- “Summer Under the Stars” – Tom Courtenay: On Aug. 26, TCM will be airing 11 titles featuring the angriest of all British angry men of the 1960s. Notable presentations include John Schlesinger’s Billy Liar and Tony Richardson’s The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.
TCM ‘Summer Under the Stars’ – Aug. 26: 11 Tom Courtenay movies, including Billy Liar, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Turner Classic Movies’ “Summer Under the Stars 2025” continues on Aug. 26 with 11 titles featuring Tom Courtenay, the raging young man of 1960s British cinema.
Notable presentations include John Schlesinger’s Billy Liar (in which he fantasizes about using a machine gun to mow down his parents), Tony Richardson’s The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (in which he willfully shatters reformatory Governor Michael Redgrave’s dreams of athletic glory), and Bryan Forbes’ King Rat (in which he despises and tries to bring down fellow prisoner-of-war George Segal).
Even as a Russian Courtenay was at odds with those around him. In David Lean’s 1965 blockbuster and TCM perennial Doctor Zhivago, Courtenay plays a communist idealist turned cold-blooded fanatic out to annihilate real and perceived enemies.
Doctor Zhivago earned Courtenay a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination. Eighteen years later, he would be shortlisted alongside fellow player Albert Finney in the Best Actor category for Peter Yates’ The Dresser.
The five titles mentioned above are all part of the TCM lineup, along with little-remembered releases like Private Potter, A Dandy in Aspic, and Otley. This is one “Summer Under the Stars” day in which just about every presentation is not to be missed. (See TCM’s Tom Courtenay movie schedule further below. Most titles will remain available for a while on the Watch TCM app.)
Tom Courtenay, whose recent credits include the acclaimed 45 Years and the television miniseries The North Water, turned 88 last Feb. 25. Following Terence Stamp’s death earlier this month, he is one of only two major British male stars of the 1960s who are still around, the other being Michael Caine (92 last March 14).
Below are brief comments about Tom Courtenay’s “Summer Under the Stars” movies.
Operation Crossbow (1965)
Michael Anderson’s World War II spy thriller Operation Crossbow was, at least to some extent, an attempt to cash in on the success of recent big-name WWII action dramas like The Guns of Navarone and The Longest Day. But things didn’t work out as planned.
As a member of Operation Crossbow’s lengthy all-star cast – Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Trevor Howard, Richard Johnson, Lilli Palmer, Anthony Quayle, etc. – Tom Courtenay is seen as a British agent passing for a Dutch sailor. But things didn’t work out as planned.
A Dandy in Aspic (1968)
In Anthony Mann’s frigid thriller A Dandy in Aspic,* Laurence Harvey and Tom Courtenay are, however uncomfortably, partnered as British spies out to find and “neutralize” a Soviet spy responsible for the deaths of several agents of the queen. Things, however, aren’t what they appear to be. Viewers, for their part, may have some trouble disentangling some of the plot elements.
Screenplay by Derek Marlowe, from his 1966 novel.
* Veteran filmmaker Anthony Mann (Raw Deal, The Naked Spur) suffered a fatal heart attack during filming, which was completed by Laurence Harvey.
Otley (1969)
In Dick Clement’s little-remembered comedy thriller Otley, Tom Courtenay stars as the titular drifter whose life takes a turn for the weird after he finds himself enmeshed with murderers and spies. Lovely Romy Schneider has the lead female role. But can she be trusted?
The Night of the Generals (1967)
Directed by veteran Oscar nominee Anatole Litvak (The Snake Pit, 1948), the World War II-set mystery drama and box office flop The Night of the Generals revolves around the investigation of the murder of a prostitute that was likely committed by one of three Nazi generals. A subplot involves an attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler.
The German officers are mostly played by British actors (e.g., Peter O’Toole, Donald Pleasence, John Gregson), in addition to Egyptian Omar Sharif (as the investigator) and Canadian Christopher Plummer (as Gen. Rommel).
Tom Courtenay plays a corporal who ends up implicated in another murder.
Regarding the topic of a serial killer in Nazi Germany, The Night of the Generals has that key element in common with Robert Siodmark’s 1957 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee The Devil Strikes at Night.
King Rat (1965)
Adapted by screenwriter-director King Rat from James Clavell’s semi-autobiographical 1962 novel, King Rat is set in a dingy Japanese-ruled prisoner-of-war camp in Singapore.
George Segal is an American POW with no qualms about finding scuzzy ways to circumvent rules and regulations; Tom Courtenay is the English officer who despises the American and looks for ways to bring his comeuppance; and James Fox is another English officer who develops a liking for the American – but with caveats.
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
One of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history (adjusted for inflation, as should always be the case), David Lean’s epic romantic drama Doctor Zhivago is also one of the most sumptuous productions ever conceived. On the positive side, the various characters aren’t dwarfed by the pageantry; on the negative side, some of the dialogue and some of the dialogue delivery feel appallingly stilted.
The prestigious cast is a mixed bag.
Once one gets over the offensiveness of having an Egyptian actor portray a Russian character, one can let go so as to fully appreciate Omar Sharif’s nuanced performance as the titular physician. After the movie is finished (more than three hours later), one can feel outraged all over again but this time for a good reason: Sharif was bypassed for the Best Actor Oscar.
Unfortunately, two generally first-rate performers, Julie Christie* and Alec Guinness, create below-par characterizations in Doctor Zhivago. Although Christie does look great as the hero’s object of desire, she comes across as too much of a Swinging Londoner to be believable in period costumes. (Christie would have the same problem in John Schlesinger’s 1967 period drama Far from the Madding Crowd.)
Tom Courtenay, for his part, is memorable as the idealistic student turned communist villain.
* The same year Doctor Zhivago came out, Julie Christie starred in John Schlesinger’s contemporary drama Darling, which deservedly earned her the Best Actress Oscar.
Billy Liar (1963)
In John Schlesinger’s socially conscious psychological drama Billy Liar, Tom Courtenay plays the maladjusted title character (a.k.a. Billy Fisher), a working-class youth wasting away in a small, dreary Yorkshire town while also coming alive – at times violently so – in his own warped dream world. Billy Liar is no Yorkshire-accented The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Albert Finney originated the role of Billy Fisher in the West End, with Courtenay as his understudy. We have to thank the movie gods for making sure that Courtenay – who has always lacked Finney’s overexuberance – got to play Billy in the big-screen transfer.
Just as effective as Courtenay is a pre-stardom Julie Christie as one of the antihero’s girlfriends.
Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall’s 1960 play is based on the former’s 1959 novel. Gritty black-and-white cinematography by Denys Coop.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
Can sports rehabilitate aimless, criminally inclined youths?
In Tony Richardson’s The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, the chief administrator (“Governor”) of the borstal (youth detention facility) of Ruxton Towers believes that strict discipline and sweaty athletics can turn inmates into productive members of society.
The rebellious working-class petty thief Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay) is a skilled long-distance runner. If he wins the upcoming race, that may be good for his morale while also serving to enhance the prestige of the facility, the Governor, and his fellow bureaucrats. (If this reminds viewers of British [and American] colleges and universities, that’s likely not unintentional.)
But what if, while running all alone, Smith has time to think about his role in the institution and in society in general, and the importance of winning?
The final sequence in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a cinema classic. That moment alone would have been enough for Tom Courtenay to earn his British Academy Award for Most Promising Actor.
Alan Sillitoe adapted his 1959 short story. Fantastic black-and-white cinematography by Walter Lassally.
The Dresser (1983)
As the effeminate title character in Peter Yates’ Best Picture Oscar nominee The Dresser, Tom Courtenay delivers an unabashedly theatrical performance that probably can be explained by the fact that Courtenay originated the role in 1980 and went on to play it hundreds of times in the West End and on Broadway.
As the dresser’s larger-than-life charge, “Sir,” Albert Finney hams it up in the role originated by Freddie Jones.
Eventual Oscar winner Ronald Harwood (The Pianist, 2002) adapted his 1980 play inspired by his experiences as (Sir) Donald Wolfitt’s dresser.
King & Country (1964)
Directed by American political refugee Joseph Losey (The Servant, The Go-Between) from a screenplay by Evan Jones,* King & Country traces the challenging but growing connection between Arthur Hamp, a young World War I soldier accused of desertion, and Captain Hargreaves (Dirk Bogarde), the man defending him at his court-martial.
But how can they beat the military establishment?
* Based on John Wilson’s 1964 play Hamp and its source, James Lansdale Hodson’s 1955 novel Return to the Wood, inspired by real-life events.
Private Potter (1962)
Before King & Country there was screenwriter-director Caspar Wrede’s Private Potter and co-writer Ronald Harwood’s Private Potter. Tom Courtenay plays a soldier facing the prospect of a court-martial after his scream – sheer terror? Awe at the Voice of God? – compromised the men in his mission during the 1950s’ so-called Cyprus Emergency.
Private Potter marked Courtenay’s big-screen debut.
Mostly a stage director, Royal Exchange co-founder Wrede would once again collaborate with Courtenay on One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1970).
Immediately below is Tom Courtenay’s “Summer Under the Stars 2025” movie schedule.
Tom Courtenay movies: TCM schedule (EDT) – Aug. 26
6:00 AM Operation Crossbow (1965)
Director: Michael Anderson.
Cast: Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Richard Johnson, Tom Courtenay, Jeremy Kemp, Anthony Quayle, Lilli Palmer, Paul Henreid, Helmut Dantine, Richard Todd, Sylvia Syms, John Fraser, Barbara Rütting, Maurice Denham, John Alderton, Patrick Wymark, Richard Wattis, Allan Cuthbertson, Karel Stepanek, Ferdy Mayne, Anton Diffring, Philip Madoc.
118m8:00 AM A Dandy in Aspic (1968)
Director: Anthony Mann.
Cast: Laurence Harvey, Tom Courtenay, Mia Farrow, Harry Andrews, Peter Cook, Lionel Stander, Per Oscarsson, Barbara Murray, John Bird, Calvin Lockhart, Elspeth March, Richard O’Sullivan.
107m10:00 AM Otley (1969)
Director: Dick Clement.
Cast: Tom Courtenay, Romy Schneider, Alan Badel, James Villiers, Leonard Rossiter, Freddie Jones, Fiona Lewis, James Bolam, James Maxwell, Edward Hardwicke, Ronald Lacey, Phyllida Law.
91m11:45 AM The Night of the Generals (1967)
Director: Anatole Litvak.
Cast: Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet, Philippe Noiret, Charles Gray, Coral Browne, John Gregson, Nigel Stock, Christopher Plummer, Juliette Greco, Sacha Pitoëff, Véronique Vendell, Nicole Courcel, Gérard Buhr, Gordon Jackson, Harry Andrews.
148m2:15 PM King Rat (1965)
Director: Bryan Forbes.
Cast: George Segal, Tom Courtenay, James Fox, Patrick O’Neal, Denholm Elliott, James Donald, Todd Armstrong, John Mills, Gerald Sim, Leonard Rossiter, Joe Turkel, John Standing, John Merivale, Alan Webb, John Ronane, John Warburton.
134m4:30 PM Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Director: David Lean.
Cast: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Tom Courtenay, Siobhan McKenna, Ralph Richardson, Rita Tushingham, Klaus Kinski, Gérard Tichy, Noel Willman, Geoffrey Keen, Adrienne Corri, Jack MacGowran, Mark Eden.
197m8:00 PM Billy Liar (1963)
Director: John Schlesinger.
Cast: Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie, Wilfred Pickles, Mona Washbourne, Ethel Griffies, Finlay Currie, Gwendolyn Watts, Helen Fraser, Leonard Rossiter, Rodney Bewes, George Innes, Leslie Randall.
98m10:00 PM The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
Director: Tony Richardson.
Cast: Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, Avis Bunnage, Alec McCowen, James Bolam, Joe Robinson, Frank Finlay, James Fox, Peter Madden.
104m12:00 AM The Dresser (1983)
Director: Peter Yates.
Cast: Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Edward Fox, Zena Walker, Eileen Atkins, Michael Gough, Cathryn Harrison, Betty Marsden, Sheila Reid, Lockwood West, Donald Eccles, Llewellyn Rees.
118m2:15 AM King & Country (1964)
Director: Joseph Losey.
Cast: Dirk Bogarde, Tom Courtenay, Leo McKern, Barry Foster, Peter Copley, James Villiers, Jeremy Spenser, Barry Justice, Vivian Matalon, Keith Buckley, Derek Partridge.
86m4:00 AM Private Potter (1962)
Director: Casper Wrede.
Cast: Tom Courtenay, Mogens Wieth, Ronald Fraser, James Maxwell, Ralph Michael, Brewster Mason, Eric Thompson, Frank Finlay, Michael Coles.
89m
“Tom Courtenay Movies: Raging Young Man” notes
Tom Courtenay movie schedule via the TCM website.
“Tom Courtenay Movies: Raging Young Man” last modified in November 2025.