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Features: DVD, Pan and Scan (TV Format), Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Mono Audio, English, French, Spanish, Subtitled
Knockout performances by Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and Julie Harris highlight this hard-hitting drama of corruption in the fight game. After 17 years in the ring, it's the final bell for Mountain Rivera (Quinn). A fight doctor confirms that one more punch for the washed-up heavyweight and he could become permanently disabled. Reluctantly, but with the support of his faithful trainer (Rooney) and a kindly employment counselor (Harris), Rivera tries to land a job outside the ring. But his calculating manager Maish (Gleason) has other plans for Rivera. With the mob closing in on him for the payment of a huge gambling debt, Maish coerces Rivera into returning to the ring for a lucrative yet humiliating career in staged wrestling matches. A heartbreaking lead performance by double Oscar-winner Quinn (Best Supporting Actor, Viva Zapata, 1952 and Lust For Life, 1956), and a triumphant big screen adaptation by writer Rod Serling and director Ralph Nelson of their Emmy Award-wining Playhouse 90 production, Requiem For A Heavyweight packs a devastating punch. Boxing fans should keep an eye out for champs Muhammad Ali (billed as Cassius Clay) in the electrifying opening sequence and Jack Dempsey in a nightclub scene.
"...the film's performances are all first-rate." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
"Tough, effective melodrama, extremely well acted." Halliwell's Film Guide
"Sure to touch the spectator's heart." Time Magazine
Editor's Note
This big-screen adaptation of Rod Serling's landmark television drama is about an aging boxer whose controlling manager leads him to consider throwing fights instead of retiring. Packing a wallop, primarily as an in-depth character study, this drama is packed with real-life boxers and star power. Julie Harris is undaunted as Grace Miller, a stern yet gentle employment counselor, who hopes to ease the heavy weight's transition. Anthony Quinn is huge in both soul and stature as Mountain Rivera, and Jackie Gleason proves to be an equal match for him as his manager Maish Renick. Renick is both weak and crafty which adequately bolsters our sympathies for Quinn's inarticulate giant fighter. Mickey Rooney tugs heartstrings as Army, Quinn's trainer, and has a particularly memorable moment in a card-playing scene. Full of authenticity and atmosphere, with cameos by Muhammad Ali and Jack Dempsey, and supported with a great script by Rod Serling, this is one of the most moving boxing films ever made.
| Features | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Audio: English Mono | | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese | | Bonus Trailers | | Widescreen & Full Screen Versions | | Digitally Mastered Audio & Video | | Remastered In High Definition |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Columbia Tri-Star |
| Release Date: 5/27/2008 |
| Running Time: 86 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1962 | | Catalog ID: 08338 | | UPC: 00043396083387 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish | | Video: B&W |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1/4:3 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | USA Today
"...[The film] has undeniable appeal for those with a prejudice toward vintage New York filmmaking..." 05/22/1998 p.6ETV Guide Online 9 of 10
...Quinn, Gleason and Rooney, as Rivera's erstwhile trainer, turn in magnificient performances in this unforgettable drama of abiding friendship and the abuse of trust.
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