Fear Strikes Out (1957)
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81% of critics liked it
(21 reviews) -
64% of users liked it
(1,171 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… 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
- Directed By
- Robert Mulligan
- Written By
- Jimmy Piersall, Ted Berkman, Raphael Blau, Al Hirshberg
- Genres
- Drama, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Mar 20, 1957 Wide
- Studio
- Paramount Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Ty Burr, Entertainment Weekly
Fear holds up well, and the climactic showdown between father and son offers a tremendously appealing resolution.
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, TIME Magazine
Fear Strikes Out rolls Frank Merriwell and Sigmund Freud into a ball and then lines it out for a solid hit.
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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.
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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.
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, Time Out
It's a little poky and tentative, but a promising start by the Pakula-Mulligan team.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Anthony Perkins
as Jimmy Piersall
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Karl Malden
as John Piersall
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Norma Moore
as Mary Piersall
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Adam Williams
as Dr. Brown
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Perry Wilson
as Mrs. John Piersall
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Peter J. Votrian
as Jimmy (younger)
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Dennis McMullen
as Phil
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Gail Land
as Alice
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Brian G. Hutton
as Bernie Sherwill
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Bart Burns
as Joe Cronin
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Rand Harper
as Radio Announcer
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Howard Price
as Bill Tracy
- Eric Alden
- Mary Benoit
- John Benson
- Don Brodie
- Richard Bull
- Edward Byrnes
- Heather Hopper
- Ralph Montgomery
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George Pembroke
as Umpire
- Bing Russell
- Don McGuire
- June Jocelyn
- Courtland Shepard
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Morgan Jones
as Sandy Allen
