Bodyline (1984– )

Dramatization of the 1932/33 Test cricket series between England and Australia. Played in Australia, the series gained notoriety in Australian and worldwide cricketing history for the fact ... See full summary »

Stars:

Hugo Weaving, Gary Sweet, Jim Holt

Cast

Series cast summary:
Hugo Weaving	...	Douglas Jardine (7 episodes, 1984)
Gary Sweet	...	Donald Bradman (7 episodes, 1984)
Jim Holt	...	Harold Larwood (7 episodes, 1984)
Rhys McConnochie	...	Pelham Warner (7 episodes, 1984)
John Gregg	...	Percy George Fender (7 episodes, 1984)
Heather Mitchell	...	Edith (7 episodes, 1984)
John Walton	...	Bill Woodfull (7 episodes, 1984)

Storyline

Dramatization of the 1932/33 Test cricket series between England and Australia. Played in Australia, the series gained notoriety in Australian and worldwide cricketing history for the fact that the English team (headed by captain Douglas Jardine) applied a bowling technique called "leg theory", or more commonly, Bodyline. This technique involved bowlers bowling the ball directly at the batsman's body, and resulted in many of the Australian team receiving numerous bruises and injuries, with batsman Bert Oldfield sustaining a cracked skull. The series generated much anger and resentment towards the English team within Australia and seriously damaged Anglo-Australian cricketing relations at the time.

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Plot Keywords:

australia | batsman | bowling | bowler | negative bowling | 

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Taglines:

The day England declared war on Australia.

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Genres:

Drama | History | Sport

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Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 1984 (Australia)

Filming Locations:

Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kennedy Miller Productions, Network Ten

Technical Specs

Runtime:

330 min 330 min (7 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

In Episode 5, TW Wall is shown being bowled by WR Hammond, when in fact he was given out LBW.

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Quotes

Australian Selector (Aubrey): People are reluctant to part with their money, and they certainly won't do so, if they can't watch Bradman.
Australian Selector (Robertson): The game is more important than the individual. If we allow ourselves to be dictated to by players, who knows where it will end! One day matches for the convenience of the press, later starting times for the convenience of radio stations!

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Connections

Referenced in Top Gear Australia: Episode #2.7 (2009)

User Reviews

Dont you just love sentimental Aussies.

Bodyline was a good TV film. It gave the Australian Film Industry the chance to celebrate an Aussie "legend" and paint the poms as mean , vindictive and unsporting in a story centred around the events of 1932-33 Ashes series. Ian Holts, Harold Larwood was great and the actor who played Eddie Painter was a stunning portrayal of an often forgotten English cricket hero.Capt Douglas Jardine was portrayed as a racist and a man who would bend the rules to win at any cost.Whilst Capt Bill Woodfield was the great noble battler trying in vain to play the game against unscrupulous opponents. Bradman (played by Gary Sweet) is the hero , as he is bowled out 1st ball and then proceeds to try and get into journalism so he can get a career.Bradman is swiftly brought back into line and then proceeds to score the centuries he was famous for. Though the producer or director didn't delve into Bradmans popularity with his fellow players...An Aussie will know what I mean.

Tempers fly and International recriminations dog the tour , also the Australian attempt at fairness was the portrayal of Guppy Allen who wouldnt bowl Bodyline , so that the viewer was assured that not all poms are bad.. The sick in the bucket moment was when one of the Aussie cricketers was comparing there experience to there fathers experience in Gallipoli and then urged his players "to kop it sweet". After all the justifiable criticisms , this Made for TV Film should be welcome to any English home , because we just love sentimental Australians.