Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Ralph Nelson

Writers:

Rod Serling (teleplay)
Rod Serling (writer)

Release Date:

16 November 1962 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The Gutsiest Picture Ever Made !

Plot:

Mountain Rivera is at the end of his boxing career after a knockout by Cassius Clay in the seventh round...

Plot Keywords:

Wrestling | Social Worker | Boxing | New York | Based On TV Movie

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Anthony Quinn	...	Louis 'Mountain' Rivera
Jackie Gleason	...	Maish Rennick
Mickey Rooney	...	Army
Julie Harris	...	Grace Miller
Stanley Adams	...	Perelli (as Stan Adams)
Madame Spivy	...	Ma Greeny
Val Avery	...	Young fighter's promoter
Herbie Faye	...	Charlie, the Bartender
Jack Dempsey	...	Himself
Barney Ross
Alex Miteff
Rory Calhoun	...	Himself
Muhammad Ali	...	Himself (as Cassius Clay)
Gus Lesnevich
Willie Pep
Steve Belloise	...	Hotel desk clerk
J.J. Ballargeon
Paoli Rossi
Michael Conrad	...	Ma Greeny's thug
Abe Simon
Stan Ross
Lou Gilbert	...	Dr. Gilbert
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William 'Haystacks' Calhoun	...	Himself, Rivera's wrestling opponent (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Barfly watching TV (uncredited)
Arthur Mercante	...	Referee (uncredited)
David Susskind	...	Himself - Trailor Narrator (uncredited)

Directed by
Ralph Nelson

Writing credits
Rod Serling		(teleplay)
Rod Serling		(writer)

Produced by
Jack Grossberg	....	associate producer
David Susskind	....	producer

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Arthur J. Ornitz

Film Editing by
Carl Lerner

Production Design by
Burr Smidt

Set Decoration by
Francis J. Brady

Costume Design by
John Boxer

Makeup Department
Dick Smith	....	makeup artist (as Richard Smith)

Production Management
David Golden	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Hertzberg	....	assistant director
Anthony La Marca	....	assistant director
Tony LaMarca	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Francis J. Brady	....	set dresser
Guy Fraumeni	....	graphic artist

Sound Department
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
Edward J. Johnstone	....	sound
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Richard Vorisek)

Camera and Electrical Department
Larry Barr	....	key grip
Joseph F. Coffey	....	camera operator
David Golden	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Richard Stone	....	assistant film editor

Other crew
Burt Astor	....	production controller
Belle Iacobellis	....	production secretary
Sascha Laurence	....	script supervisor (as Sascha W. Laurence)
Arthur Mercante	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Film Opticals

Also Known As:

Blood Money (UK)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Canada:PG | UK:PG (DVD rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Downing Stadium, Randall's Island, East River, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

'Anthony Quinn' did this film when Lawrence of Arabia (1962) went on a two month hiatus between October and December of 1961. The film was released before "Lawrence" came out.

Quotes:

Louis 'Mountain' Rivera: Mountain Rivera was no punk. Mountain Rivera was almost the Heavyweight Champion of the World!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Happy Days: Requiem for a Malph (#5.12)" (1977)

Equal in quality to the Teleplay.

This Rod Serling written story originally was televised on the old CBS Playhouse 90 program which was live TV. This film produced by David Susskind sticks pretty much to the Playhouse 90 version with a few variations and a couple of characters. Anthony Quinn seems more like a heavyweight than Jack Palance did for one thing and the individual that Maish Rennick is in debt to is also more colorful than in the Teleplay. Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and Julie Harris are as good in their roles as the actors who were in the Teleplay. The ending is slightly different and I found it to have more stark realism than the Teleplay. Check out the fighter that Mountain is in the ring with when the film starts.