All Creatures Great and Small is a 1975 British film, directed by Claude Whatham and starring Simon Ward and Anthony Hopkins as the Yorkshire vets James Herriot and Siegfried Farnon. It is based on James Herriot's first two novels, If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet, and was given the same title as the 1972 US compilation volume of these two novels. It is the first of a series of films and television series based on Herriot's work. A sequel, somewhat confusingly titled It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet although it actually covers the two following novels, Let Sleeping Vets Lie and Vet in Harness, was released in 1976.
Premise
It is 1937, and newly qualified vet James Herriot travels to Yorkshire to apply for the post of assistant in Siegfried Farnon’s practice. He soon learns the facts of country life but struggles to overcome the prejudices of the Darrowby locals who are skeptical of the novice vet's ability. In between cases Herriot courts pretty farmer’s daughter Helen Alderson and finally marries her.
All Creatures Great and Small was a best seller in the US and film rights were optioned. The film was made for NBC's Hallmark Hall of Fame but it was theatrically released outside the US.. The producers were Duane Bogie for FCB Productions and David Susskind for the Talent Associates. According to one account, the budget was $1.2 million, nearly twice what NBC paid for it. Another account said the budget was $1 million, with $650,000 from NBC, $250,000 from EMI, and $100,000 privately raised. The lead role was given to Simon Ward, who later recalled, "I hadn't known the books and a lot of people hadn't known about them then, so at that time I wasn't taking on a national icon. It's always nerve-wracking playing a real person particularly if that real person is still alive and comes and sits on set watching you. Although Herriot was the most charming wonderful man who I really adored and kept in touch with till he died."
Writing
The script by Hugh Whitemore, focused on James, and played down Siegfried's eccentricity; for example, a speech he makes early in the film rebuking James for refusing to attend a call during the middle of the night is delivered straight, while in the book it was highly hypocritical, as Siegfried himself had earlier told James that he was 'spoiling' the farmers by coming out at all hours.
Shooting
Filming started in May 1974, in the town of Malton, North Riding of Yorkshire. Studio work was done in London. Ward said "The roughest thing was putting a hand up a pregnant mare... for the film I had to do it again and again."
Having passed the British censors in September 1974, the film wasn't released until 9 May 1975, when it opened in London at the small cinema Studio Two in Oxford Street. The Times' film critic David Robinson didn't like it, but acknowledged that Anthony Hopkins' and Simon Ward's playing made their characters somewhat believable. "It works beautifully," said the New York Times.
A second film, It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet was released in 1976. John Alderton took over the role of James and Colin Blakely that of Siegfried, while Lisa Harrow returned as Helen. The film was directed by Eric Till from a script by Alan Plater. In 1979 there was a TV series based on the book, which was a huge ratings success in Britain.
