FEVER PITCH
US, 1985, 95 minutes, Colour.
Ryan O'Neal, Catherine Hicks, Giancarlo Giannini, Chad Everett, John Saxon, William Smith, Patrick Cassidy.
Directed by Richard Brooks.
Fever Pitch is about gambling - with a moral touch. It was written and directed by veteran Richard Brooks (writing Crossfire as well as writing and directing such films as In Cold Blood, The Professionals, Looking for Mr Goodbar).
Ryan O'Neal is energetic in the central role, though doesn't look as affected by gambling as he might be. There is an unusual supporting cast, including Catherine Hicks and Giancarlo Giannini. The film uses Los Angeles and Las Vegas locations. A strange mixture.
1.Gambling? Moral? Identifying with the characters? Their struggles? Reformation?
2.California and Las Vegas settings, the casinos? Editing and style, collages? Musical score?
3.The title and its application to Steve Taggart? The other gamblers?
4.Ryan O'Neal's portrait of Taggart: his career as a sportswriter, time and success, his wife and her helping him with his gambling debts, the accident and her death? His daughter, the boarding school, the outing to the carnival, his relationship with her, her finally coming to the Gamblers Anonymous meetings, setting up a trust for her? The editorial staff and their backing him? The articles, his research? Las Vegas, Frank and his guiding him around, wary about his attitude? The girl, her lucky streak, the $800, winning and losing? The money lender and his brutality? The bets, the fever? Observing the range of gamblers, identifying himself with Mr Green? The impersonal voice-over about Mr Green and his own experience? The would-be suicide and Taggart saving him, his selling the ticket and going back and winning? Charlie and his entourage, success, high stakes? The various thugs, the bashing, the chases and the shooting? His growing mania, his being persuaded to go to the ball player and persuade him to throw the match, the bet? Being shot at? His losses, the girl slapping him? Resignation from the paper? Researching the Gamblers Anonymous meetings, taking his daughter, finally admitting the truth? The finale and his winning the money, the lucky streak and the suspense, paying off his debts? The support of the man from Gamblers Anonymous? His daughter's future? The possibility of stopping? Frank, his friendliness, guiding him around the casinos, showing him how they worked, the surveillance on customers? The girl, sex, the help, the lucky streak, slapping him, helping him with his wins at the end, her going with Frank?
6.The people at the paper, the support, help, his resignation?
7.His daughter, the boarding school, the outing, going to Gamblers Anonymous?
8.The world of toughs, brutality, money lenders, high stakes, humiliation? Being chased in cars? Shoot-outs? Taggart's night in jail and being bailed out?
9.Charlie, the European gambler, suave, his winnings, bets, his muscle, his doubts at the end?
10.The portrait of the incidental gamblers, their background, money, winnings, losses?
11.The moralising tone of the film about gambling?
