''The 14'' is a 1973 British

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 ...

directed by David Hemmings and starring

Jack Wild Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 1 March 2006) was an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as the Artful Dodger in the film ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at ...

and

June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the '' ...

. It was also released as ''Existence'' and, in the United States, as ''The Wild Little Bunch''. It was entered into the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival where it won the

Silver Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fes ...

. Its plot, based on fact, concerns the fate of fourteen children in West London who are orphaned after the death of their single mother.The Fourteen
, ''Movies.TVGuide.com''.

Plot

The film focuses on a family of 14 children who are left to fend for themselves when their mother (

) passes away. Reg (

), the eldest who is turning 18, is left in charge of the family until the

child welfare Child protection is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides for the protection of children in and out of the home. One of the ways to ...

come in and send them all to a

children's home Residential child care communities or children's homes are a type of residential care, which refers to long-term care given to children who cannot stay in their birth family home. There are two different approaches towards residential care: The fam ...

. However. Reg is always determined to fight to keep his family together no matter what.

Cast

as Reg *

as The Mother * Liz Edmiston as Sylvia * Diana Beevers as Miss Field *

Cheryl Hall Cheryl Hall (born 23 July 1950 in London) is a British actress. She is best known for playing Shirley Johnson in the British sitcom ''Citizen Smith'' (1977–1979) and had a recurring role as Sadie in ''The Bill'' (1984–1988). Biography One ...

as Reena *

Anna Wing Anna Eva Lydia Catherine Wing (30 October 1914 – 7 July 2013) was an English actress who had a long career in television and theatre, known for portraying the role of Beale family matriarch Lou Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. ...

as Mrs. Booth * John Bailey as Mr. Sanders *

Alun Armstrong Alan Armstrong, known professionally as Alun Armstrong, is an English actor. He grew up in County Durham in North East England, and first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began ...

as Tommy *

Keith Buckley Keith Buckley (born November 19, 1979) is an American singer, best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the now defunct hardcore punk band Every Time I Die and the heavy metal supergroup The Damned Things. He is also a published author. Ear ...

as Mr. Whitehead *

Tony Calvin Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

as Father Morris * Chris Kelly as Roy (as Christian Kelly) *

Frank Gentry Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cur ...

as Terry *

Peter Newby Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

as Billy * Paul Daly as Freddy * Richard Haywood as John (as Richard Heyward) *

Malcolm Tierney Malcolm Tierney (25 February 1938 – 18 February 2013) was an English actor who appeared in many film and television roles. Early life Tierney's father, Ernest, was a boilermaker and trained draughtsman, from Warrington, who worked at Blackpoo ...

as Mr. Michael

Production

Filming locations

The film was shot on location in

West London West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary. The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: North Londo ...

and Berkshire and at Pinewood Studios,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England.

References

External links

* 1973 films 1973 drama films 1973 independent films 1970s English-language films British drama films British independent films Films about dysfunctional families Films about grieving Films about orphans Films about poverty in the United Kingdom Films about siblings Films directed by David Hemmings Films set in London Films shot at Pinewood Studios 1970s British films {{indie-drama-film-stub