In this live production in the fantastic series Playhouse 90, Jack Palance shows his hidden acting talents in the drama Requiem for a Heavyweight. Anyone who only knows Jack from City Slickers or his parts in B-westerns needs to see this movie.
Jack is a boxer, and he's just lost a fight, much to the dismay of his manager Keenan Wynn. He's examined by a doctor and told he's taken too many blows and can't fight anymore. As Keenan tries to get more use out of his fighter, Kim Hunter tries to help Jack start a new direction in life. Jack's handler Ed Wynn tries to support both sides of the argument.
Rod Serling's script is very powerful; even when someone is clearly wrong in an argument he's given the opportunity to fully explain his motivations. Everyone gives incredible performances, and it's really sweet to see father and son act together, even though they share some pretty heavy scenes. Both Keenan and Ed show a great depth in their performances, so the audiences can really feel they've seen Jack fight in the ring for fifteen years. Jack Palance's damaged, simple-minded, and at times out of control, performance is heartbreaking. I teared up several times at his realism. He shares a story in which he met a woman for a blind date, and when she saw his face, she left. It's an absolutely tragic story, but even with the fake ears and scar makeup Jack had on his face, he's still very handsome! Besides that one tiny suspension of disbelief, and one woman's flub of her line in the very last scene of the film, it's a pretty flawless movie. If you liked Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, or its original The Battler, give this one a watch.
Jack is a boxer, and he's just lost a fight, much to the dismay of his manager Keenan Wynn. He's examined by a doctor and told he's taken too many blows and can't fight anymore. As Keenan tries to get more use out of his fighter, Kim Hunter tries to help Jack start a new direction in life. Jack's handler Ed Wynn tries to support both sides of the argument.
Rod Serling's script is very powerful; even when someone is clearly wrong in an argument he's given the opportunity to fully explain his motivations. Everyone gives incredible performances, and it's really sweet to see father and son act together, even though they share some pretty heavy scenes. Both Keenan and Ed show a great depth in their performances, so the audiences can really feel they've seen Jack fight in the ring for fifteen years. Jack Palance's damaged, simple-minded, and at times out of control, performance is heartbreaking. I teared up several times at his realism. He shares a story in which he met a woman for a blind date, and when she saw his face, she left. It's an absolutely tragic story, but even with the fake ears and scar makeup Jack had on his face, he's still very handsome! Besides that one tiny suspension of disbelief, and one woman's flub of her line in the very last scene of the film, it's a pretty flawless movie. If you liked Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, or its original The Battler, give this one a watch.