The Browning Version

Summary

1955 BBC 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

Tuesday 12 July 1955

Time

9.30-10.30pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Campbell Logan

Playwright

Terence Rattigan (1911-1977)

Designer

Barry Learoyd

Cast

George Curzon	Dr Frobisher
Peter Cushing	Andrew Crocker-Harris
Michael Gwynn	Frank Hunter
Joyce Heron	Millie Crocker-Harris
Ronald Howard	Peter Gilbert
Delena Kidd	Mrs Gilbert
Andrew Ray	John Taplow

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

ageing; schools, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 8 July 1955 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, article and image on p. 26