Roger Bannister's Big Day Re-Created In Toronto Track Stadium
ESPN film crew is shooting "Four Minutes"

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Posted Tuesday, 24 May, 2005

By Paul Choi, Slam Sports, Canoe, Inc.

TORONTO (CP) - More than 250 actors and extras clad in 1950s garb gathered at a Toronto stadium to re-create sporting history Tuesday for a movie depicting the life of English runner Roger Bannister and his quest to set a new record for the world's fastest mile.

Cast members and extras in the made-for-TV movie, called Four Minutes, stood on the sidelines and cheered as actor Jamie MacLachlan, who plays Bannister, crossed the finish line in a dramatic conclusion to the re-enactment of Bannister's historic 1954 run.

"Today was the hardest day," producer Lynn Raynor said of the ESPN project, which stars Emmy and Tony award-winning Canadian actor Christopher Plummer as track coach Archie Mason and British actor Grahame Wood as runner Chris Chataway.

"We're trying to recreate one shot that created history and it's a ton of work."

In preparation for the shot, crews had to make sure Birchmount Stadium in east-end Toronto looked exactly like the University of Oxford's Iffley track, where Bannister first set the world record by running a mile in 3 minutes and 59 seconds.

That not only included dressing the actors in costumes that reflected the era, but also building a replica mahogany clubhouse from the ground up and scattering a few vintage vehicles near track level.

The entire process had to be very exact and precise, said Raziel Tassone, a Toronto resident who was among hundreds of other locals hired to act as cheering spectators in the film.

"If you don't mind waiting, this job can be something for somebody," said Tassone, who donned a black cap, grey suit and red bow tie for his role as an extra.

"But if you really don't like waiting around or can be impatient, then this is the worst kind of job anybody can do. It requires a lot of patience."

Equally exacting was the work asked of the runners in the film, local athletes who were expected to mimic every nuance and stylistic quirk of the original runners they portray.

"One of the challenges we had was recruiting runners who would represent the look of the mid-50s," said Peter Pimm, a technical consultant for the film who also helped select the production's track actors out of a group of 30 prospects.

"We've had to work with the actors to transform them to have the look of the elite athletes of that day."

Mario Iozzo, a Toronto native hired to portray a runner in some of Bannister's early race scenes, said some aspects of filming are harder than others.

"Most of us are current athletes, so the running isn't too bad," Iozzo said. "Trying to keep those legs moving after sitting down is the biggest challenge, though. After a while you get a little stiff."

For Toronto resident Kevin Smith, wearing the stiff, unpadded track shoes of the 1950s has been the worst experience so far.

"Wearing those track shoes on a track that is rather firm has been the most challenging," Smith said. "We've suffered a lot of black toes."

But amid the pains that come with filming an authentic period piece, there also come rewards, said Wood, whose character Chataway was the second man to break the four-minute mile record after Bannister.

"For me, it's a tremendous honour to be playing this national hero," said Wood, noting that both athletes were knighted for their achievements.

"I love to play real life characters who have shaped the world we live in today."

ESPN spokesman Rob Tobias said the idea behind the movie was to finally pay tribute to Bannister's historic accomplishment.

"It's one of those compelling stories that has never been told," Tobias said. "Bannister was a very intense guy. He had a goal and he set out to prove himself. This was, like, headlines around the world at the time. That's how big it was."

Shooting in Toronto is expected to wrap up by the end of the month.

Toronto, which has endured largely gray skies in recent weeks, has been an excellent stand-in for Oxford, Tobias said.

The film, which is directed by Charles Beeson, is scheduled to air Oct. 6 on ESPN2 and is expected to be picked up later by Canadian sports network TSN.

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