Jamie Lee Curtis and Ryan Murphy plan miniseries about Glenn Burke, the man behind the high five
The focus of the series will be L.A. Dodger Glenn Burke, who reportedly gave the first high five
Aux News Unknown
The first high five giver has logged on.
Setting their sights on one of the greatest moments in sports history—nay, world history—Jamie Lee Curtis and Ryan Murphy are readying their shoulders and opening their palms for a miniseries about the man who gave the first high five, former L.A. Dodger Glenn Burke.
Appearing on the Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast in support of Halloween Kills, Curtis announced the project, tentatively titled Outfielder. Like most of Murphy’s lately, the project will be a Netflix limited series. Robert O’Hara, best known as the Tony-nominated director for Slave Play, is writing and would direct the series.
“Ryan is producing a project I’ve been trying to get made as a producer for over ten years,” Jamie Lee Curtis said. “I’ve had the rights to a project of the life of the man who invented the High Five.”
Of course, that’s not the only part of the story that the
show will likely dive into. Burke’s contributions to the world of sports extend well past his high five-giving abilities. He was also the first MLB player to come out as
gay and publicly acknowledge it. Unfortunately, Burke
said, doing so ended his career. “Prejudice drove me out of baseball
sooner than I should have,” Burke told The New York Times. “But I wasn’t changing.”
Burke was 19-years old when he delivered what many believe is the first recorded high five on October 2, 1977. After teammate Dusty Baker hit his 30th home run during the final game of the regular season, Burke and Baker connected hands for the first time. As if to cement its cultural import, there was a 30 For 30 documentary on the moment.
Burke died of AIDs in 1995. Nearly 20 years later, he was
one of the first inductees of the National Gay And Lesbian Sports Hall
Of Fame.
[via Deadline]
17 Comments
I think one guy whose life would made an interesting story is Rollen Stewart, better known as the rainbow wig John 3:16 guy.
Hopefully it’s got the gore of nip/tuck
My sources credit Dick Shawn and David Patch with performing the first high-five in 1968 for “The Producers”. So there.
I thought that was more of a “give me some skin” precursor to the high five.
Well, I’m not sure now. Maybe Joe Bob Briggs lied to me.
Actually, this isn’t the first recorded high-five in history. Recently, archeologists have discovered ancient Babylonian tablets depicting two ghosts high-fiving each other after scaring an elderly man shitless.
Outfielder 2: Down Low? Too Slow!
From what I read about Mr burke, he was openly gay and none of the other dodgers cared. Except, maybe they’re very catholic, very Italian very gay son having manager, Tommy Lasorda.
“The high five was invented by the first openly gay baseball player in 1977″ is the sort of fact that sounds absolutely made up on its face and blows your mind when you find out it’s actually true.
Can’t wait for the sequel about the inventor of “down low, too slow”Wait… is this how we get Happy Endings, season 4?!
Boy, we’re just running out of things to make in Hollywood aren’t we?
Surely, by it’s very nature, the high five must have been pioneered by two people? Shouldn’t Burke and Dusty Baker be credited as co-inventors?
We all know the truth. Baker stole the high five from a German Olympian skier trapped in a goldfish’s body. And don’t even get me started on IFC…
I found two errors in this article: 19-years old —> 19 years old died of AIDs —> died of AIDS
This is bullshit! Klaus from American Dad was clearly the inventor of the high five!!!
I’m happy to announce my limited series about the origins of the fist-bump. further details to follow.