An English family, Peter and Sally Carter (Patrick Allen and Gwen Watford) and their nine-year-old daughter Jean (Janina Faye), emigrate to a small Canadian town where Peter has got the job of principal at the local school. However, their dream of a new life turns into a nightmare when their daughter says that an elderly man made inappropriate advances towards her and her school friend, Lucille (Frances Green). They find the local people close ranks against them when they file a complaint with the police since the man in question, Clarence Olderberry (Felix Aylmer), belongs to the wealthiest and most influential family in the community who opened a salt mill, which created jobs and increased the town's prosperity. Olderberry's son (Bill Nagy) warns the Carters that if they take his father to court, he will use his family's wealth and influence to ensure that their case is thrown out of court. And, sure enough, it is. The jury is stacked and the Defense Council (Niall McGuinness) questions Jean in a bullying and unsympathetic manner in the witness box, which is successful in creating the impression that she is an unreliable witness. Olderberry walks out of court a free man and the Carters announce that they are leaving town. However, Olderberry goes on the warpath again and this time his tendencies become homicidal...
Highly controversial in its day, this Hammer drama deserved a wider audience than it got and it is certainly one of their best films. The subject is treated with absolute sensitivity by the entire cast with Allen and Watford especially good as the horrified and anguished parents. The way in which the community closes ranks against them as they fight for justice for their daughter is well depicted and creates much tension and suspense. The courtroom sequence is particularly harrowing and, although the film was shot at Bray Studios in the English home counties where so many of Hammer's timeless gothic horrors were made, you will be surprised at how successful the film makers were in creating an authentic sense of place and realism for the Canadian setting. This adds to the unsettling atmosphere which is augmented by the b/w cinemascope camerawork of Freddie Francis who shortly after this would go on to win an Oscar for his work on Sons And Lovers (1960). Directed by Cyril Frankel, who is best remembered as the director of such cult TV classics as Randall and Hopkirk Deceased, Department S and The Champions, this ranks among the best work he did for the cinema. He would go on to make one other film for Hammer, the flawed but interesting witchcraft thriller, The Witches (1966), which featured Joan Fontaine's last big screen appearance. While he ensures that the film is entertaining, suspenseful and tense, he also brings out the powerful social message within John Hunter's script about the responsibility we all have in protecting our children and that one's money and influence is no excuse for complacency or exonerates them from the responsibilities they have to society. Niall McGuinness offers a fine performance as the prosecuting attorney, Bill Nagy is noteworthy as the accused man's son and Felix Aylmer, even though he has no dialogue, succeeds in creating a convincing and unnerving performance as the accused man.
All in all, after nearly sixty years since it was first made, this remains a powerful piece of film making that still manages to entertain while at the same time delivering an important social message that is as vital and relevant now as it was then.
Highly controversial in its day, this Hammer drama deserved a wider audience than it got and it is certainly one of their best films. The subject is treated with absolute sensitivity by the entire cast with Allen and Watford especially good as the horrified and anguished parents. The way in which the community closes ranks against them as they fight for justice for their daughter is well depicted and creates much tension and suspense. The courtroom sequence is particularly harrowing and, although the film was shot at Bray Studios in the English home counties where so many of Hammer's timeless gothic horrors were made, you will be surprised at how successful the film makers were in creating an authentic sense of place and realism for the Canadian setting. This adds to the unsettling atmosphere which is augmented by the b/w cinemascope camerawork of Freddie Francis who shortly after this would go on to win an Oscar for his work on Sons And Lovers (1960). Directed by Cyril Frankel, who is best remembered as the director of such cult TV classics as Randall and Hopkirk Deceased, Department S and The Champions, this ranks among the best work he did for the cinema. He would go on to make one other film for Hammer, the flawed but interesting witchcraft thriller, The Witches (1966), which featured Joan Fontaine's last big screen appearance. While he ensures that the film is entertaining, suspenseful and tense, he also brings out the powerful social message within John Hunter's script about the responsibility we all have in protecting our children and that one's money and influence is no excuse for complacency or exonerates them from the responsibilities they have to society. Niall McGuinness offers a fine performance as the prosecuting attorney, Bill Nagy is noteworthy as the accused man's son and Felix Aylmer, even though he has no dialogue, succeeds in creating a convincing and unnerving performance as the accused man.
All in all, after nearly sixty years since it was first made, this remains a powerful piece of film making that still manages to entertain while at the same time delivering an important social message that is as vital and relevant now as it was then.