''Child's Play'' is a 1972 American drama-mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars James Mason, Robert Preston and Beau Bridges. The screenplay by Leon Prochnik is based on the 1970 play of the same title by Robert Marasco.

Plot

The film centers on the rivalry between two faculty members at St. Charles, an exclusive Catholic boarding school for boys. Joe Dobbs is an easy-going, well-liked

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

teacher, while

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

instructor Jerome Malley is feared and hated by his students. Malley is caring for his dying mother, and his stress is exacerbated by a series of threatening phone calls and written notes he receives. He's certain Dobbs is the source, but his caustic personality prevents him from winning any sympathy or support. Into the fray comes Paul Reis, a former student who has been hired to teach physical education, and he soon finds his loyalty torn between Dobbs and Malley, as he becomes increasingly aware of the latter's personal torments.

Cast

* James Mason as Jerome Malley * Robert Preston as Joseph Dobbs * Beau Bridges as Paul Reis * Ron Weyand as Father Frank Mozian * Charles White as Father William Griffin * David Rounds as Father George Penny * Kate Harrington as Mrs. Carter * Brian Chapin as O'Donnell * Bryant Fraser as Jennings *

Tom Leopold Tom Leopold (born ) is an American comedy writer, performer, and novelist. He has written episodes of '' Seinfeld'' and '' Cheers'', along with several books. Leopold has often been associated with Chevy Chase, Harry Shearer, and Paul Shaffer ...

as Shea * Christopher Man as Travis *

Paul O'Keefe Paul O'Keefe (born April 27, 1951) is an American actor best known for his work as Ross Lane, the younger brother of Patty Duke's character Patty Lane in the television series ''The Patty Duke Show'' and for the movie '' The Daydreamer''. Born i ...

as Freddie Banks

Production

Marlon Brando originally signed for the role of Joseph Dobbs, but dropped out of the film when he realized James Mason had the better role. He was replaced by Robert Preston, and first-time film producer David Merrick sued Brando for breach of contract. The Paramount Pictures release was filmed at Marymount Secondary School in Tarrytown, New York. Students from

Archbishop Stepinac High School Archbishop Stepinac High School is an American all-boys' Roman Catholic high school in White Plains, New York. It was operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York until the 2009–2010 school year, when it became independent of th ...

in White Plains, New York served as extras on the film.

Critical reception

Roger Ebert of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...

'' gave the film 2.5 stars out of 4 and wrote "'Child’s Play,' which is beautifully acted and very nicely directed, doesn't seem to know whether it’s really about the supernatural or not ... the entire movie is set up to suggests supernatural overtones, so when we get a rather conventional, Freudian, ending, we’re disappointed. The original fault lies with Robert Marasco's Broadway play, I suppose. But it could have been fixed for the movie."

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' wrote "With the exception of the performance of Mr. Mason, who is fine as the mad, exhausted Latin teacher, everything in 'Child's Play' seems to be rather cheaply tricky — such as the low-range photography and floor lighting designed to throw faces into eerie relief. In a more thoughtful film, the screen play and the performances might have been expected to create the sense of true menace and mystery. Even more irritating is the soundtrack, full of ominous clicking noises that are so loud and so resonant that one can't believe that the characters inside the film can't hear them, too." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' called the film "a taut and suspenseful drama," further stating that "Sidney Lumet's direction catches the mood and spirit of an unhealthy situation and he makes every move count," and Mason gives a "solid performance." Gene Siskel of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' rated the film 2 stars out of 4 and wrote "Because the look of the film is so artificial, and because the guilty party can be only one person — the only one with a genuine motive — 'Child's Play' is a small disaster as both horror story and mystery." A positive review from

Charles Champlin Charles Davenport Champlin (March 23, 1926 – November 16, 2014) was an American film critic and writer. Life and career Champlin was born in Hammondsport, New York. He attended high school in Camden, New York, working as a columnist for the ...

of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' called the film "a superior

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...

" that "works a few mild deceptions on the audience to achieve its ends, but no one is likely to care very much. Getting there is all the scary pleasure." Champlin added that "Mason's performance, in its power and also in its subtle shifting, ranks with the best portrayals in his long, impressive career." Gary Arnold of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' wrote "In a better play or movie we might have learned what makes one man despise another so intensely that he thinks he's justified in destroying him. In 'Child's Play' we get a load of ominous, evil-minded humbug, a vicious dumb show with schoolboys acting like zombie killers, constantly lurking in the shadows and inflicting nasty accidents."Arnold, Gary (February 3, 1973). "Menacing 'Play'". ''

''. E9.

References

External links