Fear Strikes Out (1957)

80% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(1,103 ratings)

Anthony Perkins stars as troubled baseball great Jimmy Piersall in Fear Strikes Out. Based on Piersall's shattering tell-all autobiography, the film traces Jimmy's ascent from the sandlots of Waterbury, CT, to the Boston Red Sox, with his domineering father (Karl Malden) pushing the boy beyond all… More Anthony Perkins stars as troubled baseball great Jimmy Piersall in Fear Strikes Out. Based on Piersall's shattering tell-all autobiography, the film traces Jimmy's 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. Unable to withstand the pressure, Piersall suffers a nervous breakdown and is confined to a mental institution. Through a long period of therapy, Jimmy realizes that he has excelled in baseball not for his own gratification but to please his father. This film was preceded by a 1956 TV version starring Tab Hunter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Robert Mulligan
Written By: Jimmy Piersall, Ted Berkman, Raphael Blau, Al Hirshberg
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Mar 20, 1957 Wide
On DVD: Mar 4, 2003
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Ty Burr, Entertainment Weekly
Fear holds up well, and the climactic showdown between father and son offers a tremendously appealing resolution.
, TIME Magazine
Fear Strikes Out rolls Frank Merriwell and Sigmund Freud into a ball and then lines it out for a solid hit.
Variety Staff, Variety
Anthony Perkins, in the young Piersall role, delivers a remarkably sustained performance of a sensitive young man, pushed too fast to the limits of his ability to cope with life's pressures.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Mr. Perkins plays the young fellow excellently, not only conveying the gathering torment but also actually looking like a ballplayer on the field.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Absorbing, but rather clinical, in the rubber-gloves style of 50s television drama.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
This directorial debut for Mulligan also boasts an extremely effective, typically full-volume performance by Malden as Piersall's demanding but loving father.
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views
A cold biopic that doesn't hold up now that its subject matter has left the spotlight.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Grimace-a-ton
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Rarely seen character study of baseball great Jimmy Piersall with great work by Anthony Perkins in title role--and Karl Malden as his demanding dad.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Anthony Perkins gives a great, twitchy performance as Jimmy Piersall.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Harkens back to a simpler time in baseball, where there were no steroids just eccentric players.
, Time Out
It's a little poky and tentative, but a promising start by the Pakula-Mulligan team.
Larry Carroll, FilmStew.com
Mulligan does his best to get around Perkins' lack of baseball credibility, even laughably avoiding any shots of him fielding a groundball during the shortstop experiment.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Less of a 'baseball movie' and more of a black & white cautionary tale that's light on surprises and heavy on the melodrama.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
this competent study of a baseball player going wacko is interesting enough for a one-time rental

Read all 15 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Very moving tale with extremely well cast leads. Perkins twitchy nervous energy is perfect for displaying Piersall spiral into mental illness and Malden's bombastic personality is able to convey a man who crushes his son's spirit without even realizing it. The look on his… More
Very moving tale with extremely well cast leads. Perkins twitchy nervous energy is perfect for displaying Piersall spiral into mental illness and Malden's bombastic personality is able to convey a man who crushes his son's spirit without even realizing it. The look on his face when he becomes aware of the toll he's exacted on his child is heartbreaking. An excellent film.
AJ V

Perkins is perfect in this role of a crazy baseball player. And Malden does a great job playing his dad. Plus, it's a true story. I liked it it's a very dramatic movie.
Randy T

Anthony Perkins seems to do his best work when playing psychotic characters.

Cast

            Anthony Perkins as Jimmy Piersall

            Karl Malden as John Piersall

            Norma Moore as Mary Piersall

            Adam Williams as Dr. Brown

            Perry Wilson as Mrs. John Piersall

            Peter J. Votrian as Jimmy (younger)

            Dennis McMullen as Phil

            Gail Land as Alice

            Brian G. Hutton as Bernie Sherwill

            Bart Burns as Joe Cronin

            Rand Harper as Radio Announcer

            Howard Price as Bill Tracy

            Eric Alden
            
            Mary Benoit
            
            John Benson
            
            Don Brodie
            
            Richard Bull
            
            Edward Byrnes
            
            Heather Hopper
            
            Ralph Montgomery
            
            George Pembroke as Umpire

            Bing Russell
            
            Don McGuire
            
            June Jocelyn
            
            Courtland Shepard
            
            Morgan Jones as Sandy Allen
See full cast

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Fear Strikes Out (1957)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

AJ V

Randy T

Cast

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