blanche-2 Jimmy Piersall was a successful baseball player who overcame a nervous breakdown and continued with his career, eventually going into management and finally broadcasting. Eighty-one at the time of this writing, he's still with us."Fear Strikes Out" is Piersall's story, starring Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden. The film takes several liberties with the real events, but it's still effective. Piersall himself didn't like the film.Jimmy is presented as being under constant pressure from his father, who in the film comes off as a good man, but a very determined one. The dream of major league baseball for his son was a vicarious one. Jimmy is sent to the minor leagues by the Boston Red Sox for training. His major problem was that he was not a strong hitter. He was, however, an excellent outfielder. Over time, his behavior becomes more and more erratic and includes hitting and temper tantrums. Eventually he is hospitalized. The film doesn't mention that Piersall was bipolar, but I did read that he was."Fear Strikes Out" is on the strange side, in that one understands Piersall's problems but one also has a certain detachment from them, despite the strong performance by Anthony Perkins. Karl Malden, who could be a very warm actor, is excellent, coming off as tough and somewhat cold. Part of it is that we see the results of Piersall's illness, but not enough of his inner self and the development of it.The ending is kind of abrupt, which is understandable in a way, as events needed to be telescoped. Only one wife, Piersall's first, is mentioned, and I believe only one child. Piersall had three wives; he had nine children with Mary, his first wife.Good performances, some strong baseball scenes - all in all, a good effort if not a great one.

moonspinner55 Adaptation of Jim Piersall's memoir about growing up with an insensitive father, a tirelessly ambitious man with baseball dreams for his talented son--and impossible to please even after his kid is recruited as shortstop for the Boston Red Sox. Piersall's eventual nervous breakdown is mounted in careful yet somehow manufactured terms (when the pressured kid decides to go ice-skating instead of returning home, one can almost comically sense the clouds of doom forming for the next scene), and the "meet cute" with his future wife (possibly the most patient woman alive) is also by-the-numbers. Anthony Perkins does very well as Piersall, although the ludicrousness of Jimmy's behavior--defending his father while resting at "State Hospital"--isn't presented with any irony, and Perkins is too keyed-up to make a success of his showier scenes. As the pushy father, Karl Malden is also good but has a different problem: the character, completely stubborn and unsympathetic, doesn't seem to learn anything, even by the finale (this is partly the director's fault, who hastens to show the father's progress). This tasteful treatment plays very much like a padded "Playhouse 90" TV melodrama (one with baseball park stock-shots), and Jimmy's psychoanalysis is laid out in such generic terms that he may as well have been suffering from migraines. Still, some good dramatic moments ultimately make the picture a worthwhile one, even though it's too workman-like and without any quirky or personal touches. **1/2 from ****

caa821 I saw this movie again, on a friend's VHS tape, for the first time in a long, long time. This formed the following question in my mind. What do Gary Cooper, Dan Dailey, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Stewart have in common? Two things. First, all were good-looking, virile screen presences, and all appeared in some outstanding movies and gave outstanding performances. Second, all starred in baseball movies, portraying prominent real-life baseball stars, and none of them exhibited the least bit of capability to throw or catch a baseball, or swing a bat. If any of them had attended your family picnic, not one of these guys (except for his celebrity) would have been better than a late-round choice in a choose-up softball game - even including a group with your fat Uncle Al, elderly Aunt Edna, etc.On the other hand, Dennis Quaid, Kevin Costner, and some others - particularly Robert Redford - have appeared in baseball movies and given performances which make them appear capable of leaving the set and suiting-up with the Dodgers, Yankees, or another major.However, Perkins makes Cooper, Reagan, Dailey and Stewart all look like Albert Pujols or Pedro Martinez. If you gave a ball and gloves, say, to two Bulgarian 10-year-old girls, who had never seen either, they could appear more adept at playing catch than Perkins and Karl Malden did in this flick.I lived in Chicago some years ago, when Harry Caray announced the White Sox games in old Comiskey Park, with Jimmy Piersall as his sidekick and color man. Piersall was thoroughly interesting and engaging in this position, and entertainingly outspoken, and still occasionally a bit "over the edge." While not an all-time super star, he was an excellent player, and the latter portions of this film were a large part of the picture's focus, displaying with the severe problems he had, and subsequently overcame.But another aspect is that displaying his normal film persona, Perkins was probably the one actor who could display even more neurotic tendencies, angst, and hyper/outrageous actions, than Piersall did in his real-life trials.Still a good story, and even more interesting now as something of a "period piece," both in terms of the time period shown and the film style when made.(This is a film where they should have used actual footage, or a stand-in at long range, whenever possible, instead of displaying Perkins' baseball ineptitude.)p.s. If Tony Perkins had attended the "family picnic," for the softball game, would have been best to let him perhaps keep score and make certain nobody tripped over the bats.

callanvass This is an underrated masterpiece in my opinion, as it's really powerful and engrossing, with a brilliant story and Oscar worthy performances!. All the characters are wonderful, and this is now one of my favorite Biography films, plus Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden are simply incredible in this!. It has some pretty good baseball action and the scene with Perkins and his dad Karl Malden in the institution room, was so incredibly powerful and gripping, as it's one scene I will never ever forget!. It's extremely well made and written, and a lot of people had said that they thought Perkins was miscast, and while I respect there opinion, I have to disagree 100% as nobody could have pulled off the role as well he did, he was just so intense, as it's the best performance I have seen since Psycho, plus you will hate Malden's character for pushing Jimmy Piersall too hard!. It really is a shame that this film Doesen't get the recognition it deserves, and the ending really made me happy and put a big smile on my face, plus there is also a very powerful scene when Perkins injures his leg Ice skating and his dad goes ballistic and almost has a heart attack.I was lucky enough to find this at a DVD store pretty cheap, and I must say this went far past my expectations, plus I think Perkins and Malden deserved Oscars for there performances!, in my opinion!. You will really root for Perkins character, and while I could tell Malden really loved his son, he was pushing him way too hard as I seriously cheered when he told him no more at the mental institution!. If your looking for a top notch Biography film look no further then this, and it's also got a great love story in it as well, plus Jimmy Piersall seemed to be a fascinating person and a very good ball player from what I saw in the movie. Norma Moore and Perkins had excellent chemistry together, and there are also quite a few intense scenes as well, plus I was surprised by Perkins athleticism!. This should be even higher then 6.9 in my opinion, and all the characters are very likable for the most part, plus there is not one dull moment. This is an underrated masterpiece in my opinion, as it's really powerful and engrossing, with a brilliant story and Oscar worthy performances, and if you Haven't seen it please do so immediately you shouldn't regret it!.The Direction is outstanding!. Robert Mulligan does an outstanding! Job here with fantastic camera work, adding good atmosphere and keeping the film at an extremely engrossing my space.The Acting is Oscar worthy in my opinion. Anthony Perkins is amazing as always and is incredible here, he gives an Oscar worthy performance, was incredibly intense, and I can't believe the people that said he was miscast, I mean I can't see anybody else playing Jimmy Piersall, we are also able to root for him and hope he gets better, and the scene where has has a mental breakdown on the field was just so emotional and very intense, this is his 2nd best performance next to Psycho, he was simply incredible! (Perkins Rules!!!!!!!). Karl Malden is also incredible here and gives an Oscar worthy performance as well, as the domineering father, you will hate him for pushing Jimmy too hard, however I could kind of see why he was doing it after all he just wanted the best life style for him, he really was incredible!. Norma Moore is excellent as the wife, she was very likable and had good chemistry with Perkins I liked her. Adam Williams is awesome as the Doc in his scenes I liked him a lot. Perry Wilson is fine as the Mom. Rest of the cast are fine.Overall go see it immediately you shouldn't regret it!. ***** out of 5