| Fear Strikes Out | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Robert Mulligan |
| Screenplay by | Ted Berkman Raphael Blau |
| Based on | Fear Strikes Out: The Jim Piersall Story 1955 book byJimmy Piersall andAl Hirshberg |
| Produced by | Alan J. Pakula |
| Starring | Anthony Perkins Karl Malden |
| Cinematography | Haskell B. Boggs |
| Edited by | Aaron Stell |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Fear Strikes Out is a 1957 Americanbiographicalsportsdrama film depicting the life and career of AmericanbaseballAll-Star playerJimmy Piersall. It is based on Piersall's 1955 memoirFear Strikes Out: The Jim Piersall Story, co-written withAl Hirshberg. The film starsAnthony Perkins as Piersall andKarl Malden as his father, and it was the first film directed byRobert Mulligan.
This film is aParamount Picture and was preceded by a 1955 TV version starringTab Hunter.[1]
The format of the film allows documentary footage of the stadium scenes to be used during the game sequences.
Based onJim Piersall's autobiography, the film traces his rise from thesandlots ofWaterbury,Connecticut, to theBoston Red Sox professional baseball team.Karl Malden plays his domineering father who pushes him further and further.
Plagued by problems, Piersall marries Mary, but they live with his parents. When he is eventually chosen for the Red Sox, it is in the infield position ofshortstop for which he has little experience. He calls his father to apologise.
Daunted by the huge crowd and the pressure of his father watching his first timeat bat, the pressure nearly causes Piersall tostrike out. But on the final pitch, he hits ahome run. Rather than celebrate in a normal way, he instead runs to the backstop fence where his father sits, shouting "Look Dad, I told you I could do it". His teammates try to restrain him as he climbs the fence. He swings his bat at them. Eventually the police subdue him, and he is taken to amental institution.
After a long period oftherapy, Piersall realizes that he has excelled in baseball to please his father, not for his own gratification.[1]
Piersall went on to play in 17major-league seasons with five different franchises, predominantly in theAmerican League, during the 1950–1967 seasons.[2]
The film was based on the book by Piersall andAl Hirshberg which had been adapted for TV in 1955 for the showClimax!.
Rights to the book were bought in July 1955.[3] The television version starredTab Hunter as Piersall,Mona Freeman as his wife,John Conte as a psychiatrist, andRobert Armstrong as his father. Herbert Swope directed andMartin Manulis prodyced.
The New York Times called the television play version "absorbing" and praised Hunter's portrayal of Piersall as "perceptive and believable."[4] Hunter tried to get his studio,Warner Bros., to buy the film rights but these were purchased by another studio,Paramount Pictures, for $50,000. Mel Goldberg, who wrote the TV version, was hired to do the screenplay.[5]
Hunter had a romantic relationship with Anthony Perkins. He says this relationship practically ended after Perkins took the role of Piersall in the film version without telling him beforehand, as Hunter had also been interested to portray the role of Piersall again in the film version.[6]
Robert Mulligan was aDirectors Guild of America Best Director nominee.
Fear Strikes Out was nominated for theAmerican Film Institute's 2008 list in the sports film category.[7]
In 1957,Bosley Crowther ofThe New York Times wrote:
Oddly enough, the scenes of baseball, while interesting in this account, are secondary to the scenes of drama between the father and his son. The issues are not whether Piersall will snag those long flies or clout home runs but whether he will have the approval of his old man, sitting there in the stands. The weight of the paternal ambition is the critical factor in this film. And it is felt by the nerve-racked observer to the point where it is recognizable that the young man must go mad. ...Fortunately, Mr. Perkins plays the young fellow excellently, not only conveying the gathering torment but also actually looking like a ballplayer on the field. And Karl Malden is compelling as the father, combining the ignorant dominance of a bitter man with the occasional tenderness of a parent who genuinely loves his only son. ...Robert Mulligan's direction is vigorous..."[8]
Dr. Sharon Packer wrote in 2012 thatFear Strikes Out is very unusual in cinematic history in that it portrayselectroconvulsive therapy in a positive light.[9]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 83% of 24 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Based on the true story of troubled baseball star Jimmy Piersall,Fear Strikes Out is an emotionally compelling drama featuring excellent performances from Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden."[10]
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