REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT

The CBS PLAYHOUSE 90 showcased some of the best acting, directing, and writing talents of the ‘50s. John Frankenheimer crafted his skills there early on, and writer Rod Serling’s greatest story, “REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT” made its debut there as well, winning numerous Emmy awards.  6 Years later Emmy winners Serling and director Ralph Nelson brought their work to the silver screen. The heart-wrenching, powerful drama stars Anthony Quinn stars as a boxer whose lengthy career is coming to an end, after being severely hurt in the ring by a young Muhammed Ali(Cassius Clay).  Warned that even a single blow could leave him blind, Quinn fights the limitations that his lack of education has caused, and takes a rewarding job as a summer camp counselor.  Unfortunately, Quinn’s boxing manager(Jackie Gleason) wants to exploit him by putting him in phony wrestling matches.   Gleason doesn’t want Quinn to succeed in his new life, if it holds him back from making money on him.  The moral dilemma for Quinn is deciding whether or not to literally take a dive so Gleason can make some money out of it. 

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has preserved the film’s 1.85:1 aspect ratio with 16:9 enhancement.  The black&white film looks excellent!  There’s incredible shadow detail here. Blacks and grays are perfectly distinguishable in every instance.  There are some minor instances of spots on screen, but they’re so minute, it’s easy to overlook them.  COLUMBIA TRISTAR has included a full-frame version on the other side which is useless. 

The Dolby Digital monaural track is also a real accomplishment.  The fidelity is excellent, with dialogue always sounding perfect and free from distortion. This is a dialogue-heavy film and it’s great to hear every word so clearly.