Synopsis
The Battersea Bats are a gang of four kids who have their den in an abandoned building near the Thames, and they have a plan of action in mind because in about a week there is a soapbox derby being held, a contest they mean to win.
Soapbox Derby
1958 Directed by Darcy Conyers
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Theatrical
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UK
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UK
01 Jan 1958
- Theatrical
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Who knew Michael Crawford was a child actor? I certainly didn't! And what a cute little boy he was too at 15 years old! 😍🥰😘💕💕
This is typical British children's film fare about a group of young boys competing to become the very best at the derby against their most hated rivals. No, it's NOT the horse racing kind of derby, it's more like makeshift peddle kart racing.
You just know what's going to happen: the goodies win, the baddies lose. Simple, really. It's nothing special (though minor SPOILERS: I was shocked about what happened to that little girl), but it's nevertheless an interesting time-capsule into what young Michael was up to at the beginning of his acting career. Not bad for a debut performance!
A decent distraction.
6/10 -
The Battersea Bats and the Victoria Victors gangs (they're not very inventive with their names and calling groups of 3 kids a gang is a bit of a stretch) are both determined to win the annual soapbox derby, something which not only involves them designing and building their vehicles in double quick time, but also, in the case of the Victors, sabotaging their opponents.
Obviously this is the work of the Children's Film Foundation and stars none other than Michael Crawford (who's friend here has a sister called Betty). And equally obviously it's a film which won't be of any interest to persons of it's original target audience age race, only us oldies who yearn for a happier time, when…
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Starts off with all the jolly japes you would expect of a Children's Film foundation offering in this era. Lots of boys in shorts indulging in some rough and tumble. They use superlatives like wizard and call the one kid who wears glasses Four Eyes. A lot. Even his sister calls him Four Eyes. But then the aforementioned sister is knocked down by a van as the soapbox rivalry heats up. Then the father of one the not so nice boys gets involved with some breaking and entering, robbery and violence towards children. Before you know it the grandad of one the nice boys also gets involved with some rather dangerous behaviour of his own. Who knew that soapbox derbies…
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D’Arcy Conyers’ family comedy drama in which a group of boys compete in the Soap Box Derby, despite facing sabotage from their rivals. Starring Michael Crawford, Keith Davis and Malcolm Kirby.
The story concerns a group of kids in London called The Battersea Bats who choose to make a car and enter it in a ‘soapbox derby’. An opponent gang called The Victoria Victors, hear about the car and set out to take away its plans. One of the Bats is thrown out of the group for unclean fighting so teams up with the Victors for vengeance.
All the child actors give good performances in their respective roles, all of them being watchable on screen from beginning to end, while…