REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT
(1962)With Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney, Julie Harris
Directed by Ralph Nelson
Black and White
Reviewed by JB
REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT tells
the tale of a
pathetic washed-up boxer who is exploited by his debt-ridden
manager. It doesn't sound like much, but with a beautiful
screenplay by Rod Serling (adapted from his own teleplay), and
outstanding central performances by Anthony Quinn as the boxer and
Jackie Gleason as the manager, REQUIEM manages to be engrossing and
heartbreaking from the first frame to the last. Quinn gives
an
achingly sad performance as the punch-drunk pugilist Mountain Rivera,
while Gleason has rarely been better as Maish, Mountain's ultra-sleazy
manager. Mickey Rooney as Mountain's trainer and Julie Harris
as
a social worker offer solid support, but this is Quinn and Gleason's
show all the way. As John Candy's Steve Roman character once said:
"Good actors, and that spells 'good acting!'" 
- JB
http://thestuffyougottawatch.com
Copyright © 2010 John V. Brennan, John Larrabee