Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)

Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)

“What else am I supposed to know how to do besides fight?”

Synopsis:
When an aging boxer (Anthony Quinn) is required to quit for his own safety, his manager (Jackie Gleason) — in hock to a ruthless gambling boss (Ma Greeny) — tries to convince him to turn to demeaning work as a costumed wrestler. With support from his kind trainer (Mickey Rooney), Mountain (Quinn) reaches out to an employment agent (Julie Harris) who begins to fall for him, and helps him get an interview as a camp counselor — but will Gleason support Mountain in his career shift, or try to sabotage him for his own gain?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Anthony Quinn Films
  • Boxing
  • Gambling
  • Has Beens
  • Julie Harris Films
  • Mickey Rooney Films

Review:
Rod Serling wrote the Emmy-winning Playhouse 90 teleplay upon which this adaptation — originally starring Jack Palance — was based. Quinn is perfectly cast as a punch-drunk fighter named Mountain whose blurred vision after his final fight (against Cassius Clay!) serves as the opening sequence:


We can understand Mountain’s loyalty to “Maish”, played with cool conviction by Gleason (likely building upon his similar characterization of Minnesota Fats in The Hustler) — and it’s refreshing seeing Rooney playing a supporting role in which he’s purely sympathetic:

Harris is fine as a well-meaning employment agent who finds herself caught up in the pathos of Quinn’s predicament; while it’s unclear whether their nascent romance will be feasible or not, it’s easy to see how and why she would want to help him.

Adding to the film’s menacing atmosphere is a unique turn by Madame Spivy (recognizable as a member of the “garden party” scene in The Manchurian Candidate) as a cigar-puffing heavy in a trenchcoat:

Meanwhile, Arthur Ornitz’s cinematography bathes the entire storyline in an effectively seamy light — and the film’s downbeat ending feels both appropriate and realistic. This one isn’t must-see, but remains worth a look.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Anthony Quinn as Mountain Rivera
  • Jackie Gleason as Maish
  • Julie Harris as Grace
  • Mickey Rooney as Army
  • Arthur Ornitz’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended for one-time viewing.

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One thought on “Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)

  1. First viewing. A once-must, for the performances and the unique storyline.

    I wonder if Serling, to some degree, took his inspiration from Paddy Chayefsky’s ‘Marty’ – which also began as a tv film (1953; ‘Requiem’ first appeared in 1956). The two stories share a focus on middle-aged, socially awkward, ignored, fringe types (butcher / heavyweight) seen in a sympathetic light.

    The film’s value is largely in its view of a ‘world’ that’s only occasionally put on film (i.e., ‘Champion’, ‘Raging Bull’, etc.) – but here there’s a particular mix of harsh reality, compassion and unexpected grit. (I was actually surprised when the film found its way to a conclusion that I hadn’t anticipated.)

    DP Ornitz delivers esp. fine (and atmospheric) work.

    (Madame Spivy kept reminding me of Beryl Reid in ‘The Killing of Sister George’.)

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