Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1969)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1969
Running Times: 102m
Length: 9159 ft/2792 metres
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: Eastmancolor
Aspect Ratio:
Sound:

DIRECTION

Directed by: Freddie Francis

CREW

PRODUCTION
Copyright: © Brigitte Films, Ltd.
Production Company: A Ronald J. Kahn production  Filmed entirely on location by Fitzroy Films Ltd.
Produced by: Ronald J. Kahn
Associate Producer: Peter J. Thompson
Production Manager: Jilda Smith

SCRIPT
Screenplay by: Brian Comport
Based on the play [Happy Family] by Maisie Mosco

DIRECTION
1st Assistant Director: John Stoneman
Continuity: Pamela Davies

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: David Muir
Camera Operator: Moray Grant

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Tristam Cones

MUSIC
Music Composed, Arranged and Conducted by: Bernard Ebbinghouse

SOUND
Sound Mixer: John Brommage

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Wardrobe Mistress: Dulcie Midwinter
Make Up: Phil Leakey
Hairdresser: Gladys Leaky

TITLES AND OPTICALS
Titles Designed by: Michael Bastow

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Maggie Pinhorn
Set Dresser: Dimity Collins

OTHER CREW
Assistant to the Producer: Katherine Haber

CASTING
Casting Director: Rose Tobias-Shaw

CAST

Michael Bryant (new friend)
Ursula Howells (Mumsy)
Pat Heywood (Nanny)
Howard Trevor (Sonny)

and
Vanessa Howard as Girly

with
Robert Swann (soldier)
Imogen Hassall (girl-friend)
Michael Ripper (zoo attendant)
Hugh Armstrong (friend no. 5)

PLOT SUMMARY

Teenaged siblings Girly and Sonny lure young men back to their home to meet the eccentric Mumsy and Nanny. There, the men are forced to take part in strange games, the rules of which are never defined - and if they refuse, or transgress the unwritten rules, they're killed. But they may have met their match in New Friend, their latest victim, who starts to manipulate the foursome, setting one against the other.

CAPSULE REVIEW

Bizarre combination of late sixties avant garde and sleaze. Director Freddie Francis had made horrors for both Hammer and Amicus but this is nothing like any of them. Shot on location with an atmosphere mixing playground horror and conservatory theatre that is downright weird and unsettling. The great lost girl of sixties British horror, Vanessa Howard, shines as she does in those other rarely seen gems Corruption (1967) and What Became of Jack and Jill (1972). If Harold Pinter had made The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) for the BBC this could have resulted. Excellent and unique.

Netherlands
Video Distributor: EVC

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Cinerama

UK
Rating: X

USA
Rating: R

TIMELINE

1969
May
16: UK - production ends

POSTER TAGS

Everyone is dying to meet girly...

She takes up where Baby Jane leaves off!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Girly

LINKS

SEE ALSO
Mum and Dad (2007)

REFERENCES

PERIODICALS

Films and Filming vol.16 no.19 (June 1970) p.82 (UK)
credits, review

Hollywood Reporter vol.209 no.47 (18 February 1970) p.12 (USA)
credits, review

Is It Uncut? no.5 pp.17-19 (UK)
review

Kine Weekly no.3259 (28 March 1970) p.10 (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.37 no.434 (March 1970) p.17 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Motion Picture Herald vol.240 no.8 (25 February 1970) p.380 (USA)
credits, review

Shivers no.51 pp.24-27 (UK)
illustrated article

Today's Cinema no.9792 (3 April 1970) p.14 (UK)
review

Today's Cinema no.9674 (19 May 1969) p.14 (UK)
credits

Variety 18 February 1970 p.15 (USA)
credits, review

BOOKS

British National Film Catalogue vol.16 (1978)
credits

English Gothic pp.157-159
illustrated credits, review (by Jonathan Rigby)

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.165
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

axe murders, decapitation, families, films based on stage plays

Last Updated: 18 November, 2009