This Sporting Life
“He only believed in strength - love was a word he hadn't the power to say.”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Digitally Remastered This Sporting Life (3rd November 2008)Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2008-10-10
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Richard Harris
Frank Machin
Rachel Roberts
Mrs. Margaret Hammond
Alan Badel
Gerald Weaver
William Hartnell
'Dad' Johnson
Colin Blakely
Maurice Braithwaite
Vanda Godsell
Mrs Anne Weaver
Anne Cunningham
Judith
Jack Watson
Len Miller
Arthur Lowe
Charles Slomer
Harry Markham
Wade
George Sewell
Jeff
Leonard Rossiter
Phillips, Sports Writer
Katherine Parr
Mrs Farrer
Bernadette Benson
Lynda Hammond
Andrew Nolan
Ian Hammond
Peter Duguid
Doctor
Wallas Eaton
Waiter
Anthony Woodruff
Tom, Head Waiter
Release History & Theatrical Window
July 16, 1963
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 28, 2008
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$286K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Lindsay Anderson
- Screenplay & Story
- David Storey
- Original Score
- Roberto Gerhard
- Original Title
- This Sporting Life
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 14m
- Production Budget
- $286K
- Production Studios
- Julian Wintle/Leslie Parkyn Productions, J. Arthur Rank Organisation, Independent Artists
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Lindsay Anderson
David Storey
Roberto Gerhard
Denys N. Coop
Peter Taylor
Karel Reisz
Department Leadership Roster
Lindsay Anderson
Director
David Storey
Screenplay
Peter Taylor
Editor
Karel Reisz
Producer
Roberto Gerhard
Original Music Composer
Denys N. Coop
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Suitable only for 12 years and over.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for This Sporting Life.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring This Sporting Life.
The Exceptionally Cute Side-Eye Flashing Flickers Project 2026 🫣 🐻❄️
A representation of everything I watched in 2026 -- named by the adorable and effervescent Floofy Miss Lucy!
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
ALLL MOVIESSS
Movies - Live Action
list0
Periodic import List
Similar Titles to This Sporting Life
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.4
7.0
7.5
7.0
8.3
8.7
8.2
8.1
7.4
8.1
6.0
6.8
6.6
7.5
6.9
7.8
7.0
7.9
More Like This Sporting Life
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Sporting Life
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is This Sporting Life about?
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.
Who directed This Sporting Life?
This Sporting Life was directed by Lindsay Anderson.
Who stars in This Sporting Life?
The principal cast of This Sporting Life includes Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel, William Hartnell, Colin Blakely.
When was This Sporting Life released and how long is it?
This Sporting Life was released in 1963 with a total runtime of 2h 14m.
Who composed the musical score for This Sporting Life?
The original motion picture soundtrack for This Sporting Life was composed by Roberto Gerhard.
Is This Sporting Life based on a book or true story?
This Sporting Life is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "David Storey".
What is the age rating and content advisory for This Sporting Life?
This Sporting Life holds official age classifications: GB: 12 (Suitable only for 12 years and over.).