Fear Strikes Out (1957)

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Approved
1h 40min
Biography, Drama
28 Mar 1957 (Canada)
Movie

6.9 (2,160)

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

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Stars:

Award:

1 nomination.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of Anthony Perkins (I) and Norma Moore (I) in Fear Strikes Out (1957)

Still of Anthony Perkins (I) and Karl Malden in Fear Strikes Out (1957)

Still of Anthony Perkins (I) in Fear Strikes Out (1957)

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37 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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	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 (uncredited) (voice)
	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 (uncredited) (voice)
	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 (uncredited) (voice)
	John Yates	...	Ballplayer (uncredited)

Directed by

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Robert Mulligan

Written by

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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)

Produced by

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Alan J. Pakula

...

producer (as Alan Pakula)

Music by

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Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by

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Haskell B. Boggs

...

director of photography (as Haskell Boggs)

Editing by

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Aaron Stell

...

(edited by)

Casting By

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Bert McKay

...

(uncredited)

Art Direction by

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Hilyard M. Brown	...	(as Hilyard Brown)
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by

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Sam Comer
Grace Gregory

Makeup Department

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

Production Management

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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

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Richard Caffey	...	assistant director
James Engle	...	second assistant director (uncredited)
Bernard McEveety	...	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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

Sound Department

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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

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John P. Fulton

...

special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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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

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Edith Head	...	costumer
Bud Clark	...	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Grace Kuhn	...	wardrobe: ladies (uncredited)

Music Department

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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

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Dorothy Yutzi

...

script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Thomas E. 'Pep' Lee	...	technical advisor
Lindsay Durand	...	publicist (uncredited)
Olive Long	...	secretary (uncredited)

Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distributors

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Paramount Pictures (1957) (United States) (theatrical) (A Paramount Picture)
Paramount Film Service (1957) (Canada) (theatrical)
Paramount British Pictures (1957) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Paramount Film Service (1957) (Australia) (theatrical)
Les Films Paramount (1957) (France) (theatrical)
Films Paramount (1957) (Belgium) (theatrical)
Film AB Paramount (1958) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Filmaktieselskapet Paramount (1957) (Norway) (theatrical)
Filmaktieselskabet Paramount (1957) (Denmark) (theatrical)
Paramount Filmes (1957) (Portugal) (theatrical)
Paramount Pictures (1990) (United States) (VHS)
Paramount Pictures (2003) (United States) (DVD)
Paramount Pictures (2013) (United States) (DVD)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Westrex Recording System (sound recording system)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	Jim Piersall is groomed by his loving but hard-driving father (living vicariously through his son) to play major league baseball. His desire to succeed to please his father leads to mental illness and a nervous breakdown. Can he overcome those difficulties and return to the major leagues? Written by Jerry Milani Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	jimmy-piersall-character professional-baseball-team based-on-autobiography prologue dysfunctional-father-son-relationship See All (53) »
Genres	Biography Drama Sport
Parents Guide	Add content advisory for parents »
Certification	Australia:G Finland:K-12 Germany:12 Norway:9 (recommended rating) Norway:16 (cinema rating) Sweden:15 United Kingdom:A United States:Approved

Additional Details

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Also Known As	The Jim Piersall Story (United States) Prisonnier de la peur (France) El precio del éxito (Spain) De weg naar de roem (Netherlands) Vencendo o Medo (Brazil) See more »
Runtime	100 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Filming Locations	Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	The real Jimmy Piersall disowned the movie due to its distortion of the facts. Based on the success of his autobiography and the movie, Piersall penned a second book in 1985 called The Truth Hurts, which detailed his ousting from the White Sox organization. See more »
Goofs	Close-up shots of Jimmy Piersall playing shortstop and right field reveal a low outfield wall backed by trees in the background. These games were supposed to be in Fenway Park, which would have a high left field wall and bleachers in right field. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in Diamonds on the Silver Screen (1992). See more »
Quotes	Jim Piersall: I don't care what happens. I love you Mary! See more »

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