Children of the Damned (1963)

UK,
90m
black and white, 2.35:1
mono, English

A British science fiction film directed by Anton M. Leader.

Premise

Five with remarkable – possibly inhuman – intellectual and psychic powers are discovered by a group of . But as the cast their eager eye over the children, they escape and hide out in a church – the race is on to protect them before they can be used as weapons, or before the authorities, terrified by their increasing powers, order their destruction.

Credits

Crew
Directed by: Anton M. Leader
© MCMLXIII Children of the Damned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios Ltd
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents a Lawrence P. Bachmann production. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture
Associate Producer: Ben Arbeid
Production Manager: Albert Becket
Original Screenplay by: John Briley
A sequel to “The Midwich Cuckoos” by John Wyndham
Assistant Director: Ted Sturgis
Continuity: Betty Harley
Director of Photography: Davis Boulton
Film Editor: Ernest Walter
Music Composed and Conducted by: Ron Goodwin
Recording Supervisor: A.W. Watkins
Sound Recordist: Dave Bowen
Dubbing Mixer: J.B. Smith
Sound Editor: Allan Sones
Westrex Recording System
Special Effects: Tom Howard
Art Director: Elliot Scott
Locations: London, England, UK
Produced at M.G.M. British Studios Borehamwood, England
Casting Director: Irene Howard

Cast
Ian Hendry
Alan Badel
Barbara Ferris
Alfred Burke
Sheila Allen
Ralph Michael
Patrick Wymark
Martin Miller
Harold Goldblatt
Patrick White
Andre Mikhelson
Bessie Love

The Children
Clive Powell (Paul)
Lee Yoke-Moon (Mi Ling)
Roberta Rex (Nina)
Gerald Delsol (Ago)
Mahdu Mathen (Rashid)
Frank Summerscale (Mark)

Alternative Titles

The Children Return – working title
The Children – working title
La stirpe dei dannati – Italy

Sequel to
Village of the Damned (1960)

See also
The Midwich Cuckoos (2022)
School of the Damned (2019)

References

Periodicals

  • The Daily Cinema no.8873 (7-8 February 1964) p.7 – note (Trade shows)
  • The Daily Cinema no.8874 (10-11 February 1964) p.3 – note (MGM's ‘Damned' and ‘Murder' trade shows)
  • The Daily Cinema no.8874 (10-11 February 1964) p.4 – note (Trade shows)

Books

  • Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction by Phil Hardy (ed) p.220-221 – illustrated credits, review
  • Feature films, 1960-1969: A Filmography of English-language and Major Foreign-language United States Releases by Harris M. Lentz III p.68-69 – credits
  • Hoffman's Guide to Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991-1992 p.71 – credits, review
  • The Liverpool Companion to World Science Fiction Film by Sonja Fritsche (ed.) pp.89-103 – article (Invaders, Launchpads, and Hybrids: The Importance of Transmediality in British Science Fiction Film in the 1950s by Derek Johnston)
  • by Walt Lee p.63 – credits
  • The Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Handbook by Alan Frank p.32 – illustrated credits, review
  • Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Film , Series, and Remakes by Kim R. Holston and Tom Winchester p.510-511 – credits, review
  • Sixties Shockers by Mark Clark and Bryan Senn pp.102-103 – credits, review
  • Unsung Horrors by Eric McNaughton & Darrell Buxton (eds) pp.192-193 – illustrated review (by Ian Taylor)