Did you know that Baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb was the 1st Pro Athlete to appear in a motion picture? And that scenes were filmed on Staten Island?

The baseball game sequence in "Somewhere in Georgia" was filmed at Aquehonga Athletic Club, Tottenville, in 1916. Many locals were hired as extras for the film. (I'd love to get a copy of this!)

Somewhere in Georgia is a 1917 silent film, starring baseball great Ty Cobb. It was based on a short story by sports columnist Grantland Rice.

Plot:

Cobb stars as a small-town Georgian bank clerk with a talent for baseball. When he's signed to play with the Detroit Tigers, Cobb is forced to leave his sweetheart (Elsie McLeod) behind, whereupon a crooked bank cashier sets his sights on the girl. Upon learning that Cobb has briefly returned home to play an exhibition game with his old team, the cashier arranges for Our Hero to be kidnapped. Breaking loose from his bonds, Cobb beats up all of his captors and shows up at the ball field just in time to win the game for the home team.

Cast:

• Ty Cobb ... Himself - Ty Cobb

• Elsie MacLeod ... The Banker's Daughter

• William Corbett (as Will Corbett)

• Harry Fisher

• Edward Boulden (as Eddie Boulden)

• Ned Burton