Fear Strikes Out (1957)

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Ted Berkman (screenplay) and
Raphael Blau (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 August 1957 (Australia)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Plot:

True story of the life of Jimmy Piersall, who battled mental illness to achieve stardom in major league baseball.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Mental Illness | Suspension | Reporter | Domineering Father

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Anthony Perkins	...	Jim Piersall
Karl Malden	...	John Piersall
Norma Moore	...	Mary Piersall
Adam Williams	...	Doctor Brown
Perry Wilson	...	Mrs. John Piersall
Peter J. Votrian	...	Jim Piersall as a Boy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Aberle	...	Ballplayer (uncredited)
Eric Alden	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Sam Balter	...	Voice of Broadcaster (uncredited)
Mary Benoit	...	Nurse (uncredited)
John Benson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Reporter Evans (uncredited)
Richard Bull	...	Reporter Slade (uncredited)
Bart Burns	...	Joe Cronin (uncredited)
Edd Byrnes	...	Boy in Car Assisting Jimmy Up Stairway (uncredited)
Wade Cagle	...	Intern (uncredited)
Gere Craft	...	Nurse (uncredited)
James Douglas	...	Ballplayer (uncredited)
Dick Elmore	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
Joan Granville	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Fan in Stands (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Rand Harper	...	Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Heather Hopper	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Clyde Hudkins Jr.	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Brian G. Hutton	...	Bernie Sherwill (uncredited)
June Jocelyn	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Morgan Jones	...	Sandy Allen (uncredited)
Gail Land	...	Alice (uncredited)
Audrey Lowell	...	Peggy (uncredited)
Marilyn Malloy	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Don McGuire	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Dennis McMullen	...	Phil (uncredited)
James McNally	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ron McNeil	...	Ballplayer (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Don Nelson	...	Umpire (uncredited)
George Pembroke	...	Umpire (uncredited)
Howard Price	...	Bill Tracy (uncredited)
Bing Russell	...	Ballplayer Holding Trophy (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Court Shepard	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Robert Victor Stern	...	Intern (uncredited)
Gary Vinson	...	High School Ballplayer (uncredited)
William Woodson	...	Voice of Broadcaster (uncredited)
John Yates	...	Ballplayer (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Mulligan

Writing credits
Ted Berkman		(screenplay) and
Raphael Blau		(screenplay)
Jimmy Piersall		(story) (as James A. Piersall) and
Al Hirshberg		(story) (as Albert S. Hirshberg)

Produced by
Alan J. Pakula	....	producer (as Alan Pakula)

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Haskell B. Boggs		(director of photography) (as Haskell Boggs)

Film Editing by
Aaron Stell

Casting by
Bert McKay		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Hilyard M. Brown		(as Hilyard Brown)
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Grace Gregory

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair style supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Dean Cole	....	hairdresser (uncredited)
Karl Silvera	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lloyd Anderson	....	assistant unit production manager (uncredited)
Frank Caffey	....	production manager (uncredited)
Curtis Mick	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
Ed Ralph	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Caffey	....	assistant director
James Engle	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Bernard McEveety	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Vern Bain	....	props (uncredited)
Joe Portillo	....	stand-by painter (uncredited)
Dwight Thompson	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Paul Franz	....	sound recordist
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
R.D. Cook	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Don Merritt	....	sound cableman (uncredited)
John K. Nelson	....	sound boom man (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank J. Calabria	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Adolph Froelich	....	best boy (uncredited)
James Grant	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Vic Jones	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Ralph Murray	....	mike grip (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Darrell Turnmire	....	company grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bud Clark	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Grace Kuhn	....	wardrobe: ladies (uncredited)

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Van Cleave	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Thomas E. 'Pep' Lee	....	technical advisor
Lindsay Durand	....	publicist (uncredited)
Olive Long	....	secretary (uncredited)
Dorothy Yutzi	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as Paramount Pictures Corporation)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | USA:Approved (PCA #18302) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The real Jimmy Piersall disowned the movie due to its distortion of the facts.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Jimmy Piersall is taking the field in his high school state championship game, he's wearing #37. When the team is in the locker room after the game, another player on his team is also wearing #37.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "3rd Rock from the Sun: Dick Strikes Out (#5.16)" (2000)

More than just Peanuts and Crackerjacks in this baseball movie.

This is not what one would call a pleasant film to watch particularly about Baseball. It tells the true story of former major league ball player Jim Piersall of the Boston Red Sox and his eventual mental breakdown. While certain events are not exactly the way they took place the story nonetheless sticks pretty much to fact. Anthony Perkins puts in a dynamic performance as Piersall. A kid who likes baseball but is driven to madness by his domineering perfection minded father played by Karl Malden. Also included in the cast is Norma Moore as Jims devoted wife Mary and Adam Williams as the psychiatrist Doctor Brown.

The first half of the picture deals with Piersall growing up practicing and playing baseball always under the scrutiny of his father. Whatever Jim did on the playing field it could always have been done better according to his Dad. The second half of the film deals with Piersalls mental breakdown and subsequent treatment and recovery. While watching a ball game on TV he makes remarks that his doctor picks up on and uses to unlock the reason why he cracked up. These same circumstances are no doubt still occurring today as many parents push their children relentlessly in everything from sports to academics to beauty pageants. Jim Piersalls story fortunately became a book and later this fine film that perhaps has and will continue to serve as a message to those who watch it. Whether you're a baseball fan or not this is a movie to be seen.