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Village Of The Damned [1960] Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1960
Running Times: 77 mins
Format: black and white 35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: mono CREDITS
 PRODUCTION
Production Company: MGM
Producer: Ronald Kinnoch
Production Manager: Denis Johnson
SCRIPT
Script: Stirling Silliphant, Wolf Rilla, George Barclay (real name:
Ronald Kinnoch)
Novel: The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
DIRECTION
Director: Wolf Rilla
Assistant Director: David Middlemas
PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Geoffrey Faithfull
2nd Unit Photography: Gerald Moss
Camera Operator: Frank Drake
EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Gordon Hales
MUSIC
Music: Ron Goodwin
SOUND
Recording Supervisor: A.W. Watkins
Sound Recording: Cyril Swern
Dubbing Editor: Gordon Daniel
Dubbing Mixer: J.B. Smith
MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Eric Aylott
Hair: Joan Johnstone
Wardrobe Supervisor: Eileen
Sullivan
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Photographic Effects: Tom Howard
DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Ivan King
MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Lee Turner
LOCATIONS
Locations: Letchmore Heath, England, UK
CAST
George Sanders [Gordon Zellaby]
Barbara Shelley [Anthea
Zellaby]
Martin Stephens [David Zellaby]
Michael Gwynn [Alan Bernard]
Laurence Naismith [Dr Willers]
Richard Warner [Harrington]
Jenny Laird [Mrs Harrington]
Sarah Long [Evelyn]
Thomas Heathcote [James Pawle]
Charlotte Mitchell [Janet Pawle]
Pamela Buck [Milly Hughes]
Rosamund Greenwood [Miss Ogle]
Susan Richards [Mrs Plumpton]
Bernard Archard [vicar]
Peter Vaughan [P.C. Gobby]
John Phillips [General Leighton]
Richard Vernon [Sir Edgar Hargraves]
John Stuart [Professor Smith]
Keith Pyott [Dr Carlisle]
Alexander Archdale [coroner]
Sheila Robins [nurse]
Tom Bowman [pilot]
Anthony Harrison [lieutenant]
Diane Aubrey [W.R.A.C. secretary]
Gerald Paris [sapper]
Bruno [the dog]
June Cowell, Linda Bateson, Carlo Cura, Lesley Scoble, Mark Milleham,
Roger Malik, Elizabeth Munden, Theresa Scoble, Peter Preidel, Peter
Taylor, Howard Knight [the children]
John Kelly [villager]
Brian Smith, Janice Howley, Paul Norman, Robert Marks, John Bush,
Billy Lawrence [the village children]
SUMMARY
The inhabitants of the small English village of
Midwich all fall asleep one afternnon. Nine months later, the women
give birth to a group of children who all grow up to look and act
exactly the same. Possessed of tremendous psychic powers, the children
begin killing villagers and one of their fathers, Gordon Zellaby,
tries to protect them. But as their acts of destruction grow ever
more outrageous, Zellaby is forced to make a terrible decision...
CAPSULE REVIEW
A film that never quite lives up to one's memories
of it, Village of the Damned is a competently made
but otherwise unremarkable adaptation of Wyndham's novel. Performances
are good, and some of the set pieces are memorable, but it never really
engages like it's follow-up, the altogether moodier Children
of the Damned [1963]. Still,
it's head and shoulders above John carpenter's lacklustre 1995 remake.
AVAILABILITY
USA
Theatrical Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Inc
Video / Laserdisc Distributor: MGM
CENSORSHIP HISTORY
Finland
Rating: K-16
Sweden
Rating: 15
AWARDS
1961
Hugo Awards
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated
TIMELINE
1961
July
21: Finland - theatrical release
November
13: Denmark - theatrical release
1962
March
19: Sweden - theatrical release
POSTER TAGS
Beware the stare that
will paralyze the will of the world.
LINKS
SEQUEL
Children
of the Damned [1963]
REMAKE
Village of the Damned
[1995]
REFERENCES MAGAZINES
Daily Cinema
13 June 1960 p.10 [UK]
review
Hollywood Reporter
18 October 1960 p.3 [USA]
review, credits
Kine Weekly 16
June 1960 p.29 [UK]
review
Monthly Film
Bulletin July 1960 p.101 [UK]
review, credits
Variety 29
June 1960 [USA]
review, credits
KEYWORDS
aliens, children, esp, psychics, pregnancy
Last Updated:
6 March, 2007
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