Hockey and Hollywood have married talents in a number of wonderful movies over the years. By public acclaim, "Slapshot," with Paul Newman playing the real, life Eastern Leaguer, John Brophy, is the all-time best. My runner-up favorite was "Mystery Alaska," which involved the Rangers and an all-star cast including Russel Crowe and Hank Azaria. Ex-NHLers Phil Esposito and Jim Fox have parts along with ESPN's Steve Levy and Barry Melrose. Other goodies include The Mighty Ducks, Miracle, The Rocket and Youngblood, just to name a few. Interestingly, the flick that failed could have been a real winner and, curiously enough, I found out about it in historian George Grimm's fine book "Undermanned And Undaunted," about The Frank Boucher era of the Rangers. Stan Fischler US Hall Of Fame MSG It turns out that MGM planned a hockey film in the late 1930's called "The Great Guardian." The studio's top star Clark Gable would with the Blueshirts' sexy center Phil Watson being Gable's body double for the skating scenes. "Babe Pratt (the Rangers big defenseman) had also been hired as a body double for the movie's villain," wrote Grimm. "Eventually the film was scrapped and Gable moved on to his greatest role, that of Rhett Butler in 'Gone With The Wind'." Or, as "Mystery Alaska" producer Howard Baldwin would say, "That's Showbusiness!"
