Small Town Story

BFI Most Wanted: the hunt for Britain's missing films

Directed by Montgomery Tully, 1953

Dastardly deeds are afoot to stop a provincial small town football team's ambition to win promotion to the English Third Division.

Tony Warren (Donald Houston) watches footballer Bob Regan (Kent Walton) turning the tables on the villainous Nick Hammond's hapless assistant (Michael Balfour).

Credits

Director Production Company Producer Original Story Script Photography Music	Montgomery Tully Almanack Film Productions Otto Kreisler Franz Marischka, Maurice Weissberger George Fisher Jo Jago Eric Spear
Cast: Susan Shaw (Patricia Lane), Donald Houston (Tony Warren), Alan Wheatley (Nick Hammond), Kent Walton (Bob Regan), Denis Compton (himself), George Merritt (Michael Collins).
69 mins, 6,227 feet, sound, black & white.

Why are we so keen to find it?

It's a rare football-related thriller, directed by the prolific Montgomery Tully - a director whose reputation is undergoing some reassessment. And it has a surprise lead in Kent Walton, best known as a wrestling commentator for over 30 years on ITV's World of Sport, but also, under pseudonyms such as Elton Hawke (a name he shared with Crossroads co-creator Hazel Adair), a producer of 1970s low-budget 'exploitation' features such as Clinic Xclusive (1972) and Can You Keep It Up for a Week? (1974). The film also features appearances from international football and cricket legend Denis Compton, sports commentator Raymond Glendenning and members of the Arsenal and Millwall football teams.

What's it about?

Bob Regan, a talented footballer, returns to England from Canada to find Pat Lane, a woman he fell in love with while serving in the Air Force. He meets up with an old friend, Mike Collins, who is managing a local football team, Oldchester FC. Regan discovers that Oldchester will inherit a substantial sum of money from the club's late benefactor if they win promotion to the Third Division. Regan decides to help his friend Mike by playing as centre forward for Oldchester. Nick Hammond, the benefactor's nephew, will inherit the money if the club fails and plots to jeopardise Oldchester's chances by any means. Hammond is engaged to Pat and pays her £5,000 to 'play' Regan and lure him away to London. In London, Regan contacts his wartime friend Denis Compton about a trial for Arsenal. Thanks to the intervention of Tony Warren, another of Pat's beaux, Regan discovers the truth and returns to Oldchester. Hammond is not finished with his plotting and kidnaps Regan at gunpoint during a football match. Regan is rescued and returns to the field midway through the second half. Oldchester win the match and are elected to the Third Division.

Last seen?

The film was released in the UK on 21 December 1953. Given the subject matter, it may not have been a very likely candidate for export to the United States.

What else do we know about it?

Very little has been written about the film save in publicity material and contemporary reviews (see below). As well as the football scenes of 'Oldchester' and Arsenal, the film also includes scenes from the nets at Middlesex County Cricket Club, featuring cricketers Sid Brown and Jack Young. According to a script held in the BFI's Special Collections, the story is based on an idea by producer Otto Kreisler and is set in 1947. Small Town Story appears to have been overlooked in most lists of 'football' films - even on Arsenal's own website.

Does anything survive?

There are several production stills, posters, a press book and scripts.

Reviews

Contemporary reviews were mostly dismissive. Kinematograph Weekly found it hardest to resist the football puns, describing it as "so-so quota support. The acting is very second eleven. Anaemic penny blood, it barely rises above satchel-club.... It's definitely off-side, anyway as far as the feminine fan is concerned". The Monthly Film Bulletin, meanwhile, was equally disparaging, but did compliment the football photography: "the film may find sympathy among incorrigible football fans (the matches are neatly staged and efficiently photographed) but the inadequacy of both script and direction severely limits its appeal".

Kathleen Luckey, Curator (Television), BFI National Archive

You can find more about British films of the early 1950s, including entries on surviving films and video clips for users in UK schools, colleges, universities and public libraries, at BFI Screenonline. You can also view similar titles at the BFI Mediatheques.