The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
A rebellious youth is sentenced to a boys' reformatory for bakery robbery, and he climbs the institution's ranks by impressing its Governor with his prowess as a long-distance runner. He is encouraged to compete in an upcoming race, but he faces ridicule from his peers.
Director(s)
Ray Austin
Peter Duguid
Philip Martin
Tony Richardson
John Danischewsky
Basil Rayburn
Andrew Mollo
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Reviews
CinemaSerf
Tom Courtenay is superb as "Colin Smith" who, along with his pal "Mike" (James Bolam) spends much of his time committing petty crimes to alleviate the boredom of his life. When his father dies, his rather venal mother (Avis Bunnage) can't wait for the insurance money; hooks up almost immediately with another man and this all serves to push "Colin" further into his criminal activities. He is eventually apprehended after robbing a bakery and sent to a reformatory where warden Michael Redgrave spots his abilities as a runner. Determined to help the boy from his path of self-destruction the two begin an uneasy relationship that continues after his release when he must race for his school against a neighbouring private school that has advantage and privilege. It is a superbly paced, considerately directed rite-of-passage story; a young man facing indifference from family and society who lucks out, to some extent, with an authority figure who actually gives a damn. At times bleak, it offers quite an interesting insight into the (lack of) opportunity for many in early sixties Britain. The performances are strong, based on good, solid writing supported well by a few now familiar faces - Edward & James Fox; Frank Finlay and Derek Fowlds.
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The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner FAQs
The directors of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner are Ray Austin, Peter Duguid, Philip Martin, Tony Richardson, John Danischewsky, Basil Rayburn, and Andrew Mollo.
The cast of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner includes Corin Redgrave as Spectator at Sports Day (uncredited), Peter Madden as Mr. Smith (uncredited), Victor Harrington as Army Officer at Sports Day (uncredited), Jim Brady as Man in Cafe (uncredited), Joe Robinson as Roach, Alec McCowen as Brown, House Master, Edward Fox as Extra (uncredited), James Bolam as Mike, Derek Fowlds as Borstal Inmate (uncredited), Frank Finlay as Booking Office Clerk (uncredited), Michael Redgrave as Ruxton Towers Reformatory Governor, Ernest Blyth as Army Officer at Sports Day (uncredited), and more.
The duration of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is 1h 44 mins.
Yes. You can watch the The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
You can watch The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner on Tubi TV (Ads). Check this Fanbiz page for the latest platforms.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner was released on 20 Sep 1962.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is listed under Drama on Fanbiz.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 7.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "Tom Courtenay is superb as "Colin Smith" who, along with his pal "Mike" (James Bolam) spends much of his time committing petty crimes to alleviate the boredom of his life. When..."
