A juvenile offender (Sir Tom Courtenay) at a tough reform school impresses its Governor (Sir Michael Redgrave) with his running ability and is encouraged to compete in an upcoming race, but faces ridicule from his peers.
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Title: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Michael Redgrave | ... | Ruxton Towers Reformatory Governor | |
| Tom Courtenay | ... | Colin Smith | |
 |
Avis Bunnage | ... | Mrs. Smith |
| Alec McCowen | ... | Mr. Brown | |
| James Bolam | ... | Mike | |
| Joe Robinson | ... | Mr. Roach | |
|
|
Dervis Ward | ... | Detective |
|
|
Topsy Jane | ... | Audrey |
| Julia Foster | ... | Gladys | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (84) »
Storyline
A rebellious youth (Sir Tom Courtenay), sentenced to a boy's reformatory for robbing a bakery, rises through the ranks of the institution through his prowess as a long distance runner. During his solitary runs, reveries of his life and times before his incarceration lead him to re-evaluate his privileged status as the Governor's (Sir Michael Redgrave's) prize runner.
Plot Keywords:
working class | class differences | institutional governor | alienation | kitchen sink realism |Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
8 October 1962 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Rebel with a Cause See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1
Edit
Colin Smith: Running was always a big thing in our family, specially running away from the police. It's hard to understand. All I know is that you've got to run, running without knowing why, through fields and woods. And the winning post's no end, even though the barmy crowds might be cheering themselves daft. That's what the loneliness of a long distance runner feels like.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The romantic idyll on the beach at Skegness was filmed at Camber Sands, because it was closer to London. See more »Goofs
When the boys are doing gardening work, one character calls another "you mug" (meaning gullible idiot). In one subtitled version, this is transcribed as "you muppet", but the word "muppet" - meaning an idiot - was not in use when the film was made. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Colin Smith: Running was always a big thing in our family, specially running away from the police. It's hard to understand. All I know is that you've got to run, running without knowing why, through fields and woods. And the winning post's no end, even though the barmy crowds might be cheering themselves daft. That's what the loneliness of a long distance runner feels like.
See more »
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"Where the bloody hell have *you* been?" I'm sure this phrase appears in every black & white British 'kitchen sink' film of the time, usually asked by the exhausted mother or father of their wayward son. Colin Smith is a lad who is on the verge of becoming uncontrollable. Low-level crime and an aversion to authority make him every mother's nightmare. When his father dies and his mother takes up with a slimy fancy-man, Colin gets even worse and rebels. When he is convicted of burglary he is sent to Borstal and expected to bow down to the harsh routine, but his talent for running is spotted by the governor and he is encouraged to train for the inter-school Cup against the local 'posh' school. Will Colin do his duty? The film takes the unusual (for its time) structure of long flashbacks to Colin's home life while he is training. This is very effective and puts life into what could have been a rather dull film. There is one joyous scene in which Colin is first allowed out of the borstal gates to train - the sun is shining, we can almost smell the cool, fresh air and the soundtrack bursts into some glorious jazz trumpet. It's such an uplifting tune and so typical of its period that this film would be worth the price of the DVD just for this moment. Despite the depressing theme and grimy visuals, this film - made at the height of the 'gritty British drama' period of the 60's - is a delight.