''Linda'' is a 1960 British

teen Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

, directed by

Don Sharp Donald Herman Sharp (19 April 192114 December 2011) was an Australian film director. His best known films were made for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer in the 1960s, and included ''The Kiss of the Vampire'' (1963) and ''Rasputin, the Mad Monk' ...

and starring

Carol White Carole Joan White (1 April 1943 – 16 September 1991) was an English actress. She achieved a public profile with her performances in the television play ''Cathy Come Home'' (1966) and the films ''Poor Cow'' (1967) and '' I'll Never Forg ...

and

Alan Rothwell Alan Rothwell (born 9 February 1937) is an English actor and television presenter. He played David Barlow in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' as a regular from 1960 to 1961, and again from 1963 to 1968. His other acting credits include p ...

. The film was shot on location in South London and Brighton, and played in cinemas as the support feature to ''

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning ''Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'' is the first novel by British author Alan Sillitoe and won the Author's Club First Novel Award. It was adapted by Sillitoe into a 1960 film starring Albert Finney, directed by Karel Reisz, and in 1964 was ...

''. Unseen for decades, this is currently considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

, and is on the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

's " 75 Most Wanted" list of missing British feature films.

Plot

Bored South London teenager Phil (Rothwell) joins a gang led by the Chief (Cavan Malone) and begins to be drawn into a world of petty crime and violence. When he meets Linda (White), his interest begins to shift away from the gang and towards her. She tries to pull him away from the gang's bad influence. The couple go on a day trip to Brighton. On the way home Phil makes a pass at Linda, but is rebuffed as she tells him she is not that kind of girl. Later, the local coffee bar which acts as the gang's territory is threatened by incomers. The Chief musters his minions, and Phil agrees to join in after being duped into thinking that Linda is playing fast and loose with another boy. After the ruck, Phil finds out that he has been tricked by the Chief. Urged by the progressively-minded local vicar, he decides to leave the gang behind. Other members also see the light and join him, leaving the Chief on his own. Phil and Linda discuss the possibility of marriage.

Cast

as Linda *

as Phil * Cavan Malone as Chief *

Edward Cast Edward Raymond Cast (1925–1994) was a British stage, film and television actor. Selected filmography * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) - Crew Member (uncredited) * ''Private's Progress'' (1956) - Intelligence Officer (uncredited) * '' The One That ...

as Vicar * Vivienne Lacey as Rosie * Lois Daine as Clara *

Larry Dann Larry Dann (born 15 May 1941 in London, England) is a British film and television actor. His acting career began by a fluke, with "a chance knock at the door looking for kids to work in films." He made his film debut age five in '' Adam and Evely ...

as Len *

Keith Faulkner Keith Faulkner (born 25 July 1936) is a British-born Australian actor. Early life Faulkner was born in Richmond, Surrey. He started his career at Corona Academy at the age of eleven and moved on to a career in film and television in the late 195 ...

as Joe * Harry Pringle as Fred * Richard Palmer as Teddy * Tony Lyons as Dave * Pearson Dodd as Jack

Production

Don Sharp was offered the job of directing by Independent Artists who were pleased with the job he had just done for them on ''The Professionals''. The film was made for Bryanston, and designed to play the bottom half of a double bill for that company. Filming began 23 May 1960. The film was shot over 15 days. Don Sharp said the key to making a film with such a tight schedule was preplanning. He said, "Obviously you cannot do all the covering that you might on a longer schedule. So you plan to eliminate cover shots wherever possible to give yourself extra time for those sequences where you need them for dramatic cutting."

Reception

As a second feature, ''Linda'' received only passing attention from contemporary critics. The ''

Cinema Exhibitors' Association The UK Cinema Association (UKCA), formerly known as the Cinema Exhibitors Association, is the national trade association for cinema operators in the United Kingdom. The UKCA represents the interests of well over 90 per cent of UK cinema operator ...

'' commented favourably: "This is an unpretentious but amusing little film which combines action with humour and even some charm." The ''

Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...

'' was less enthusiastic, saying: "The author of this story would seem to be afraid of his subject. He steers a middle course which is neither one thing nor the other. Carol White does her best to look the part of a young tart-type, and Alan Rothwell is dressed for the part, but neither make much of an impression." The film is considered of potential interest to cinema historians, both as an early directorial outing by Sharp and as a period piece capturing a very specific moment in British social history, with the additional nostalgia appeal of location shots of 1960 Brighton and Battersea Fun Fair.

Preservation status

This is considered a

, and is on the

's " 75 Most Wanted" list of missing British feature films.

References

External links

*
''Linda''
at BFI Film & TV Database

with extensive notes {{DEFAULTSORT:Linda 1960 films 1960s teen drama films 1960 independent films 1960s lost films British black-and-white films British independent films British teen drama films Films directed by Don Sharp Films set in Brighton Films set in London Lost British films Lost drama films 1960 drama films 1960s English-language films 1960s British films