Birth of a Hero… From Zero

Birth of a Hero… From Zero

 

In 1932, fresh from a 5-0 series win at home against South Africa, Australia went for a long tour of North America. That lengthy cricketing adventure, termed ‘Goodwill Tour’, was organised by 46-year-old former Australian Test leg spinner Arthur Mailey. Though not officially sanctioned by the governing body of Australian cricket, Mailey gathered together a diverse team comprising of past and present Australian first class cricketers, several lower grade cricketers and a medical support officer. The touring party included former Australian Test wicketkeeper Hanson ‘Sammy’ Carter who would permanently lose his sight in one eye following an on-field incident later in that tour. Canadian Pacific Railway Corporation agreed to be the chief sponsor of that tour under one proviso – the team had to include one Donald Bradman.

A Promo-poster of that 1932-tour

Recently married to childhood sweetheart Jessie Menzies in late April 1932, Bradman was initially not too keen on this long overseas commitment, but agreed to the request on several conditions. The most important one was, that his new bride be included in the touring party. As overseas travel was a luxury afforded to a select few, particularly given the effects of the Great Depression, the opportunity was too good to pass up. The  tour would ostensibly turned into the Bradmans’ honeymoon – a working holiday while enjoying the sights-and-sounds of Canada and the United States.

The Honeymoon-couple

Between May and August, Victor Richardson-led team played 51 matches in Canada, in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, with trips to New York, Detroit, Chicago and California. That tour created a lot of buzz among the public and media alike. The busy schedule would prove to be very taxing on Bradman, particularly as he was the focus for the media throughout. Frequently promoted in North American tour articles as ‘The Babe Ruth of Cricket’, he would later find himself in the United States famously pictured shaking hands with The New York Yankees’ prolific home run hitter, a fortnight after the Toronto games. Bradman and the other members of the visiting team would also find themselves in the presence of popular stage and screen celebrities, particularly in Hollywood, where many British-born stage personalities used to reside.

Two Legends

Charles Aubrey Smith, former English Test Cricket captain-turned-actor, organised through his Hollywood Cricket Club, several matches involving the touring team. The Australian players also met the cast of ‘The Mask of Fu Manchu’ (1932) and clicked photos with starts like Boris Karloff & Myrna Loy.

Cricketers with the cast of ‘The Mask of Fu Manchu’ 

Quite expectedly, Bradman scored tons of runs, with 18 centuries and 11 fifties in overall, at a humongous average. He also took six wickets including a hat-trick in one 8-ball over in Victoria. As these games were not considered first class matches, none of these statistics were included in his overall career numbers, making this a ‘lost’ tour of sorts. Bradman’s run-spree didn’t create much flutter among the public. John Kieran wrote in NY Times – “According to evidence submitted by interested parties, Donald Bradman makes so many runs that the scorekeepers no longer go into the details choosing merely to ring a bell as he passes each century. He simply keeps hitting and running until some sensible person in the stands suggest a cup of tea, whereupon all hands break for tiffin with the score standing: All-England 358. Don Bradman 405 (not out).” But despite all these glowing tributes, the attention grabbing headline was created during the 20^th game of the tour. 

Newspaper Report 

On 16^th July, the Aussies were up against a West Indian team from New York at the Innisfail Park (presently known as Gaelic Park). While batting first, Aussies were in a spot of bother. After the dismissal of Victor Richardson at the team score of 25, Bradman walked in amidst huge applause. The crowd at the ground started to buzz in anticipation of something big. But silencing everyone, he was dismissed in 0 by B. Clarke caught by V. Ollivierre. A section of the crowd immediately started to abuse and threat Ollivierre for not spilling the catch! The Australians ultimately made 206 for 6 and the New Yorkers drew the match, a rarity on that tour. Among all things, that flop-show by Bradman hogged all the limelight. All newspapers, reputed or not-so-reputed, made it a breaking news.

A Grand Welcome of Don

Among others, this particular news caught the attention of a certain gentleman named Walt Disney. A pioneer of the animation industry, he was, at that point, was working on creating a character of a friend for ‘Mickey Mouse’. Though the character sketch was primarily done, the search was on for a name suitable enough for him. While going through that day’s newspapers, Disney suddenly had his Eureka-moment.

Walt Disney

During that ‘Goodwill Tour’, the Australians won 4 matches outright, won a further 39 on the basis of their first innings lead, drew 7 and lost just one (on first innings) against a Mainland All Stars XV at Brockton Point, Vancouver. As per Bradman, it was ‘surely the prettiest ground in the world’. The tour concluded with the final game in Hollywood on 28^th August, with the 17 member touring party returning to Australia aboard the RMS Monowai. 

Poster of the movie

The toon-world would always be indebted to this tour for giving birth to ‘Donald Duck’.