These Dangerous Years
These Dangerous Years (also known as Dangerous Youth) is a 1957 British drama musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring George Baker, Frankie Vaughan, Carole Lesley, Thora Hird, Kenneth Cope, David Lodge and John Le Mesurier.[1]
| These Dangerous Years | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) British quad poster | |
| Directed by | Herbert Wilcox |
| Written by | Jack Trevor Story |
| Produced by | Anna Neagle |
| Starring | George Baker Frankie Vaughan Carole Lesley Thora Hird Kenneth Cope David Lodge John Le Mesurier |
| Cinematography | Gordon Dines |
| Edited by | Basil Warren |
| Music by | Stanley Black |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production company | Everest Pictures Ltd. |
| Distributed by | Associated British-Pathé |
Release dates |
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Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The army sequences were filmed in the Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill, London NW7.
Plot
Tough gang leader and wannabe rock star Dave Wyman, from the slums of Liverpool, gets called up for National Service. He undergoes basic training, finds the discipline surprisingly suits him, and emerges stronger. When his best friend from training is killed by the camp bully, Dave takes revenge, and eventually ends up marrying his singing partner.
Cast
- George Baker as the Padre
- Frankie Vaughan as Dave Wyman
- Carole Lesley as Dinah Brown
- Jocelyn Lane as Maureen
- Katherine Kath as Mrs Wyman
- Thora Hird as Mrs Larkin
- Eddie Byrne as Danny
- Kenneth Cope as Juggler
- Robert Desmond as Cream O'Casey
- Ray Jackson as Smiler Larkin
- Richard Leech as Captain Brewster
- John Le Mesurier as Commanding Officer
- David Lodge as Sergeant Major Lockwood
- Michael Ripper as Private Simpson
- Reginald Beckwith as Hairdresser
- Martin Boddey as Police Sergeant
- Lloyd Lamble as Police Officer
- Bunner O'Keeffe as youth buying the Liverpool Echo
Production
It was the first solo producing effort from Anna Neagle. The film was known as The Cast Iron Shore and was to be the first of three films Neagle made with Diana Dors. However Dors was in Hollywood and declined to return to make the film .[2]
George Baker later said it "wasn’t a good film. Herbert was trying to break away, you see. They'd all gone for Frankie Vaughan and this was a Liverpool film with a message about how tough it is in the Dingle. It wasn’t attractive to a lot of people because it wasn’t well enough made. The script was by Jack Trevor Story and he and Herbert had no meeting-ground whatever."[3]
Reception
According to Kinematograph Weekly the film was "in the money" at the British box office in 1957.[4]
References
- "These Dangerous Years". BFI. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- Dors Drops out of Neagle Film Author: Cecil Wilson Date: Monday, Sept. 3, 1956 Publication: Daily Mail (London, England) p 3
- McFarlane, Brian. An autobiography of British cinema : as told by the filmmakers and actors who made it. p. 40.
- Billings, Josh (12 December 1957). "Others in the money". Kinematograph Weekly. p. 7.