The Browning Version

Summary

1966 Associated Television production of The Browning Version by Terence Rattigan.

Theatre play

The Browning Version by Terence Rattigan (1911-1977) [more information]

Play synopsis

The play is about the last few days in the career of Andrew Crocker-Harris, an ageing classics teacher at a British public school. The man’s academic life is fading away following illness and he feels that he has become obsolete.

Production history

First performed on 8 September 1948 at the Phoenix Theatre, London, in a joint performance with Rattigan’s Harlequinade. Wikipedia tells us that: ‘It was subsequently made into two film versions, and at least four made-for-television versions. The original 1951 film version, starring Michael Redgrave as Crocker-Harris, won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival, one for Rattigan’s screenplay, the other for Redgrave’s performance. It was remade in 1994, starring Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Modine, Julian Sands and young Ben Silverstone. A British television version was made in 1955, starring Peter Cushing as Crocker-Harris. John Frankenheimer directed John Gielgud in a 1959 television version for CBS. In 1960, Maurice Evans repeated his Broadway role for CBC television under the sponsorship of Ford of Canada in their Startime series. Another made-for-TV version in 1985 starred Ian Holm as the main character for the BBC’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Browning_Version_%28play%29).

Date of transmission

Monday 25 April 1966

Time

9.40-11.00pm

Series

Play of the Week

Channel

ITV

Production company

Associated Television (ATV, 1955-1982)

Credits

Director

John Nelson Burton

Producer

Cecil Clarke

Playwright

Terence Rattigan (1911-1977)

Designer

Alan Pickford

Cast

Brenda Bruce	Millie Crocker-Harris
Michael Bryant	Frank Hunter
Michael Hordern	Andrew Crocker-Harris
Carolyn Montage	Mrs Gilbert
John Westbrook	The Headmaster
Christopher Williams	Mr Gilbert
Christopher Witty	John Taplow

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

ageing; schools, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

TV Times, 21 April 1966 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article, p. 11, with image; listing, p. 27