The actor anthony perkins, right, portrayed jimmy piersall in the 1957 film fear strikes out, a biographical drama about piersalls struggles with mental illness. Pakula and robert mulligan, the team whose credits include to kill a mockingbird. Anthony perkins stars as troubled baseball great jimmy piersall in fear strikes out. True story of the life of jimmy piersall, who battled mental illness to. The jim piersall story, cowritten with al hirshberg. Jimmy piersall, ballplayer whose struggles were portrayed. But more than five decades later, the baseball player has disappeared into history and the vague story lines add up to a weak baseball drama.
The film hints at issues jimmy has, but much of it is a simple case. Fear strikes out cast and crew cast photos and info fandango. Fear strikes out 1957 was the true story of baseballs jim piersall, who suffered from and overcame a complete nervous breakdown caused by the extreme and relentless pressure his neversatisfied father put on him to be the best of the best from the time he was a. During fear strikes out, said mulligan, we found that we enjoyed working together. Throughout the film all we want to hear is karl telling anthony, i love you son. From top to bottom, the film fields a stellar lineup of talent. Jimmy piersall, baseball player whose mental illness was.
In his very first film, fear strikes out, newcomer anthony perkins and karl malden were the fortunate performers. Fear strikes out is a baseball story that spends less than twenty minutes on the field. Although john often plays the film s villain, he isnt an evil character, just like baseball isnt an evil game. True story of the life of jimmy piersall, who battled mental illness to achieve stardom in major league baseball. Fear strikes out 1955, dropped by to visit his friend anthony perkins on the film set. In real life peirsall would return to the game, eventually disowning this film for singularly blaming his father karl malden for his problems. Fear strikes out 1957 letterboxd social film discovery. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. John and jimmy piersall repair their rift as so many fathers and sons have over time, with.
Mar 22, 2020 the success of the book led to the film release in march of 1957 of fear strikes out, with actor anthony perkins playing piersall and veteran actor karl malden portraying jimmys father john. From top to bottom, the film fields a stellar lineup of. I remember him as being handsome and big and strong, not a skinny guy like anthony perkins. From the director of the naked gun and starring the creators of south park category. With anthony perkins, karl malden, norma moore, adam williams. Elmer bernstein fear strikes outthe tin star 2011, cd. The film depicts john piersall as a frustrated blue collar worker with a mentally unstable. He achieved stardom as a member of the boston red sox but battled mental illness and intense pressure from his father. Watch fear strikes out 1957 online full movie streaming in hd, watch fear strikes out complete movie streaming free in good quality without download online. Anthony perkins stars as piersall in this powerful true story.
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. Unable to withstand the pressure, piersall suffers a nervous breakdown and is. As a result of the film s success, alan pakula and robert mulligan decided to form a partnership and continue their working relationship. John and jimmy piersall repair their rift as so many fathers and sons have over time, with a game of catch, the same symbolic ritual that would reunite john and ray kinsella decades later. Anthony perkins as red sox outfielder jimmy piersall flips out after homering in a scene from the 1957 movie, fear strikes out. Based on piersalls shattering tellall autobiography, the film traces jimmys ascent from the sandlots of waterbury, ct, to the boston red sox, with his domineering father more. Anthony perkins and karl malden in fear strikes out. Jimmy piersall, an outfielder who was one of the most eccentric and volatile players in baseball history, whose struggles with mental illness were depicted in the book and film. Mar 29, 2019 fear strikes out is a classic movie in that veinand its shadowed by perhaps the definitive classic of the genre, rays rebel without a cause.
Piersall then spends some time at an institution to get to the root of the problem. During production of this film, tab hunter, who had previously starred in the tv production climax fear strikes out 1955, dropped by to visit his friend anthony perkins on the film set. Like many of mulligans future pictures, it was produced by alan j. Based on the actual life of jimmy piersall doesnt mean a whole lot after you learn that mr. Jun 04, 2017 the actor anthony perkins, right, portrayed jimmy piersall in the 1957 film fear strikes out, a biographical drama about piersalls struggles with mental illness. Yet the film also purports to tell the true story of. Fear strikes out is the story of jim piersall, eventually a star boston red. The film is in effect a psychoanalysis of the book, concluding big surprise that jims breakdown was all dads fault. It is based on piersalls 1955 memoir fear strikes out. The success of the book led to the film release in march of 1957 of fear strikes out, with actor anthony perkins playing piersall and veteran actor karl malden portraying jimmys father john. Fear strikes out 1957 was the true story of baseballs jim piersall, who suffered from and overcame a complete nervous breakdown caused by the extreme and relentless pressure his neversatisfied father put on him to be the best of the best from the time he was a young boy right up through his entering the major leagues.
Its all about the mental stress of a man living under unreasonable psychological demands. Based on piersalls shattering tellall autobiography, the film traces jimmys ascent from the sandlots of waterbury, ct, to the boston red sox, with his domineering father karl malden pushing the boy beyond all reasonable limits. Fear strikes out 1957 ever since jimmy piersall anthony perkins was a boy, his baseballobsessed father karl malden has pushed the sport on him. The film stars anthony perkins as piersall and karl malden as his father, and it was the first directed by robert mulligan. Fear strikes out was released in early 1957 and was well received by audiences and critics alike. Throughout the film all we want to hear is karl telling anthony, i love you son, and. Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of fear strikes out with exclusive news, pictures, videos and more at. Released 1957, fear strikes out stars anthony perkins, karl malden, norma moore, adam williams the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 40 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing fear strikes out near you. Fear strikes out 1957 fear strikes out might be one of the few baseball movies to feature very little baseball. Robert mulligan, elmer bernstein, irving talbot elmer bernstein, and leo shuken jack hayes.
Pakula would next collaborate on to kill a mockingbird, which, needless to say, is a much better film than this one. Fear strikes out cast and crew cast photos and info. It became the subject of a 1957 movie version, fear strikes out, in which piersall was portrayed by anthony perkins and his father by karl malden, directed by robert mulligan. As far as the movie goes, it was good, but not very accurate. Apr 01, 2014 fear strikes out 1957 fear strikes out might be one of the few baseball movies to feature very little baseball. Anthony perkins trademark intensity brings the ballplayers nightmare to life and karl malden gives a strong performance as his overbearing. Hirshberg, the film is less about jimmy piersalls brilliant though erratic career and more. Jimmy piersall, ballplayer whose struggles were portrayed in. Jimmy piersall, the often outrageous outfielder and broadcaster whose emotional breakdown while a rookie with the boston red sox was portrayed in the 1957 movie fear strikes out, a. The making of a movie star by tab hunter and eddie muller 2005 algonquin books, chapel hill, nc. Anthony perkins stars as troubled baseballgreat jimmy piersall in this film. Piersall, the former outfielder and shortstop for the boston red sox, and albert s. Watch fear strikes out 1957 full movie streaming now you watch. This film is a paramount picture and was preceded by a 1955 tv version starring tab hunter.
Piersall wanted nothing to do with the movie because of all the fluffy melodrama. Fear strikes out 1957 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Piersall eventually disowned the film because of what he saw as its distortion of the facts, including overblaming his father for his problems. Fear strikes out tells the courageous story of red sox outfielder jimmy piersall, who played seventeen seasons in the majorswith a lifetime batting average of. And the result is a drama of unflinching force and effectiveness. Wiki based on piersalls shattering tellall biography, the film traces piersalls rise from the sandlots of waterbury, connecticut, to the boston red sox professional baseball team. Boggs film editor aaron stell original music elmer bernstein written by ted berkman, raphael blau, from the book by jimmy piersall and al hirshberg. Jimmy piersall, whose mental illness was portrayed in fear. There are enough films about baseball and famous ballplayers in the american cinema to constitute its own subgenre but fear strikes out 1957 is a special case that stands alone. Fear strikes out 1957 stream and watch online moviefone. Fear strikes out is a classic movie in that veinand its shadowed by perhaps the definitive classic of the genre, rays rebel without a cause. When the record book closed on boston red sox outfielder jimmy piersalls career, it showed 17 seasons in the major leagues and an impressive lifetime batting average of. Seems we havent really come all that far in the past 40some years, at least where hollywoodstyle biopics are concerned. Jimmy piersall, whose mental illness was portrayed in.
Jun 04, 2017 jimmy piersall, the often outrageous outfielder and broadcaster whose emotional breakdown while a rookie with the boston red sox was portrayed in the 1957 movie fear strikes out, a rare. Fear strikes out 1956, directed by robert mulligan film. In fear strikes out, directed by robert mulligan, john piersall karl malden is the dominating presence in jimmys anthony perkins life, encouraging his early interest in baseball and then taking an obsessive interest in his sons athletic progress. Fear strikes out is the story of jim piersall, eventually a star boston red sox player. Director robert mulligans feature film debut is a harrowing and intense biopic of boston red sox baseball star jim piersall, superbly.
Jun 05, 2017 jimmy piersall, an outfielder who was one of the most eccentric and volatile players in baseball history, whose struggles with mental illness were depicted in the book and film fear strikes out. Fear strikes out critics consensus based on the true story of troubled baseball star jimmy piersall, fear strikes out is an emotionally compelling drama featuring excellent performances from. Athony perkins best scene in fear strikes out 1957 youtube. Fear strikes out may have been an obvious human interest story when it was first released during the middle of piersalls career. It is about the life of jimmy piersall, who battled mental illness to achieve stardom in major league baseball. Regardless he did seem to have a nice sense of humor about the situation if the following quote is an indication. Fear strikes out 1957 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Fear strikes out is ultimately about the danger of obsession, and once the sport is put back in proper perspective, it heals instead of hurts. Piersall eventually disowned the film because of what he saw as its distortion of the. Sports biopic depicting the athletic, domestic, and emotional struggles of jimmy piersall anthony perkins. At the beginning of the movie, directed by robert mulligan, young jimmy peter j. Fear strikes out is a 1957 american biographical sports drama film depicting the life and career of american baseball player jimmy piersall. Fear strikes out is an emotionally compelling drama featuring excellent.
Instead, it was to accept anthony perkins in the role of jimmy piersall without seeing the norman. In 1955, his book fear strikes out, coauthored by al hirshberg, was published. Other articles where fear strikes out is discussed. Pushed by his father all of his life to achieve this goal, the pressure finally takes a toll on piersall contributing to his mental breakdown. Fear strikes out 1957 movie streaming from paramount pictures production in highdefinintion. Based on piersalls shattering tellall autobiography, the film traces. The film stars anthony perkins as piersall and karl malden as his father, and it was the first. Fear strikes out also marks the filmmaking debut of alan j.
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