Village of the Damned (1960)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1960
Running Times: 77m
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: black and white
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Directed by: Wolf Rilla

PRODUCTION
Copyright: © MCMLX [1960] by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Production Company: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Produced by: Ronald Kinnoch
Production Manager: Denis Johnson

SCRIPT
Screenplay by: Stirling Silliphant, Wolf Rilla, George Barclay (real name: Ronald Kinnoch)
Based on the novel 'The Midwich Cuckoos' by John Wyndham

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: David Middlemas
Continuity: Lee Turner

PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographed by: Geoffrey Faithfull
2nd Unit Photography: Gerald Moss
Camera Operator: Frank Drake

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Edited by: Gordon Hales

MUSIC
Music by: Ron Goodwin

SOUND
Recording Supervisor: A.W. Watkins
Sound Recordist: Cyril Swern
Dubbing Editor: Gordon Daniel
Dubbing Mixer: J.B. Smith
Westrex Recording System

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Wardrobe Supervisor: Eileen Sullivan
Make-up: Eric Aylott
Hairdresser: Joan Johnstone

VISUAL EFFECTS
Photographic Effects by: Tom Howard

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Ivan King

LOCATIONS
Locations: Letchmore Heath, England, UK

CAST

Opening credits
George Sanders (Gordon Zellaby)
Barbara Shelley (Anthea Zellaby)

with
Michael Gwynn (Alan Bernard)
Laurence Naismith (Dr Willers)

and
John Phillips (General Leighton)
Richard Vernon (Sir Edgar Hargraves)
Jenny Laird (Mrs Harrington)
Richard Warner (Harrington)
Thomas Heathcote (James Pawle)

and
Martin Stephens (David Zellaby)

also with
Charlotte Mitchell (Janet Pawle)
Keith Pyott (Dr Carlisle)
John Stuart (Professor Smith)
Bernard Archard (vicar)
Sheila Robins (nurse)
Peter Vaughan (P.C. Gobby)
Tom Bowman (pilot)
Susan Richards (Mrs Plumpton)
Rosamund Greenwood (Miss Ogle)
Sarah Long (Evelyn)
Pamela Buck (Milly Hughes)
Alexander Archdale (coroner)

Closing credits
George Sanders (Gordon Zellaby)
Barbara Shelley (Anthea Zellaby)
Martin Stephens (David Zellaby)
Michael Gwynn (Alan Bernard)
Laurence Naismith (Dr Willers)

The Villagers
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)

Conference Members
John Phillips (General Leighton)
Richard Vernon (Sir Edgar Hargraves)
John Stuart (Professor Smith)
Keith Pyott (Dr Carlisle)

Others
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)

The Children
June Cowell, Linda Bateson, Carlo Cura, Lesley Scoble, Mark Milleham, Roger Malik, Elizabeth Munden, Theresa Scoble, Peter Preidel, Peter Taylor, Howard Knight

The Village Children
Brian Smith, Janice Howley, Paul Norman, Robert Marks, John Bush, Billy Lawrence

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...

AVAILABILITY

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc
Video / Laserdisc Distributor: MGM

Finland
Rating: K-16

Sweden
Rating: 15

AWARDS

1961
Hugo Awards
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated

1961
July
21: Finland - theatrical release

November
13: Denmark - theatrical release

1962
March
19: Sweden - theatrical release

Beware the stare that will paralyze the will of the world.

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Dorp der vervloekten, Het - Dutch title
Village des damnés, Le - French title

SEQUEL
Children of the Damned (1963)

REMAKE
Village of the Damned (1995)

NEWSPAPERS

Daily Telegraph 18 June 1960 (UK)
review (by Patrick Gibbs)

The Guardian 18 June 1960 (UK)
review (author not known)

The Observer 19 June 1960 (UK)
review (by C.A. Lejeune)

The People 19 June 1960 (UK)
review (by Ernest Betts)

Sunday Times 19 June 1960 (UK)
review (by Dilys Powell)

The Times 20 June 1960 (UK)
review (by David Robinson)

PERIODICALS

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

Saturday Review 14 January 1961 (USA)
review (by Hollis Alpert)

Time 5 December 1960 (USA)
review (author not known)

Variety 29 June 1960 (USA)
review, credits

aliens, children, ESP, pregnancy, psychics

Last Updated: 13 June, 2009