He only believed in strength - love was a word he hadn't the power to say.
In early 1960s Northern England, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver.
This Sporting Life (1963) is a drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson, released on February 7, 1963 with a runtime of 2h 14m. It stars Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel and William Hartnell. Viewers rate it 7.0 out of 10 across 126 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for This Sporting Life before you stream it.
Richard Harris
as Frank Machin
Rachel Roberts
as Mrs. Margaret Hammond
Alan Badel
as Gerald Weaver
William Hartnell
as 'Dad' Johnson
Colin Blakely
as Maurice Braithwaite
Vanda Godsell
as Mrs Anne Weaver
Anne Cunningham
as Judith
Jack Watson
as Len Miller
Arthur Lowe
as Charles Slomer
Harry Markham
as Wade
George Sewell
as Jeff
Leonard Rossiter
as Phillips, Sports Writer
Directed by Lindsay Anderson, written by David Storey and David Storey, produced by Karel Reisz.
Average viewer score of 7.0/10 from 126 ratings.
It's about time you took that rock of weight off your shoulders. This Sporting Life is directed by Lindsay Anderson and written by David Storey. It stars Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel, William Hartnell, Colin Blakely, Vanda Godsell and Anne Cunningham. Music is by Roberto Gerhard and cinematography by Denys Coop. Frank Machin (Harris) gets the opportunity to utilise his brute strength and angry nature…
Reviewed on September 26, 2014
Richard Harris is on great form here as the aspiring rugby league player "Frank" in a northern English town who is about to hit the big time. An enormous payment of £1,000 is offered and that's going to change not just his life, but possibly that of his landlady "Mrs. Hammond" (Rachel Roberts). She's quite a distant widow who keeps a low profile but he's interested in her, despite her dour exterior. Yes, in a…
Reviewed on January 7, 2025
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This Sporting Life (1963) is available to stream on Criterion Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of This Sporting Life (1963) includes Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel, William Hartnell and Colin Blakely. The film was directed by Lindsay Anderson. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
This Sporting Life was released on February 7, 1963 and runs for 2h 14m.
This Sporting Life (1963) holds an average rating of 7.0 out of 10 from 126 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official This Sporting Life trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
