Term of Trial *** (1962, Laurence Olivier, Simone Signoret, Sarah Miles, Terence Stamp, Hugh Griffith) – Classic Movie Review 10,559

The compelling 1962 British realist drama film Term of Trial is about a student (Sarah Miles) who develops a crush on her schoolteacher (Laurence Olivier), leading him into serious trouble.

‘I always knew she was a little slut.’

Director Peter Glenville’s compelling, downbeat 1962 black and white realist melodrama film Term of Trial, made in the early Sixties British serious style, is about an over-sexed schoolgirl (Sarah Miles) who has a teenage crush on her schoolteacher (Laurence Olivier) and cries rape when he gently pushes her away, landing him in court. Unfortunately, the schoolteacher is an alcoholic with a criminal record for refusing to fight in World War Two and he has offered to give the schoolgirl free private tuition.

Director Glenville is very conscientious and attentive to detail and the performances, but he doesn’t seem to be entirely in control with some hesitant pacing and an overlong running time of 130 minutes (though there is a cut version at 113 minutes).

However, the high-grade, eccentric cast is riveting: Sir Larry playing seedy, kind, sincere and lost, Miles in her début at 21 but acting 15 as the nymphette, Simone Signoret as the bitter shrew of a wife, Terence Stamp (also débuting) as the school roughneck, and Hugh Griffith, who, as usual, makes a meal of the part of defence counsel.

Glenville’s screenplay is taken from James Barlow’s 1961 novel The Burden of Proof.

It was in fact Stamp’s second film, made after Billy Budd, but released earlier. Term of Trial had its world premiere on 16 August 1962 at the Warner Theatre in London’s West End, and Billy Budd was released 20 September 1962 (UK).

Also in the cast are Roland Culver, Frank Pettingell, Thora Hird, Dudley Foster, Norman Bird, Newton Blick, Allan Cuthbertson, Roy Holder, Barbara Ferris, Rosamund Greenwood, Vanda Godsell, Nicholas Hannen, Clive Colin Bowler, Earl Cameron, Julia Foster, Derren Nesbitt, and Lloyd Lamble.

It was filmed at Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, with location work in Dublin, Paris and London. Until then, it was the most expensive feature made at Ardmore.

Term of Trial is produced by James Woolf for his Romulus Films company, with James H Ware as associate producer, and released by Warner-Pathé (UK) and Warner Bros Pictures (US). The score is by Jean-Michel Damase and the cinematography is by Oswald Morris

The Sarah Miles role was offered to Hayley Mills but her parents Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell refused to allow it. Instead, she made the Disney adventure film In Search of the Castaways (1962),

It was released in the US on 30 January 1963 (New York City).

The cast are Laurence Olivier as Graham Weir, Simone Signoret as Anna, Sarah Miles as Shirley Taylor, Terence Stamp as Mitchell, Hugh Griffith as O’Hara, Roland Culver as Trowman, Dudley Foster as Detective Sergeant Keirnan, Frank Pettingell as Ferguson, Thora Hird as Mrs Taylor, Norman Bird as Mr Taylor, Allan Cuthbertson as Sylvan-Jones, Barbara Ferris as Joan, Rosamund Greenwood as Constance, Nicholas Hannen as Magistrate, Derren Nesbitt as Lodger, Newton Blick, Allan Cuthbertson, Roy Holder, Vanda Godsell, Clive Colin Bowler, Earl Cameron, Julia Foster, and Lloyd Lamble.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,559

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