Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)

Director:

Ralph Nelson

Writers:

Rod Serling (teleplay)
Rod Serling

Release Date:

16 November 1962 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The Gutsiest Picture Ever Made !

Plot:

Mountain Rivera is at the end of his boxing career after a knockout by Cassius Clay in the seventh round...

Plot Keywords:

Wrestling | Social Worker | Boxing | Retirement | Job Interview

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Anthony Quinn	...	Louis 'Mountain' Rivera
Jackie Gleason	...	Maish Rennick
Mickey Rooney	...	Army
Julie Harris	...	Grace Miller
Stanley Adams	...	Perelli (as Stan Adams)
Madame Spivy	...	Ma Greeny
Val Avery	...	Young fighter's promoter
Herbie Faye	...	Charlie, the Bartender
Jack Dempsey	...	Himself
Barney Ross
Alex Miteff
Rory Calhoun	...	Himself
Muhammad Ali	...	Himself (as Cassius Clay)
Gus Lesnevich
Willie Pep
Steve Belloise	...	Hotel Desk Clerk
J.J. Ballargeon
Paoli Rossi
Michael Conrad	...	Ma Greeny's Thug
Abe Simon
Stan Ross
Lou Gilbert	...	Dr. Gilbert
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William 'Haystacks' Calhoun	...	Himself, Rivera's wrestling opponent (uncredited)
Nancy Cushman	...	Woman on Elevator (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Barfly Watching TV (uncredited)
Arthur Mercante	...	Referee (uncredited)
Angelo Rossitto	...	Midget Wrestler Outside Wrestling Ring (uncredited)
David Susskind	...	Himself - Trailor Narrator (uncredited)

Directed by
Ralph Nelson

Writing credits
Rod Serling		(teleplay)
Rod Serling

Produced by
Jack Grossberg	....	associate producer
David Susskind	....	producer

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Arthur J. Ornitz

Film Editing by
Carl Lerner

Production Design by
Burr Smidt

Set Decoration by
Francis J. Brady

Costume Design by
John Boxer

Makeup Department
Dick Smith	....	makeup artist (as Richard Smith)

Production Management
David Golden	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Hertzberg	....	assistant director
Tony LaMarca	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Francis J. Brady	....	set dresser
Guy Fraumeni	....	graphic artist

Sound Department
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
Edward J. Johnstone	....	sound
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Richard Vorisek)

Camera and Electrical Department
Larry Barr	....	key grip
Joseph F. Coffey	....	camera operator
David Golden	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Richard Stone	....	assistant film editor

Other crew
Burt Astor	....	production controller
Belle Iacobellis	....	production secretary
Sascha Laurence	....	script supervisor (as Sascha W. Laurence)
Arthur Mercante	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Film Opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min | 85 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Canada:PG | UK:PG (DVD rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Downing Stadium, Randall's Island, East River, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Anthony Quinn did this film when Lawrence of Arabia (1962) went on a two month hiatus between October and December of 1961. The film was released before "Lawrence" came out.

Quotes:

Maish Rennick:[to Mountain] I figure you owe me. what do you figure/

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: Requiem for an Underweight Heavyweight (#4.31)" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Home on the Range

Quinn Gives Knockout Performance in "Heavyweight"

The sport of professional boxing takes another beating in this tragic and powerful re-make of the Rod Serling Playhouse 90 teleplay. The film opens from the viewpoint of Mountain Rivera, a once ranked heavyweight, being pummeled by a youthful Cassius Clay. Rivera loses the fight, beaten so senseless that when asked where he is (NYC) he responds "I'm in Pittsburgh and its raining". When the the fight doctor examines him he makes it clear this broken down pug is all washed up. This puts his manager Maish in a bind since he bet Mountain wouldn't get past the fourth round with some thugs who also lost money because of his guarantee. Maish needs cash fast and the only way he can get it is to get his washed up fighter to wrestle. Rivera considers it degrading (remember it's 1962) and refuses.

Requiem is top heavy with strong performances from its quartet of leads. Jackie Gleason as sleazy Maish is given more to work with here than his Oscar nominated Minnesota Fats. He's a desperate man, wracked with guilt but ready to sell out Mountain to stay breathing. Mickey Rooney gives probably his finest adult performance as Army, the trainer who has Mountain's best interest at heart. Julie Harris as the social worker assigned to find him employment seems incapable of giving anything less than solid performances in everything she does and she does not disappoint here. Then there is Anthony Quinn doing what he does best but this time with a battered machismo that's barely holding together. Body broken, dreams shattered, he is a combination of punchy and naive; a hulking gruesome monster, but still a child inside. His plight is uneasy to witness and Quinn in conveying it has never been better.

Also deserving mention is night club owner and performer Madame Spivy playing Ma, the hood owed money. Dressed in a man's trench coat and hat she displays an offbeat menace with a clipped sardonic delivery that makes more than clear she is a woman not to be trifled with.

Director Ralph Nelson keeps things claustrophobic and low lit to emphasize the grim existence of the characters far from the big paydays and glamor of pay per view in Vegas. Their futures seem about as bright as the dark rooms they live in and the empty deserted streets they walk.

While it may not rank as one of the great fight films of all time,(unrestored cuts from the original print hamper the film's rhythm) Heavyweight's combination of excellent acting and story make it worth going the distance.