The Compartment is a 1961 British TV drama. Written by Johnny Speight, it was a two-hander starring Michael Caine and Frank Finlay. Caine played a young beatnik musician and Finlay played a middle-aged businessman. The two characters are confined to a train compartment together on a half-hour journey and Caine's musician begins to resent the older man.[1]
| The Compartment | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Johnny Speight |
| Directed by | John McGrath |
| Starring | |
| Original release | |
| Release | 22 August 1961 |
The play was crucial to Michael Caine's career because it was highly acclaimed and increased his visibility. It also led to him being signed by a new agent, Denis Selinger, and to being offered a number of other TV jobs.[2][3]
According to Caine, there is no existing recording of this programme. The BBC told him that the tape used for the broadcast was re-used, a common practice on some networks in the early days of television.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Sir Michael Caine says BBC taped over TV drama that launched his career". Press Association at The Daily Telegraph. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ Michael Caine biography at Michaelcaine.com
- ^ Michael Caine, The Elephant to Hollywood, Hachette 2010 accessed 14 December 2014
- ^ “with Michael Caine and Tom Courtenay,” Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review. Sept. 7, 2018.