Requiem for a Heavyweight : A Drama in Two Acts

by Rod Serling

While Serling's Kraft Theater teleplay, 'Patterns,' skyrocketed him amongst the elite writers of the Golden Age of Television, his Playhouse 90 script, 'Requiem for a Heavyweight,' cemented his position. This edition, for the first time ever, includes the original teleplay script and an insightful introduction by Mark Olshaker.Once again, Jack Gould of the New York Times raved, "Requiem for a Heavyweight by Rod Serling, presented last night on Playhouse 90, was a play of overwhelming force and tenderness. It was an artistic triumph that featured a performance of indescribable poignancy by Jack Palance in the part of the inarticulate has-been of the prize ring.Mr. Serling wrote a searing, inspired indictment of the worst side of the prize-fight game, the greedy mortals who live off the flesh and blood of helpless youths who want to be champions. His play depicted the utter brutality and inhumanity of a so-called sport that can leave men in the wreckage of their own punch-drunk double talk.The essential figure of Requiem for a Heavyweight was a fighter who fought once too often and was told by a physician that he could not continue. But his avaricious manager, having taken the boy's health, now covets his spirit; he wants to use him as a clown in a wrestling match.Only a compassionate second arranges for the towering man to take a train home to Tennessee; the fighter then has visions of making some use of his life after all. But on the train he shows a little boy how to box, and in the process he starts refighting his own past matches."The climax may have been a little obscure. It could have been interpreted that in helping the youth the fighter had found himself. Or that for some pugilists, there never is an escape from the ring. Either way, Mr. Serling's play had immense power and poetry, and is certain to win many a prize.Mr. Palance contributed a brilliant interpretation of the fighter. He projected the man's incoherence and bewilderment with a superb regard for details. To the huge and scar-ridden boxer he imparted a glowing and tragic humanness.Ed Wynn, in his debut in a straight drama, was very good as the second who put a man's pride before the purse. His son, Keenan Wynn, playing the ruthless manager, was not quite so successful; he seemed neither smooth nor mean enough to be entirely convincing. Maxie Rosenbloom had several very good scenes as the reigning monarch of the babbling hangers-on in a saloon patronized by former fighters.Mr. Serling and Mr. Palance contributed a notable evening of theater last night on Channel 2."Serling, who took up boxing during basic training, won seventeen fights as a flyweight but was knocked out in the third round of his eighteenth fight by a pro, ending his boxing career. Praised for having "the ring in his blood," Serling says,"In truth I had left a helluva a lot of my blood in several rings."

Genres: Plays, Fiction, Drama

Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling (December 25, 1924–June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone.

Reviews

[Bradley Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serling’s two-act drama, later adapted for a teleplay, is about promising but now washed-up prize fighter named “Mountain” McClintock who suffers from punch-drunk syndrome. After his last bout, Mountain is told by a doctor that he shouldn’t fight again due to risk of death. Unfortunately, Maish (Mountain’s manager), bet against Mountain and is in the hole for three grand. While Mountain tries to figure out what life has in store for him after a career in boxing, Maish has his own plans. Maish wants Mountain to take up wrestling to help earn enough money to free him from his gambling debts. Mountain wants a real job and to settle down with a nice woman. Maish tries to manipulate Mountain into pursuing wrestling suggesting that it’s all an act and won’t physically hurt him, but Mountain wants to be taken seriously and not be seen as a clown for people’s amusement. In the end, Mountain makes a decision he feels is the best for everyone.

[Sunny Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing I keep returning to with Serling’s work is just how easily it seems he was able to come up with these stories. I honestly can’t imagine writing Twilight Zone week-to-week and coming up with so many fascinating plots and genuinely effective moral fables. This teleplay is much more grounded than Twilight Zone, but it’s so focused and compelling that it feels at home with that side of his career and reminds me that nothing even approximating his work exists today. Can we please bring back Playhouse 90 lol?

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough to understand as a foundation of Serling's work, but (in a way, fortunately) not near the best of what he would produce.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the introduction, Bowsley Crothers (THE New York Times film critic from 1920s-1960s) refers to this as the first "pictoral novel." A bit of a backhanded compliment, but I understand what he means; all of Rod Serling's writing has a vivid, down-to-earth, not cinematic, but maybe "telematic" quality...think of the medium back when it held perhaps pretentious aspirations--world peace, being its own art form, etc. Cinematic, microscoped down to be and depict the little people (the human race.) Weep for a lost era with me.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

To survive you do what it takes.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but I need to re-read it. This was made into a Twilight Zone episode.

💥 Recommended.
🟣
📺