Fear Strikes Out 1957

Bosley Crowther, New York Times: Mr. Perkins plays the young fellow excellently, not only conveying the gathering torment but also actually looking like a ballplayer on the field. Read more

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader: Absorbing, but rather clinical, in the rubber-gloves style of 50s television drama. Read more

Ty Burr, Entertainment Weekly: Fear holds up well, and the climactic showdown between father and son offers a tremendously appealing resolution. Read more

TIME Magazine: Fear Strikes Out rolls Frank Merriwell and Sigmund Freud into a ball and then lines it out for a solid hit. Read more

Time Out: It's a little poky and tentative, but a promising start by the Pakula-Mulligan team. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: Anthony Perkins, in the young Piersall role, delivers a remarkably sustained performance of a sensitive young man, pushed too fast to the limits of his ability to cope with life's pressures. Read more