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Serious Charge

1959

Howard Phillips, a vicar who's new in the town of Bellington, wants to reach out to youth. The previous vicar's daughter, Hester Peters, who fears being a spinster, wants to be his wife. He tells her he's not interested. When he confronts a tough kid about something the youth has done, the lad sets out to frame the vicar. Hester, who's walked in on the confrontation, backs the youth's story. The town sides with her and the lad, turning against Phillips. He has a crisis of faith. What options does he have; can no one help him, his reputation, or his calling?

Anthony Quayle Sarah Churchill Andrew Ray Irene Browne Cliff Richard Percy Herbert Noel Howlett Leigh Madison Liliane Brousse Judith Furse Wensley Pithey Wilfrid Brambell Jean Cadell Olive Sloane George Roderick Jess Conrad Marie Devereux Philip Lowrie Julie Martin Wilfred Pickles

Country

Language

English

Alternative Titles

Teddy Boys, A Touch of Hell, Immoral Charge, charge grave

Genre

Drama

Theatrical

30 Apr 1959

UKPG

UK

30 Apr 1959

TheatricalPG

96 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★★

Action!: Terence Young - The Many Stages Of A Real "M"
I will be honest with each of you, I was on the verge of giving up on Terence Young. The amount of historical drama I had to sit through for a week was challenging my patience. I still stand behind those 3 and 3.5 stars, but it got to a point where I felt like it was more and more of the same and the fact they were released the same year or in just a year span leaves it clear there was rarely too much thought put into each one of those movies.
Perhaps that's why this movie felt so refreshing. It was not only a complete departure…
Review by Mark Cunliffe 🇵🇸 ★★½ 7

I watched this because I'm compiling a list of films made and set in new towns and I wanted to see if this would fit. Serious Charge is a 1959 feature from director Terence Young that was shot in the new town of Stevenage, doubling as the fictional town of Bellington. The plot sees the residents of the town welcome its new vicar (Anthony Quayle) with open arms until a young delinquent (Andrew Ray, the little boy from The Yellow Balloon all grown up) spreads malicious gossip that turns everyone against him.
Serious Charge (it's also known as A Touch of Hell) is perhaps best known for being the film that provided Cliff Richard with his cinematic debut. Britain's answer…
Review by Piers Haslam ★★★★

A superbly complex drama which captures the atmosphere of London's suburbs and satellite towns. Also, that bit where that gay vicar decks a geezer 😍
Review by MARTIN BRADLEY ★★★

Very daring for its day (1959) "Serious Charge" may now look very much like a period piece yet this British movie about a vicar falsely accused of molesting a teenage boy still packs a punch thanks in large part to a fine script by Guy Elmes and Mickey Delamar and good performances from Anthony Quayle as the vicar, Andrew Ray as the boy who makes the allegation, Sarah Churchill as the woman who has the hots for Quayle and, perhaps best of all, Irene Browne as Quayle's no-nonsense mother. It was also the film that introduced a young Cliff Richard to the big screen as Ray's younger brother, (he sings "Livin' Doll"). Now Cliff and the teenage teraways are the films weakest links which in all other respects treats its subject seriously and with a surprising degree of intelligence. It's almost unimaginable that a similar film would have been made in America at this time.
Review by Luke Thorne ★★★★

A new vicar (Anthony Quayle) falls foul of frustrated Hester (Sarah Churchill) as she backs up a false claim made by Larry (Andrew Ray) against the vicar in this British drama directed by Terence Young.
The story concerns a punk (Andrew Ray) who commits murder and frames the new minister (Anthony Quayle) in town of the crime.
Anthony Quayle plays the role of Reverend Howard Phillips, a new vicar who is unmarried and finds himself accused of committing an awful act after trying to get a criminal to live up to the consequences.
Andrew Ray gives a good performance in his role as Larry Thompson, the criminal who is not a likeable character at all, even making one room a…
Review by bbbgtoby ★★½

Primary interest in seeing one of my childhood home towns on the screen 25 years before i was born aside this social issues picture with occasional Cliffy moments drags with little to raise intrigue. Anthony Quayle is a strong presence throughout but most remarkable are the number of interesting speaking roles for women, including that of Churchill's daughter.

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Serious Charge

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Theatrical

30 Apr 1959

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UK

30 Apr 1959

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Serious Charge

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Alternative Titles

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Theatrical

30 Apr 1959

UK

30 Apr 1959

Popular reviews

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