The Final Test

The Final Test
Directed by Anthony Asquith
Written by Terence Rattigan
Starring Jack Warner
Robert Morley
Ray Jackson
Music by Benjamin Frankel
Cinematography William McLeod
Edited by Helga Cranston
Distributed by General Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
 14 August 1953
Running time
 90 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

The Final Test is a 1953 British sports film written by Terence Rattigan, directed by Anthony Asquith, and starring Jack Warner, Robert Morley, George Relph and Ray Jackson.[1] A number of leading cricketers also appear including Denis Compton, Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook. The film was produced by R.J. Minney for Act Films Ltd.[2]

Plot

The film is a comedy drama, set around leading cricketer Sam Palmer's last appearance for England. He desperately wants his son to be there at The Oval to witness this, but the son is more concerned with meeting a leading poet Alexander Whitehead. Whitehead, it turns out, is more interested in cricket.[3] Whitehead takes Reggie along to the match, in time to see Sam get out for a duck.

Cast

The England cricketers Len Hutton, Denis Compton, Alec Bedser, Godfrey Evans, Jim Laker and Cyril Washbrook appear as themselves with John Arlott providing the match commentary.

Genesis

The writer Terence Rattigan was an excellent cricketer in his school days. He played opening batsman for the Harrow Eleven, often in partnership with Victor Rothschild, and in 1929 he represented Harrow at Lord's in the annual match against Eton College. He originally wrote The Final Test - his first play for television - in 1951; partly as a tribute to Sir Donald Bradman, who was out for a duck in his final test in 1948.[4][5] That production was directed by Royston Morley and starred Patrick Barr as Sam Palmer.[6]

As with almost all of Rattigan's plays, the theme of the relationship between father and son, and the tension between parental expectations and the son's driving force leading him in different directions, is explored.

It was filmed in 1953, directed by Anthony Asquith.

Critical reception

In The Spectator, Virginia Graham wrote, "Often witty, always undeviatingly amiable, this is a delightful film, a simple friendly film full of national jokes which, as no other country could possibly share them, give one the comfortable relaxed feeling of being at home and liking it there";[7] Sky Cinema wrote, "It's difficult to imagine that this little film packed London's huge Odeon, Leicester Square, in its day, but it did";[8] Leonard Maltin called it a "Droll, minor comedy";[9] The New York Times wrote, "Perhaps the cognoscenti will not call "The Final Test" cricket, but it definitely adds up to fun";[10] and more recently, The Guardian called it "Britain's only significant cricket picture."[11]

Media releases

The film was released on Region 2 DVD on 6 August 2007.[12]

References

  1. ↑ The Final Test on IMDb
  2. ↑ Action! Fifty Years in the Life of a Union. Published: 1983 (UK). Publisher: ACTT. ISBN 0 9508993 0 5. ACT Films Limited - Ralph Bond p81 (producer listed as R J Minney) - "ACT Films was, of course, anxious to make more first features with bigger budgets and more shooting time. The opportunity came in 1952 when Terence Rattigan offered us his script for The Final Test..."
  3. ↑ "The Final Test (1953)".
  4. ↑ "Terence Rattigan on television — and DVD". 1 August 2011.
  5. ↑ "The Final Test – review - cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times.
  6. ↑ "The Final Test (1951)".
  7. ↑ "CINEMA » 10 Apr 1953 » The Spectator Archive".
  8. ↑ "The Final Test".
  9. ↑ "Final Test, The (1953) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  10. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0DE7D7173AE53BBC4E51DFB766838F649EDE
  11. ↑ Parkinson, David (24 August 2009). "If only Ashes-inspired cinema was as triumphant as real-life" – via www.theguardian.com.
  12. ↑ "The Final Test". 6 August 2007 – via Amazon.
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