Cobb

REVIEW
Ty Cobb was one of the greats on the field, but off it he was despised by the players and public alike. Cobb, director Ron Shelton's demanding adaptation of Al Stump's myth-shaking novel, makes it easy to see why. Jones gives a big, brash performance as the baseball great, now in his 70s. He's just hired second-string reporter Stump (Wuhl) to write his biography. As Stump gathers biographical information, he soon comes to realize that the legend of player is greatly contradicted by the actions of the man.

Shelton takes the chance of alienating most viewers. But it only underscores his story about the demystification of our heroes, and the price it extracts. Playing William Holden to Jones' Gloria Swanson, Wuhl's one-dimensional portrayal is the major weakness of the film.