Baseball purists objected to his unconvincing on-the-field action,               but--technical matters aside--Anthony Perkins gives one of his best, most        emotional performances in this film based on the life of baseball great Jimmy    Piersall and his battle with mental illness. Karl Malden is also at his best   as Piersall's father, whose demanding ways eventually lead to his son's        breakdown. A fine and unjustly overlooked drama that marked the directorial    debut of Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird).                          Robert Mulligan---USA---1957---100 mins.