The First Olympics: Athens 1896 is a 1984 US TV miniseries produced by Columbia Pictures Television for broadcast by the NBC network. This television miniseries tells the story of the founding of the modern Olympics by focusing on individuals in several countries and their preparations and eventual competition in Athens in 1896. The two-part mini-series originally aired in the United States on 20 May 1984.
The preparation and events leading up to the inaugural modern Olympic Games held in Athens, 1896. The movie examines the experience of competitors from different nations, but especially concentrates on the creation of the first American Olympic team and their trials in getting to the Olympics in Athens.
Louis Jourdan as Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic CommitteeDavid Ogden Stiers as William Milligan Sloane, founder of the United States Olympic CommitteeHunt Block as Robert Garrett, United States athleteDavid Caruso as James Brendan Connolly, United States athleteAlex Hyde-White as Arthur Blake, United States athleteHutton Cobb as Thomas Burke, United States athleteJason Connery as Thomas Curtis, United States athleteIan Morton as Ellery Harding Clark, United States athleteWilliam Armstrong as William Hoyt, United States athleteAaron Swartz as Herbert Jamison, United States athleteKeith Edwards as Albert Tyler, United States athleteTerrance Conder as Sumner Paine, United States athletePeter Merrill as John Paine, United States athleteMatt Frewer as Francis Lane, United States athleteRobert Addie as Grantley Goulding, British athleteBenedict Taylor as Edwin Flack, Australian athleteNicos Ziagos as Spiridon Louis, Greek athleteEdward Wiley as John Graham, American coachAngela Lansbury as Alice Garrett, Robert Garrett's motherHonor Blackman as Madam Ursula SchumannGayle Hunnicutt as Mary SloaneBill Travers as Harold FlackVirginia McKenna as Annabel FlackLouis Jourdan was 63 when he played the role of Pierre de Coubertin, who was 33 in 1896.James Connolly is told by Coach Graham and the Dean of Students at Harvard that he and Arthur Blake will be volunteering for the new U.S. Olympic Team as punishment for fighting with each other. In reality, after Connolly was denied a leave of absence to compete in the Games, he dropped out and competed anyway.It is mentioned that Edwin Flack was interrupting his studies at Oxford University to compete in the Games; in reality, he was taking a month's holiday from his job at the accounting firm of Price, Waterhouse, and Company.Three Greek flags are raised after the finish of the Marathon. However, it is not mentioned that the third Greek finisher, Spiridon Belokas, was disqualified after he was found to have rode part of the way in a carriage. Gyula Kellner of Hungary was elevated to third place.When athletes first competed in the Olympics, they only represented their clubs or their schools. They did not start participating on official national teams or marching in a Parade of Nations until the London Games of 1908.Robert Garrett is incorrectly portrayed as being a participant in the marathon; Arthur Blake was the only American entrant in the event, who did not finish.In an incident similar to the one with an oversized discus, Robert Garrett is seen trying to enter the shot put with an oversized shot put. In reality, however, unlike the incident with the discus, which is very well documented, there is no record of a similar incident with the shot put ever having taken place.James Connolly is portrayed as having emigrated to America from Ireland, but he was actually born in Boston in 1868.The first team to appear in the inaugural parade at the beginning of the games is Australia. However, the Commonwealth of Australia was not officially created until 1901.Awards and nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
Writer's Guild of America, USA
Casting Society of America, USA
