--- product_id: 5190452 title: "61* (DVD)" price: "€ 11.94" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.at/products/5190452-61-dvd store_origin: AT region: Austria --- # 61* (DVD) **Price:** € 11.94 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** 61* (DVD) - **How much does it cost?** € 11.94 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.at](https://www.desertcart.at/products/5190452-61-dvd) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description 61* is an endearing ode to the baseball days of yore when the press was the enemy, salaries were in check, and breaking records with bat and glove took on Ruthian proportions. In 1961 baseball expanded its season from 154 games to 162, allowing weaker pitching into the major leagues and two New York Yankees teammates--the colorless Roger Maris and golden boy Mickey Mantle--to make an assault on the sport's ultimate record: Babe Ruth's 60 home runs. To add to the stew, baseball commissioner Ford Frick announced any record set in the last eight games of the season wouldn't count toward the official record; records had to be achieved in 154 games. Director Billy Crystal guarantees success for his movie in the perfect casting of the leads. Barry Pepper ( Saving Private Ryan 's religious sniper) is deft as Maris, and Thomas Jane is a perfect Mantle, a superman in a Yankee uniform. Despite the differences between family man Maris and hard-living Mantle, they form a rewarding friendship amid the media and fan frenzy. The shy Maris took the brunt of the storm, even facing boo-birds in his home stadium. Crystal and first-time writer Hank Steinberg keep the pace moving quickly between the field, the locker room, the press box, and the home front. The film never tries to dazzle with more than the facts (and it softens Mantle up a bit), yet it belongs on the short list of grand baseball movies. --Doug Thomas In the summer of 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle took on Babe Ruth's record - the 1927 single-season 60 home run slam. It would be a summer that no one would forget. Mickey Mantle is a Yankee favorite. The natural heir to his predecessors Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth. Also at bat is a young Midwesterner, Roger Maris. Maris is Mantle's opposite in almost every way. Quiet and soft-spoken, he doesn't add up to everything a sports legend should be. As the summer of 1961 unfolds, both Maris and Mantle find themselves approaching Babe Ruth's benchmark of 60 home runs. Facing mounting pressure from the media and the stands, they both know there's only room for one winner. The people make their choice known. But the people's favorite isn't the favorite to win. Review: A Labor of Love About a Golden Time... - Whether you loved baseball or not, the summer of '61 was dominated by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, and Billy Crystal has perfectly captured the 'feel' of that unforgettable, magical season in "61*". When 'M & M' began their assault on Babe Ruth's 'unbreakable' record of 60 home runs in a single season, those who knew and loved the Babe were angered that this 'Holy Grail' was a target, and, as Crystal illustrates, Ruth's friend, Baseball Commissioiner Ford Frick, laid down restrictive rules to help keep Ruth's record intact (the dreaded asterix, if the record wasn't broken in 154 games), making the competition more than simply breaking the record, but a race against the clock, as well. With two brilliant performances by actors Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper (who look astonishingly close to Mantle and Maris), the film transcends the sport, becoming a tale of friendship, of an insane loss of privacy and personal dignity, and of two very different, remarkable men. Mantle is universally loved (and expected to win the race), a veteran Yankee of epic talent and overwhelming charm, whose wild boozing and womanizing is 'sanitized' by an adoring press. Maris, on the other hand, is a quiet, focused professional, a family man whose only vice is cigarettes, and, in only his second year with the Yankees, is considered an outsider and usurper to Mantle's 'glory' (having won the MVP award, the year before). As he has little to say to the press, they make a spectacle of him, in a season-long vendetta that fans the flames of hatred that the city already feels towards him. For Maris, the impact is staggering, added to the pressure of the home run race. Welts appear on his body and he starts losing handfuls of hair, he receives daily hate mail, and even his family is threatened. But Maris' biggest ally is Mantle, who truly likes him, admires his devotion to his family and the game, and realizes his own failing body may not allow him the triumph his fans expect. It is a beautiful story, riveting despite the fact that the outcome is known, before the film even begins. I highly recommend the 'Making of' documentary, as well as the film. Did you know Thomas Jane had never played any baseball, before he made the film? And Crystal's decision to include a cameo by Mantle's tiny grandson, watching the 'grandpa' he'll never know hit a home hun, is sheer magic! "61*" is simply a fabulous film, at a really fabulous price. Even if you don't like baseball, I think you'll love this film! Review: Perhaps The Best Baseball Movie Ever - I knew when I read about this movie and saw Billy Crystal's name attached to it that it would be a work of love. And I was not diasppointed. 61* takes us back to 1961 and retells the classic home run race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris as they both tried to catch Babe Ruth's then record of 60. The initial part of the story is told from the the Maris family perspective in 1998 as Mark McGwire was chasing Roger on his way to the then record of 70 (smashed by Barry Bonds with 73). If you will recall that historic moment, you will recall the homage that McGwire paid to the Maris family. 61* is not so much a baseball movie (even though I called it that) as it is a movie about rivalry and friendship between two very different men. The movie is not afraid to show them as fallible but it does so with dignity and explains why they may have these foibles. Mantle is shown as being the utlimate Amercian icon. Every kid growing up wanted to be Mickey Mantle. Blond, good looking and playing centerfield for the Yankees - what more could one ask for. But the dark side of Mantle - his womanizing and drinking is not ignored. But we come to understand that Mantle was afraid of dying. No man in his family had ever lived to 40 and we get the feeling that he wanted to enjoy life when he could. Maris is shown as being quite and introverted and moody, but when we see the enormous pressure he is put under, we understand. Maris never asked for the limelight. All he wanted to do is to help his team win. Mantle and Maris are shown as rivals - there's tension and there is also love. We see that Maris had no greater fan and supporter than Mantle. Mantle admires what his friend is going through and perhaps is relieved that some of the pressure is removed from him - after all - Mantle was expected to hit a home run every time at bat. The dark side of the story is the totally unnecessary pressure and hatred that Maris endures. He gets hate mail, he has chairs thrown at him, the press gangs up on him. Why? Because he was breaking a record of an Yankee and the public wanted only another Yankee icon - Mantle - to break that record. Maris was not a real Yankee (he was acquired in a trade) and that was what irked and irritated his detractors. Never mind that he had been MVP in 1960. Flash forward to 10 years later and you can get a glimpse of what Henry Aaron went through as he approached the Babe's career home run record. 61* is also an indictment of sports fans and reporters and how we have our priorities totally out of whack, especially when we think about how these days, New Yorkers wish that all they had to care about WAS a home run race. The DVD's main bonus feature, worth the viewing alone, discusses how the movie was made. It was fascinating to hear of the transformation of old Tiger Stadium in Detroit into Yankee Stadium, and how the movie was cast. In a bit of trivia which ties into the Bonds home run record, Thomas Jane (who plays Mickey Mantle) had never picked up a baseball until he got this part. Billy Crystal sent him to a school to learn some baseball skills. Jane's instructor was Reggie Smith, a distant Bonds' cousin. Isn't it funny how life comes full cycle? Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane are fully believable as the duo and give excellent performances. 61* will delight baseball and non baseball fans, because the beauty of the movie is the relationship between the two men ad how, in the face of immense odds, friendship can endure. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,261 Reviews | ## Images ![61* (DVD) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91F0K9LXLuL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Labor of Love About a Golden Time... *by B***F on October 22, 2009* Whether you loved baseball or not, the summer of '61 was dominated by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, and Billy Crystal has perfectly captured the 'feel' of that unforgettable, magical season in "61*". When 'M & M' began their assault on Babe Ruth's 'unbreakable' record of 60 home runs in a single season, those who knew and loved the Babe were angered that this 'Holy Grail' was a target, and, as Crystal illustrates, Ruth's friend, Baseball Commissioiner Ford Frick, laid down restrictive rules to help keep Ruth's record intact (the dreaded asterix, if the record wasn't broken in 154 games), making the competition more than simply breaking the record, but a race against the clock, as well. With two brilliant performances by actors Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper (who look astonishingly close to Mantle and Maris), the film transcends the sport, becoming a tale of friendship, of an insane loss of privacy and personal dignity, and of two very different, remarkable men. Mantle is universally loved (and expected to win the race), a veteran Yankee of epic talent and overwhelming charm, whose wild boozing and womanizing is 'sanitized' by an adoring press. Maris, on the other hand, is a quiet, focused professional, a family man whose only vice is cigarettes, and, in only his second year with the Yankees, is considered an outsider and usurper to Mantle's 'glory' (having won the MVP award, the year before). As he has little to say to the press, they make a spectacle of him, in a season-long vendetta that fans the flames of hatred that the city already feels towards him. For Maris, the impact is staggering, added to the pressure of the home run race. Welts appear on his body and he starts losing handfuls of hair, he receives daily hate mail, and even his family is threatened. But Maris' biggest ally is Mantle, who truly likes him, admires his devotion to his family and the game, and realizes his own failing body may not allow him the triumph his fans expect. It is a beautiful story, riveting despite the fact that the outcome is known, before the film even begins. I highly recommend the 'Making of' documentary, as well as the film. Did you know Thomas Jane had never played any baseball, before he made the film? And Crystal's decision to include a cameo by Mantle's tiny grandson, watching the 'grandpa' he'll never know hit a home hun, is sheer magic! "61*" is simply a fabulous film, at a really fabulous price. Even if you don't like baseball, I think you'll love this film! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perhaps The Best Baseball Movie Ever *by D***A on September 29, 2001* I knew when I read about this movie and saw Billy Crystal's name attached to it that it would be a work of love. And I was not diasppointed. 61* takes us back to 1961 and retells the classic home run race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris as they both tried to catch Babe Ruth's then record of 60. The initial part of the story is told from the the Maris family perspective in 1998 as Mark McGwire was chasing Roger on his way to the then record of 70 (smashed by Barry Bonds with 73). If you will recall that historic moment, you will recall the homage that McGwire paid to the Maris family. 61* is not so much a baseball movie (even though I called it that) as it is a movie about rivalry and friendship between two very different men. The movie is not afraid to show them as fallible but it does so with dignity and explains why they may have these foibles. Mantle is shown as being the utlimate Amercian icon. Every kid growing up wanted to be Mickey Mantle. Blond, good looking and playing centerfield for the Yankees - what more could one ask for. But the dark side of Mantle - his womanizing and drinking is not ignored. But we come to understand that Mantle was afraid of dying. No man in his family had ever lived to 40 and we get the feeling that he wanted to enjoy life when he could. Maris is shown as being quite and introverted and moody, but when we see the enormous pressure he is put under, we understand. Maris never asked for the limelight. All he wanted to do is to help his team win. Mantle and Maris are shown as rivals - there's tension and there is also love. We see that Maris had no greater fan and supporter than Mantle. Mantle admires what his friend is going through and perhaps is relieved that some of the pressure is removed from him - after all - Mantle was expected to hit a home run every time at bat. The dark side of the story is the totally unnecessary pressure and hatred that Maris endures. He gets hate mail, he has chairs thrown at him, the press gangs up on him. Why? Because he was breaking a record of an Yankee and the public wanted only another Yankee icon - Mantle - to break that record. Maris was not a real Yankee (he was acquired in a trade) and that was what irked and irritated his detractors. Never mind that he had been MVP in 1960. Flash forward to 10 years later and you can get a glimpse of what Henry Aaron went through as he approached the Babe's career home run record. 61* is also an indictment of sports fans and reporters and how we have our priorities totally out of whack, especially when we think about how these days, New Yorkers wish that all they had to care about WAS a home run race. The DVD's main bonus feature, worth the viewing alone, discusses how the movie was made. It was fascinating to hear of the transformation of old Tiger Stadium in Detroit into Yankee Stadium, and how the movie was cast. In a bit of trivia which ties into the Bonds home run record, Thomas Jane (who plays Mickey Mantle) had never picked up a baseball until he got this part. Billy Crystal sent him to a school to learn some baseball skills. Jane's instructor was Reggie Smith, a distant Bonds' cousin. Isn't it funny how life comes full cycle? Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane are fully believable as the duo and give excellent performances. 61* will delight baseball and non baseball fans, because the beauty of the movie is the relationship between the two men ad how, in the face of immense odds, friendship can endure. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ For The Baseball And History Buff *by J***R on January 26, 2018* Two things I have a great affinity for is movies and baseball. So I really have a great affinity for movies about baseball. Over the years I have seen some outstanding baseball films including "Field Of Dreams", "42", "Bull Durham" and "Eight Men Out". Recently I had the chance to see an excellent made for HBO film about the 1961 baseball season. That was the year that two New York Yankee players were in a head to head race to see who would be the first to break Babe Ruth's record for most homeruns in a season. Set in 1927 The Babe smacked 60 homeruns that year. A record that many thought would never be broken. But as the old saying goes records are made to be broken. And in 1961 the homeruns mark would fall. No doubt of that. The question was to who? In '61 it would come down to two teammates who were the best of friends and at the same time two totally different personalities. One of them was Mickey Mantle, adored and worshipped by Yankee fans everywhere. The other, Roger Maris, was treated like an outsider. It didn't matter he wore the Yankee pinstripes, to many Yank fans he was unpopular. He didn't start his career with the Yankees. He was traded to the team the year before from Kansas City. He would go on to win the American League MVP award. Still the fans didn't embrace him the way they did Mickey. So as the 1961 season progressed the cheers were for The Mick the break the record and the jeers were for The Raj trying to break it. The pressures and the stress that was being placed on Roger Maris would take its toll on him physically and mentally. The movie 61* does a pretty good job of recreating the events and telling the story behind what took place that season. The two actors who play Mantle and Maris bring a lot of believability to their rolls. It helps that they both look a lot like Mickey and Roger. A lot of attention was put into recreating the games being played on the field. They looked realistic enough you would think you were watching actual games. You have to give a lot of credit to the director for how well this movie is. The director happens to be Billy Crystal, a lifelong baseball and Yankee fan. It is easy to see this was a labor of love for Billy to make. If you like baseball and watching movies then this is a baseball movie to watch. Believe me you will get caught up in the story and learn a lot about that year and the drama that two baseball players experienced during that summer. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.at/products/5190452-61-dvd](https://www.desertcart.at/products/5190452-61-dvd) --- *Product available on Desertcart Austria* *Store origin: AT* *Last updated: 2026-06-03*