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Fear Strikes Out (1957)
Thanks to Bosley Crowthler for the review: "Oddly enough, the scenes of baseball, while interesting in this account, are secondary to the scenes of drama between the father and his son. The issues are not whether Piersall will snag those long flies or clout home runs but whether he will have the approval of his old man, sitting there in the stands. The weight of the paternal ambition is the critical factor in this film. And it is felt by the nerve-racked observer to the point where it is recognizable that the young man must go mad. ...Fortunately, Mr. Perkins plays the young fellow excellently, not only conveying the gathering torment but also actually looking like a ballplayer on the field. And Karl Malden is compelling as the father, combining the ignorant dominance of a bitter man with the occasional tenderness of a parent who genuinely loves his only son. ...Robert Mulligan's direction is vigorous"
Directed by Robert Mulligan
Writing Credits
Ted Berkman...(screenplay) and
Raphael Blau...(screenplay)
Jimmy Piersall...(based on the story by) (as James A. Piersall) and
Al Hirshberg...(based on the story by) (as Albert S. Hirshberg)
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)
Heather Ames...Nurse (uncredited)
Sam Balter...Broadcaster (voice) (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)
Keith Coyne...Baby (uncredited)
Gere Craft...Nurse (uncredited)
James Douglas...Ballplayer (uncredited)
Richard Elmore...Policeman (uncredited)
Art Gilmore...Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
Herschel Graham...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Joan Granville...Nurse (uncredited)
Kit Guard...Fan in Stands (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton...Policeman (uncredited)
Rand Harper...Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan...Baseball Game Spectator (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)
King Lockwood...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Audrey Lowell...Peggy (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Marilyn Malloy...Secretary (uncredited)
Mathew McCue...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Don McGuire...Attendant (uncredited)
Dennis McMullen...Phil (uncredited)
James McNally...Reporter (uncredited)
Ron McNeil...Ballplayer (uncredited)
Harold Miller...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery...Reporter (uncredited)
Don Nelson...Umpire (uncredited)
George Pembroke...Umpire (uncredited)
Howard Price...Bill Tracy (uncredited)
Edwin Rochelle...Baseball Game Spectator (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...Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
John Yates...Ballplayer (uncredited)
Produced by
Alan J. Pakula...producer (as Alan Pakula)
Music by
Elmer Bernstein...(music scored by)
Cinematography by
Haskell B. Boggs...director of photography (as Haskell Boggs)
Film Editing by
Aaron Stell...(edited by)
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
Laurindo Almeida...musician: guitar (uncredited)
Israel Baker...musician: violin (uncredited)
Elmer Bernstein...conductor (uncredited)
Bob Bornstein...music copyist (uncredited)
Jack Hayes...orchestrator (uncredited)
Ernest Hughes...musician: piano (uncredited)
Nathan Kaproff...musician: violin (uncredited)
Leo Shuken...orchestrator (uncredited)
Harry Sukman...musician: piano (uncredited)
Irvin Talbot...conductor (uncredited)
Van Cleave...orchestrator (uncredited)
Script and Continuity Department
Dorothy Yutzi...script supervisor (uncredited)
Additional Crew
Thomas E. 'Pep' Lee...technical advisor
Lindsay Durand...publicist (uncredited)
Olive Long...secretary (uncredited)
Writing Credits
Ted Berkman...(screenplay) and
Raphael Blau...(screenplay)
Jimmy Piersall...(based on the story by) (as James A. Piersall) and
Al Hirshberg...(based on the story by) (as Albert S. Hirshberg)
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)
Heather Ames...Nurse (uncredited)
Sam Balter...Broadcaster (voice) (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)
Keith Coyne...Baby (uncredited)
Gere Craft...Nurse (uncredited)
James Douglas...Ballplayer (uncredited)
Richard Elmore...Policeman (uncredited)
Art Gilmore...Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
Herschel Graham...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Joan Granville...Nurse (uncredited)
Kit Guard...Fan in Stands (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton...Policeman (uncredited)
Rand Harper...Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan...Baseball Game Spectator (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)
King Lockwood...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Audrey Lowell...Peggy (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Marilyn Malloy...Secretary (uncredited)
Mathew McCue...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Don McGuire...Attendant (uncredited)
Dennis McMullen...Phil (uncredited)
James McNally...Reporter (uncredited)
Ron McNeil...Ballplayer (uncredited)
Harold Miller...Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery...Reporter (uncredited)
Don Nelson...Umpire (uncredited)
George Pembroke...Umpire (uncredited)
Howard Price...Bill Tracy (uncredited)
Edwin Rochelle...Baseball Game Spectator (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...Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
John Yates...Ballplayer (uncredited)
Produced by
Alan J. Pakula...producer (as Alan Pakula)
Music by
Elmer Bernstein...(music scored by)
Cinematography by
Haskell B. Boggs...director of photography (as Haskell Boggs)
Film Editing by
Aaron Stell...(edited by)
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
Laurindo Almeida...musician: guitar (uncredited)
Israel Baker...musician: violin (uncredited)
Elmer Bernstein...conductor (uncredited)
Bob Bornstein...music copyist (uncredited)
Jack Hayes...orchestrator (uncredited)
Ernest Hughes...musician: piano (uncredited)
Nathan Kaproff...musician: violin (uncredited)
Leo Shuken...orchestrator (uncredited)
Harry Sukman...musician: piano (uncredited)
Irvin Talbot...conductor (uncredited)
Van Cleave...orchestrator (uncredited)
Script and Continuity Department
Dorothy Yutzi...script supervisor (uncredited)
Additional Crew
Thomas E. 'Pep' Lee...technical advisor
Lindsay Durand...publicist (uncredited)
Olive Long...secretary (uncredited)