The Boys *** (1962, Richard Todd, Robert Morley, Dudley Sutton, Jess Conrad, Ronald Lacey, Tony Garnett) – Classic Movie Review 7581

Director Sidney J Furie’s inventive direction and some then fresh faces (Dudley Sutton, Jess Conrad, Ronald Lacey, Tony Garnett) are the main pleasures of the interesting youth-oriented 1962 British courtroom drama The Boys, which was always too long at 123 minutes and unfortunately has not aged too well as drama, though it has a lot of period and nostalgia appeal.

However, there is also that iconic young cast to enjoy, and Richard Todd gives a strong, solid star turn too as prosecuting counsel Victor Webster, the lawyer who tries to get to the bottom of the case of four teenaged lads being tried for murder after a night watchman garage worker is killed during a burglary. Felix Aylmer is a particularly welcome old face as the judge and Robert Morley is outstanding as defence counsel Montgomery.

In favour of Stuart Douglass’s original screenplay is its carefully constructed plot and the clever way it builds sympathy for The Boys, though the director said the script wasn’t believable and ordered the actors to tear it up and improvise their dialogue.

Also, there is the usual noteworthy support cast from a British film of this period, with London location filming in Soho, Tottenham Court Road, Paddington and King’s Cross, as well as iconic music by The Shadows. The main theme is written by Brian Bennett, Bruce Welch and Hank B Marvin and played by The Shadows, who composed four songs for the film and they were released as an EP. It is shot in black and white and CinemaScope by Gerald Gibbs.

The Boys are Dudley Sutton as Stan Coulter, Ronald Lacey as William (Billy) Herne, Tony Garnett as Jim (Ginger) Thompson and Jess Conrad as Barney Lee.

Also in the cast are Wilfrid Brambell as Robert Brewer, Roy Kinnear as bus conductor Mark Samuel, Allan Cuthbertson as Randolph St John, Colin Gordon as Gordon Lonsdale, Wensley Pithey as Mr Coulter (as Wensley Athey, Kenneth J Warren as George Tanner, Patrick Magee as Mr Lee, David Lodge as Mr Herne, Mavis Villiers as Celia Barker, Betty Marsden as Mrs Herne, Laurence Hardy as Patmore, Charles Morgan as Samuel Wallace, Carol White as Evelyn May, Patrick Newell as Crowhurst, Rita Webb as Mrs Lee, Tom Chatto as Morris, Harold Scott as Caldwell, George Moon as Mr Champneys, Hilda Fenemore as Mrs Thompson and Lloyd Lamble as Inspector Larner.

The Boys is directed by Sidney J Furie, runs 123 minutes, is made by Atlas Productions and Galaworld Film Productions, is released by Gala and Columbia, is written by Stuart Douglass (original screenplay), is shot in black and white and CinemaScope by Gerald Gibbs, is produced by Kenneth Rive (executive producer) and Sidney J Furie, is scored by The Shadows and Bill McGuffie (uncredited) and is designed by John Earl.

Studio work, including the courtroom scenes, was filmed at the Elstree Studios of Associated British Picture Corporation, Hertfordshire, England.

Jess Conrad recalled that on the first day of filming Furie said the script wasn’t believable and ordered the four young actors to tear it up and improvise their dialogue. Conrad said: ‘Robert Morley embraced it and treated us like his sons. He used to take us for tea and scones in a local tea shop.’ Conrad tweeted on 13 November 2020: ‘It’s nice that The Boys is so popular and plays regularly on Talking Pictures TV. Sad that I’m The Boy that’s last standing. Remembering Dudley Sutton, Tony Garnett and Ronald Lacey.’

Back on 17 September 2017, the 55th anniversary of the film’s release, the then three surviving Boys, Conrad, Garnett and Sutton, met for a reunion showing of the film at Elstree Studios where the courtroom scenes were filmed. It was the first time any of the four had met since the film was made.

RIP Dudley Sutton (1933–2018). He also appeared in Sidney J Furie’s The Leather Boys (1964) as a leather-jacketed gay biker, a ground-breaking role that turned him into a cult actor.

RIP Tony Garnett (3 April 1936 – 12 January 2020). He left acting and became a most significant British film and television producer,

RIP Ronald Lacey, who was diagnosed with liver cancer on 25 April 1991 and died on 15 May 1991, aged 55.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7581

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Jess Conrad recalled that on the first day of filming the director said the script wasn’t believable and ordered the actors to tear it up and improvise their dialogue.