Child's Play (1954 film)

Child's Play is a 1954 British science fiction film directed by Margaret Thomson and starring Mona Washbourne and Christopher Beeny.^[2] The script was by Don Sharp, who also worked on the film as an assistant.^[3][4]

Child's Play
Opening titles
Directed by	Margaret Thomson
Written by	Don Sharp
Produced by	Herbert Mason
Starring	Mona Washbourne Peter Martyn Dorothy Alison Ingeborg von Kusserow Carl Jaffe Ballard Berkeley Peter Sallis Christopher Beeny[1]
Cinematography	Denny Densham
Edited by	John Legard
Music by	Antony Hopkins
Production company	Group Three Productions
Distributed by	British Lion Film Corporation
Release date	October 1954 (1954-10) (UK)
Running time	68 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

A group of children ("the holy terrors") manage to split the atom and thereby create a new form of popcorn.

Cast

• Mona Washbourne as Miss Emily Goslett
• Patrick Wells as Han 'Einstein' Boltz
• Ian Smith as Tom Chizzler
• Christopher Beeny as Horatio Flynn (the holy terrors)
• Wendy Westcott as Mary Huxley (the holy terrors)
• Ian Smith as Tom Chizzler (the holy terrors)
• Anneke Wills as Alice Nightingale (the holy terrors)
• Ernest Scott as Ernest Chappell (the holy terrors)
• Patrick Wells as Hans Blotz (the holy terrors)
• Elain Sykes as Linda Cappel (the holy terrors)
• Peter Martyn as P.C. Parker
• Dorothy Alison as Margery Chappell
• Ingeborg von Kusserow as Lea Blotz (as Ingeborg Wells)
• Carl Jaffe as Carl Blotz
• Ballard Berkeley as Dr. Nightingale
• Joan Young as Mrs. Chizzler
• Robert Raglan as Police Superintendent
• Barbara Hicks as policewoman
• Jack May as Bob Crouch
• John Sharp as Police Sergeant Butler
• Wyndham Goldie as Director Atomic Research
• Mai Bacon as Mrs Briggs
• Molly Raynor as Mrs Cannon
• Peter Sallis as Bill (van driver)
• Robert Lankasheer as Prof. Chappel

Production

Don Sharp had been in hospital for nearly two years with tuberculosis. When he came out, executives at Group 3 Films invited him to see if he had any ideas for a film and he pitched them Child's Play. He said Group 3's practice was to team an experienced producer with an inexperienced director so Herbert Mason was teamed with Margaret Thomson. Sharp called it "a good little picture" and he would work with Group 3 on several more occasions.^[5]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "An engaging fantasy, done with good humour and a freshness that atones for the roughness of some of the edges. One could, perhaps, have wished a little more satire and a little less obvious farce; but the film is likeable, and will be enjoyed by adults as well as children."^[6]