Customer Reviews

Serious Charge: Renown Picture Classics

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This well acted late 1950s (1959 to be exact) British drama was one of two films which "featured" British rock and roller Cliff Richard. (The other was Espresso Bongo.) But he really has a small role here with only a few lines of dialogue and three songs. Actually he only performs one complete and the others are curtailed when action occurs. Still the first 30 minutes gives a nice feel for "teenage rock and roll" in the 50s. But that's not the main plot here. As you will probably see by the plot summary or other reviews, this is about a new Vicar who moves into a community and later has to face charges of "inappropriate behavior". The British - where the Church is even more powerful than in the US - were years ahead of American films in broaching the subject.

Though I had seen Espresso Bongo years ago, this film was new to me and the print from VCI is clean and sharp with great sound.

Sure it's a "period piece" (the late 50s) but the story is interesting, with a few nice turns, the acting well done, and it'll certainly hold your attention. The Richard performances may lead you to the film, but you'll stay for the story and the acting.

There's a fun six-minute collage of British film trailers to the soundtrack of a new British pop song that preceded the feature. Nice added touch!

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

An interesting if not great film. A 50's teenager movie with a strong plot line. Anthony Quayle is great and Cliff Richard is Cliff so if you are a Cliff fan you will want to see this movie.

VCI Entertainment presents "SERIOUS CHARGE" (May 1959) (95 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- Some outstanding performances with a great cast, as an unmarried vicar in a new parish Reverend Howard Phillips (Anthony Quayle) accuses a local 19 year old of being partially responsible for the death of a teenage girl --- In defiance, the young man claims the vicar molested him --- Out of spite, his story is backed up by a local woman Hester Peters (Sarah Churchill) still furious that the vicar rejected her advances --- Unfortunately for the Reverend, Hester Peters is a highly respected member of the community - her father is the previous clergyman --- A film ahead of its time, with some hard to watch scenes that will keep you glued to the small screen till the very end.

Under the production staff of:
Terence Young - Director
Mickey Delamar - Screenwriter
Guy Elmes - Screenwriter
Philip King - Author from the play "Serious Charge"
Mickey Delamar - Producer
Leighton Lucas - Original Music
Georges Périnal - Cinematographer
Reginald Beck - Film Editor

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Scene Selection
2. Trailers
3. British Cinema Promo

BIOS:
1. Anthony Quayle
Date of Birth: 7 September 1913 - Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire (now Aindale, Sefton, Merseyside), England, UK
Date of Death: 20 October 1989 - London, England, UK

2. Sarah Churchill
Date of Birth: 7 October 1914 - London, England, UK
Date of Death: 24 September 1982 - London, England, UK

3. Terence Young (Director)
Date of Birth: 20 June 1915 - Shanghai, China
Date of Death: 7 September 1994 - Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

the cast includes:
Anthony Quayle ... The Reverend Howard Phillips
Sarah Churchill ... Hester Peters
Andrew Ray ... Larry Thompson
Irene Browne ... Mrs. Phillips
Percy Herbert ... Mr. Thompson
Noel Howlett ... Mr. Peters
Wilfrid Brambell ... Verger
Liliane Brousse ... Michelle
Jean Cadell ... Almshouse Matron
Judith Furse ... Probation Officer
Leigh Madison ... Mary Williams
Julie Martin
Wilfred Pickles ... Magistrate
Wensley Pithey ... Police Sergeant
Cliff Richard ... Curley Thompson
George Roderick ... Fishmonger
Olive Sloane ... Mrs. Browning

Hats off and thanks to Robert Blair and his staff at VCI Entertainment --- VCI was named in Variety and Hollywood Reporter as the first company to produce and release motion pictures directly to the home marketplace --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- VCI are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector -- looking forward to more Nostalgic Collections.

Total Time: 95 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment ~ (06/30/2009)

There was a time when it was hard to sit through a British film. They were well, foreign.
They were full of chatty Brits talking with nose-in-your-face smugness. Often the topics
covered were so mundane, one has to ask "Really, you want me to sit through 2 hours of
this?" What brand of duct tape are you using to tape me down?

"Serious Charge" is actually quite chatty too. But you'll be chatty too if you are Stanley
Baker and you are a priest and some young punk accuses you of "touching" him. Gawd, it
violates all the rules of the Church and it is, dare we say it, intergenerational sex. The
movie predates "The Children's Hour" (or "The Loudest Whisper" in Britain) where some kid
sez nuns Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine are of the Lesbos persuasion.

Cliff Richard made two serious movies (sorry about that) at the start of his career, the
other being "Expresso Bongo". And he sings some good numbers in this.