | Force of Evil |
| Albert Park | Kinema | Independent | 11/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Last Crooked Mile |
| Burnley | Burnley | Independent | 11/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Eyes in the Night |
| Richmond | National | Independent | 11/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | The Tresspasser |
| St.Kilda | Astor | Independent | 11/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | The Tresspasser |
| Toorak | Village | Independent | 11/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Last Crooked Mile |
| St.Kilda | Palais | Suburban | 11/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Newmarket | Newmarket | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Force of Evil |
| Brunswick | Empire | Independent | 18/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Captain Tugboat Annie |
| Caulfield | Camden | Independent | 18/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | A Night at the Opera |
| Elsternwick | Esquire | Independent | 18/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Blonde Fever |
| Malvern | Embassy | Independent | 18/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | The Great Mike |
| Moonee Ponds | Moonee | Independent | 18/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | The Last Roundup |
| West Brunswick | Western | Independent | 18/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Up Goes Maisie |
| Westgarth | Westgarth | Independent | 18/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Adam Had Four Sons |
| Preston | Planet | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Eyes in the Night |
| Essendon | Regal | Independent | 25/2/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Big Jack |
| East Brunswick | Liberty | Independent | 25/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Love on the Run |
| East Malvern | Waverley | Independent | 25/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Fast Company |
| Glenferrie | Glen | Independent | 25/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Night Editor |
| Hawthorn | Vogue | Independent | 25/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Night Editor |
| Balwyn | Balwyn | Suburban | 25/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | The Secret Land |
| Caulfield | Crystal Palace | Suburban | 25/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Design for Scandal |
| Ormond | Plaza | Suburban | 25/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Fast Company |
| Preston | St. James | Suburban | 25/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Eyes in the Night |
| Fairfield | Fairfield | Suburban | 4/3/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Force of Evil |
| Ashburton | Civic | Independent | 4/3/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Caught |
| Middle Brighton | Dendy | Independent | 4/3/50 | 4 | W | 1 | The Tresspasser |
| North Brighton | Gardenvale | Independent | 4/3/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Design for Scandal |
| Footscray | Grand | Independent | 4/3/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Blondie’s Reward |
| North Melbourne | Central | Independent | 4/3/50 | 4 | W | 1 | A Night at the Opera |
| Sandringham | Roxy | Independent | 4/3/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Winter Wonderland |
| Newport | Plaza | Independent | 11/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Last Crooked Mile |
| Williamstown | Empress | Independent | 11/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Last Crooked Mile |
| Box Hill | Rialto | Suburban | 11/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Eyes in the Night |
| Coburg | Plaza | Independent | 11/3/50 | 5 | W | 1 | Winter Wonderland |
| Heidelberg | Orient | Independent | 11/3/50 | 5 | W | 1 | Son of Fury |
| Yarraville | Sun | Independent | 11/3/50 | 5 | W | 1 | Blondie’s Reward |
| Oakleigh | Plaza | Independent | 18/3/50 | 6 | W | 1 | Last Crooked Mile |
| Port Melbourne | Port | Independent | 18/3/50 | 6 | W | 1 | Doughboys in Ireland |
| Surrey Hills | Surrey | Independent | 25/3/50 | 7 | W | 1 | Winter Wonderland |
| Elwood | Broadway | Independent | 1/4/50 | 8 | S | 1 | Love on the Run |
| Preston West | Rivoli | Independent | 1/4/50 | 8 | T | 1 | Bill and Coo |
| Chelsea | Plaza | Independent | 8/4/50 | 9 | S | 1 | It Happens Every Spring |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 8/4/50 | 9 | S | 1 | Strange Bargain |
| Reservoir | Plaza | Independent | 15/4/50 | 10 | S | 1 | Western Heritage |
| Brighton North | Gardenvale | Independent | 15/4/50 | 10 | T | 1 | Whistling in Dixie |
| South Melbourne | Empire | Suburban | 17/6/50 | 19 | S | 1 | Grand Central Murder |
| Eltham | Plaza | Suburban | 26/8/50 | 29 | S | 1 | Grand Central Murder |
| Coburg West | Progress | Independent | 30/9/50 | 34 | S | 1 | Always Another Dawn |
The 1950 Project 
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