The Square Ring (Play of the Week)

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The Square Ring (Play of the Week) - Wikipedia

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"The Square Ring"
Play of the Week episode
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 40
Directed by	Bill Hitchcock
Written by	Jessica Morton
Based on	The Square Ring by Ralph Peterson
Original air date	2 June 1959 (1959-06-02)
Running time	90 mins

"The Square Ring" is a 1959 British TV play for Play of the Week with Sean Connery. It was based on a 1952 stage play by Ralph Peterson that had been turned into a British film in 1953.^[1]

Premise

Several boxers share a dressing room in a boxing stadium over one night.

Cast

George Baker as Docker Starkie
Sean Connery as Rick Martell
Alan Bates as Eddie Burke
David Davies as Danny Felton
Alfred Burke as Frank Ford
Thomas Heathcote as Sailor Johnston
Percy Herbert as Rowdie Rawlings
Vic Wise as Joe
Harry Landis as Happy Coombes
Arthur Gomez as the manager
David Waller as the doctor
Neil McCarthy as Watty

Production

George Baker wrote in his memoirs that he was surprised and delighted to receive the offer to play Docker, as it was a character part. When he met director Bill Hitchcock he realised that Hitchcock actually wanted Stanley Baker but had sent it to George by mistake. However, George Baker played the role as he really wanted to do it.^[2]

The programme was produced by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network.^[3]

Reception

The Birmingham Mail called Baker's performance a "remarkable transformation".^[4] The Daily Telegraph said it was "a tough uncomprising play" with "excellent performances".^[5]

Variety magazine thought it was a better adaptation of the play than the 1953 film version calling it:

One of the best legit offerings yet to hit the commercial networks and provided punchy, if not entirely socko, entertainment ... A supremely professional job of plotting and characterization, the piece showed the fault on the small screen, of being overweight in its philosophizing and ruminating about the hopeless lot of boxers after age 29 or thereabouts... Acting champ was undoubtedly Thomas Heathcote as the punch-sodden Sailor; it was a fine performance that ducked all dangers of gimmicking by mannerism. Harry Landis was in Heathcote’s class... while Alan Bates jabbed in some telling work as the novice. If George Baker, as Docker, didn’t entirely succeed, that was scarcely his fault...Sean Connery came over competently ... Direction was smooth and unaffected, saving its “touches” for just the right moments.^[6]

References

^ Vagg, Stephen (January 3, 2022). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: The Square Ring and Night of the Ding Dong". Filmink.
^ Baker, George (2002). The way to Wexford : the autobiography. Headline. pp. 198–199.
^ "The Square Ring (1959)". BFI. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on October 7, 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
^ "A play for the minority". The Birmingham Mail. 3 June 1959. p. 3.
^ "Harsh look at the fight game". The Daily Telegraph. 3 June 1959. p. 12.
^ "The Square Ring". Variety. 10 June 1959. p. 42.

External links

"The Square Ring" at IMDb
"The Square Ring" at BFI

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