Jackie Robinson movie to be shot in Chattanooga

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Jackie Robinson. (AP Photo/File)

A major motion picture about baseball great Jackie Robinson will be filmed in Chattanooga this summer, according to the Chattanooga Southeast Tennessee Film Commission.

Catrett Locke Casting of Atlanta has put out a casting call for baseball players and extras for the film, which will be shot in Chattanooga in May and June and perhaps into July, according to a news release.

Melissa Turner with the film commission and the Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts and Culture, said details still are being worked out, such as how long filming will take and where. She could not say, for example, if filming will take place in historic Engel Stadium, the former home of the Lookouts that has sat unused since last year and where a large portion of the wall along Third Street collapsed in recent weeks.

"We will be releasing more information when it becomes official," Turner said.

Robinson was the first black athlete to play on a major league team in the modern era. He broke the so-called color barrier in 1947 when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He won the league's first Rookie of the Year prize in 1947 and was selected as Most Valuable Player in 1949.

Contact staff writer Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6354.