Hey! Groovy daddio! Here we have Serious Charge also known as the more-over-the-top-titled A Touch Of Hell and, it seems from the poster below, Teddy Boys (a much better title!). This is a great, gritty, well-acted 1959 British drama (the dramatic poster art speaks for itself!) starring Anthony Quayle, Sarah Chruchill (the actress daughter of Winston Chirchill - apparently this was the last movie she has appeared in), Andrew Ray and pouty Cliff Richard in his movie debut as the moody rebel Curley Thompson (great name!). The legendary Wilfred Pickles (also the father of Judge James Pickles and Carolyn Pickles) makes an uncredited appearance as a court magistrate. Cliff - it has to be said - what a great looking guy he was back then. No wonder the women (and a few guys!) went crazy for him... Also stars the late, great Judith Furse - I remember most well from playing the villainous "Doctor Crow" in Carry On Spying (she also appeared in Twinky).
The plot: Howard Phillips, a vicar who's new in the town of Bellington, wants to reach out to youth. The previous vicar's daughter, Hester Peters, who fears being a spinster, wants to be his wife. He tells her he's not interested. When he confronts a tough kid about something the youth has done, the lad sets out to frame the vicar. Hester, who's walked in on the confrontation, backs the youth's story. The town sides with her and the lad, turning against Phillips. He has a crisis of faith. What options does he have; can no one help him, his reputation, or his calling?
Mostly known nowadays for being pop legend Cliff Richard's first movie appearance, Serious Charge is a great "of it's time" movie that deserves a bit more than just being known for that particular fact. There's a discerningly quiet underlying theme of "the love that dare not speak it's name" in regards to the plot and Quayle's character. A reviewer on IMDB puts it rather well: In an era when folks weren't supposed to know about homosexuality (at least in the movies), this is quite a daring story, and occasionally quite subversive. We the audience are ever so slightly encouraged to wonder about Quayle's sexuality as he spurns the advances of a good churchy woman, seems oblivious to his sexy young French maid (!) and looks up to his strident mother (a wonderfully knowing performance by Irene Browne).
Many thanks to fellow CosmoBellian(!) jimbo100 for ripping and sharing this fine bit of Brit kino cultness.
1959
XVID
Approx. 94 mins
906 mb
Ripped & encoded by jimbo100.
