John Burke - The Boys

[franklinmarsh]

Ade - what's the film like?

[killercrab]

FM - very good - got it on vid somewhere. Having not read the book I can't say how accurate it is , but most of the film is a courtroom drama - very captivating - bit like a boot boys Twelve Angry Men I suppose.

ade

[franklinmarsh]

Excellent description! (I've just realised I've put this in the wrong section - it not being a horror film. I was blinded by a huge crowd of John Burke.) The book is split into two halves. First half - the prosecution. No nonsense hard-liner Victor Webster (who's marriage is showing signs of collapse and who's son, although as much of a toff as his dad, is beginning to rebel) wants these 'Teds' nailed for murder. Which still carries the death penalty - and , bearing in mind Craig and Bentley, even if only one of them wielded the knife, all four could be equally responsible. Webster brings on a parade of members of the general public who encountered the lads on their night of high-spirited fun which ended in death, all of whom spit bile and would fairly obviously like to see these yobbos get what's coming to them. Fortunately our surly youths are being defended by Mr Montgomery, who's seething with a sense of social responsibility brought on by being jeered for being a bit of a porker when he was at school. The toughs aren't very forthcoming in their own defence, and he's got his work cut out - often resorting to Perry Mason-style grandstanding - such as bringing into court a 'Ted', which has the court practically baying for the birch at the very least. The fashionably attired would-be hooligan is revealed to be a nice youth of impeccable character whom Monty dolled up to show the public's prejudice. The judge disapproves of this kind of malarkey, but Monty is slowly but surely dismantling Webster's water-tight case.
The second half of the book shows the evening through the eyes of The Boys - and paints a very different picture of events.
There's a boffo twist at the end, too. If the films half as good as Burkey's version....

A quick look at the IMDB reveals this film has possibly the best cast of any British film ever - including Hell Drivers.
Webster is played by Richard Todd, and who else but Robert Morley could be Montgomery? Felix Aylmer is the Judge. The Boys are Dudley Sutton, Ronald Lacey, Tony Garnett and Jess Conrad (!)
Look out for Wilfred Brambell,Allan Cuthbertson,Colin Gordon,Kenneth J Warren, Patrick Magee,David Lodge, Betty Marsden,Patrick Newell,Rita Webb, Tom Chatto, Hilda Fenemore, Noel Dyson and Roy Kinnear (as a bus conductor menaced by the Teds in a scene that would reappear in Skinhead.)

Directed by Sidney J Furie as part of his youth in revolt trilogy - followed by The Leather Boys, and preceded by...er...The Young Ones