The Great Game

1953
1h 20m

ÉVALUATION IMDb

MA NOTE

Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueThe wealthy chairman of First Division Football Club, Burnville United, makes an unethical approach to a star player of another club, and the ensuing scandal costs him his job.The wealthy chairman of First Division Football Club, Burnville United, makes an unethical approach to a star player of another club, and the ensuing scandal costs him his job.The wealthy chairman of First Division Football Club, Burnville United, makes an unethical approach to a star player of another club, and the ensuing scandal costs him his job.

Director
- Maurice Elvey
Writers
- Basil Thomas
- Wolfgang Wilhelm
Stars

Voir l’information sur la production à IMDbPro

ÉVALUATION IMDb

6,0/10

146

MA NOTE

Director
- Maurice Elvey
Writers
- Basil Thomas
- Wolfgang Wilhelm
Stars

Voir l’information sur la production à IMDbPro

Photos124

+ 119

Commentaires des utilisateurs5

6,0146

Avis en vedette

7boblipton

The Business of Football

James Hayter is in charge of the local football club, and it's a team in the First Division. It's also in last place, and about to be dropped to the Second Division. Ignoring his faltering printing business, he looks around for talent, and in walks Glyn Houston, who wants to marry Sheila Shand Gibbs, the least competent member of his staff. Houston is a leading player on a poorly funded team, so Hayter buys his contract, blesses the union, and thinks his troubles are over. They're not. The people in charge of the other team let slip that Hayter recruited Houston, and a scandal erupts.

Maurice Elvey's movie is centered on the economic paradoxes of football in the era. The players are nominally amateur, so while his contract is worth £20,000, he takes home £14 a week for working in Hayter's printing business, which also makes a lot of money off the contract for programs.

Diana Dors is second-billed as a mercenary young woman, and Thora Hird has a sizable role as the effective manager of the shop. There's a bit of HOBSON'S CHOICE in the story, and some favorite actors, like John Laurie and Frank Pettingell to liven the confusion.

6malcolmgsw

Not Much has changed then

This film was made at Brentford FC in 1953 when i believe that they were either a Division 2 or Division Three South Club.I went to watch matches at Brentford at the sixties and nothing much had changed of the stadium in the intervening period.The same could be said for the story.This is about the tapping up of a star player by the chairman of another club.Read Barcelona and Ces Fabregas as the modern equivalent and you will know what i mean.Interestingly enough there is a little speech by the stars wife which echoes the Bosman case.She asks the chairman why they don't pay less for transfers so that they can pay more to the player ,which of course now happens on a regular basis.At the end of the film James Hayter talks out loud of other sports he can get into.He comes up with floodlit cricket....on ice.Well almost right.A fascinating film well worth a view.

10richardchatten

Shooting Star

Maurice Elvey brings his usual bloodless competence to this tinny Adelphi quickie depicting the national obsession with football as it affects the employees of a printing firm.

This motley collection includes a young Diana Dors in her days as a plump femme fatale, Thora Hird as the former non-believer whose interjections "Even if he was offside I think he deserved to be offered a goal!" and "Aw, what a pity it's all over!" when it's still only half shows that she hasn't yet quite the hang of it; with Sheila Shand-Gibbs as the beauty among this particular collection of beasts.

In a supporting role John Laurie rolls his eyes something painful; while James Hayter's exhortation to his team "Whad'ya think we pay you fourteen quid a week for?" shows what an awfully long time ago this all was.

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Citations
Joe Lawson: Now, you're getting married on Wednesday week, right?
Joe Lawson: That's right, Sir.
Joe Lawson: Right. Well now off you go on your honeymoon, and you can tell Mavis she can have the rest of that week off - with pay of course - and then we'll see you in London on Saturday morning.
Ned Rutter: In London, on Saturday, Sir?
Joe Lawson: Aha, we're playing Chelsea, you know; got to have you for that of course. And then on the Monday morning, when you return here, you'll start working for me. I'll tell you what I'll do - I'll start you off in the packing department.
Ned Rutter: That's very kind of you, Sir. Can I tell Mavis, Sir?
Joe Lawson: By all means.
Joe Lawson: [Mavis has come in] Ah, Mavis, enjoy your tea? We've got some wonderful news for you.
Mavis Pink: [to Ned] Have you been transferred, Dear?
Joe Lawson: If all goes well.
Ned Rutter: You'll never guess the fee!
Mavis Pink: How much?
Ned Rutter: Oh, about twenty thousand.
Mavis Pink: What? Pounds?
Ned Rutter: Yes, Love.
Mavis Pink: How much do you make on that?
Ned Rutter: Nothing.
Joe Lawson: You don't understand, Mavis. It's nothing to do with Ned really. It's just a deal between the two clubs.
Mavis Pink: Oh, oh, I see. So you hand over twenty thousand pounds and Ned Stops playing for Monktown Rovers and starts playing for you.
Joe Lawson: Exactly!
Mavis Pink: Mr. Lawson, I know I'm dense but I still don't follow. I can see what the Rovers get out of it, and I can see what you get out of it. What I can't see is what Ned gets out of it.
Joe Lawson: He gets fourteen pounds a week just for playing football and I'd say for a young fellow, he's doing pretty well for himself.