Requiem for a Heavyweight was originally a 1956 American teleplay written by Rod Serling (creator of The Twilight Zone) and produced for the live television show Playhouse 90 on 11 October 1956, then was later filmed as a movie starring Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, and Mickey Rooney in 1962.

The teleplay won a Peabody Award, the first given to an individual script, and helped establish Serling’s reputation. The broadcast was directed by Ralph Nelson and is generally considered one of the most famous examples of live television drama in the United States, as well as being Serling’s personal favorite of his own work.

Jack Palance portrays Harlan ‘Mountain’ McClintock, a once-promising but now washed-up boxer who faces the end of his career after he is savagely defeated by a younger boxer. Keenan Wynn portrays McClintock’s manager Maish; Keenan’s father Ed plays McClintock’s cut man, Army.

McClintock is suffering from Dementia pugilistica or “punch drunk syndrome” — brain damage caused by his career. A fight doctor refuses to certify McClintock for further boxing, saying that another rough match could blind or even kill him. Boxing is all McClintock has ever known, and he’s both terrified of trying something new, and intensely loyal to Maish, who has nurtured him from his youth. Maish has troubles of his own, however: he owes money to the Mafia, and tried to raise funds by betting against McClintock.

Kim Hunter plays Grace Carney, an employment agency worker who tries to help the boxer make a transition to a new career. Maish persuades the boxer to turn to professioanl wrestling, though McClintock is proud that he never had a fixed fight, and is uncomfortable with the staged, predetermined wrestling match.

Army disapproves of Maish’s plans, and refuses to be a part of them. Just before he’s scheduled to go into the wrestling ring in a humiliating mountain man costume, McClintock learns of Maish’s betting against him, and parts ways with his manager and mentor. Though he feels that boxing can ruin men’s lives, Maish finds another promising young boxer to train. McClintock takes a chance on working with children atsummer camp.

Serling and Palance were both experienced boxers, which might help explain why Requiem was so authentic and effective, although there was very little boxing depicted in the broadcast.

Requiem for a Heavyweight – Playhouse 90 Rod Serling’s best script

Cast

Jack Palance… Harlan ‘Mountain’ McClintock Keenan Wynn … Maish Kim Hunter … Grace Carney Ed Wynn … Army Joe Abdullah … Fight Announcer Max Baer … Mike Eddie Cantor … Host Ted Christy … Wrestler Karl ‘Killer’ Davis … Wrestler Ned Glass … Bartender Young Jack Johnson … Champ Lyn Osborn … Photographer Ivan Rasputin … Wrestler Frank Richards … Fighter in Bar Max Rosenbloom … Steve

• Winner of 5 Emmy Awards in 1956, including: Best New Program Series, Best Single Program, Best Single Performance (Palance), Best Direction, and best Teleplay (Serling).

deletereply skeezicks1957 wrote on Apr 9, ’08 Excellent selection. The main component of growing older gracefully is to recognize and accept your growing list of limitations and compensate for them. Whatever you almost were – the heavy weight champion of the world – or something less exciting – we physically and mentally have to change and adjust our goals and tasks as time passes.

deletereply philsgal7759 wrote on Apr 9, ’08 Didn’t know Serling was a boxer Great choice. Is this available on DVD

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Apr 9, ’08 Narice, I really don’t know, but I like to rent it myself. I have seen this and the movie it was made into with Anthony Quinn. Excellent acting. This is considered to be Rod Serling’s finest work. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Rod Serling had quite an interesting life-maybe I’ll dust off my old post about him. I think you’d enjoy it.