''The Scamp'' is a 1957 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

Wolf Rilla Wolf Peter Rilla (16 March 1920 – 19 October 2005) was a film director and writer of German background, although he worked mainly in the United Kingdom. Rilla is known for directing '' Village of the Damned'' (1960). He wrote many books for stu ...

and starring Richard Attenborough,

Terence Morgan Terence Ivor Grant Morgan (8 December 1921 – 25 August 2005) was an English actor in theatre, cinema and television. He played many "villain" roles in British film but is probably best remembered for his starring role in the TV historical ...

Colin Petersen Frederick Colin Petersen (born 24 March 1946) is an Australian drummer, record producer and former child actor. He played as a member of the bands Steve and the Board, the Bee Gees and Humpy Bong. In August 1969, he left the Bee Gees and he wa ...

, and

Dorothy Alison Dorothy Alison (4 April 1925 – 17 January 1992) was an Australian stage, film and television actress Biography Dorothy Alison was born in the New South Wales mining city of Broken Hill and educated at Sydney Girls High School. She moved t ...

. It was based on the play, "Uncertain Joy," by Charlotte Hastings. It was released in the U.S. as ''Strange Affection''.

Synopsis

A schoolteacher and his wife take in the tempestuous child of an abusive drifter. When the father returns their lives become complicated by issues of corporal punishment, physical abuse, strained relations and various crimes.

Cast

* Richard Attenborough as Stephen Leigh *

as Barbara Leigh *

as Tod Dawson *

as Mike Dawson *

Jill Adams Jill Adams (22 July 1930 – 13 May 2008) was an English actress, artist and fashion model. She featured or starred in over 25 films during the 1950s and 1960s. Life Jill Adams was born Jill Siggins in London in 1930, the daughter of the sil ...

as Julie Dawson *

Maureen Delany Maureen Barry O'Delany (1 December 1888 – 27 March 1961), professionally known as Maureen Delany and also billed as Maureen Delaney, was an Irish stage actress and screen actress of British films Life and career She was born in Kilkenn ...

as Mrs. Perryman *

Margaretta Scott Margaretta Mary Winifred ScottBrian McFarlane, "Scott, Margaretta Mary Winifred (1912–2005)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 201available online Retrieved 30 August 2020. (13 February 1912 – 15 Apri ...

as Mrs. Blundell * David Franks as Eddie *

Geoffrey Keen Geoffrey Keen (21 August 1916 – 3 November 2005) was an English actor who appeared in supporting roles in many films. He is well known for playing British Defence Minister Sir Frederick Gray in the ''James Bond'' films. Biography Early lif ...

as Headmaster *

Charles Lloyd-Pack Charles Lloyd-Pack (10 October 1902 – 22 December 1983) was a British film, television and stage actor. Life and career Lloyd-Pack was born at Wapping, East London, to working-class parents. He was seen in several horror films produced by the ...

as Beamish * June Cunningham as Annette *

Sam Kydd Samuel John Kydd (15 February 1915 – 26 March 1982) was a British-Irish actor. His best-known roles were in two major British television series of the 1960s, as the smuggler Orlando O'Connor in '' Crane'' and its sequel ''Orlando''. He als ...

as Shopkeeper * Victor Brooks as Inspector Birch

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

'' wrote, "Shaky direction and a cliche-ridden script mar any possibilities for this human interest story"; whereas

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...

called it a "Decent British drama."

Box office

According to ''Kinematograph Weekly'' the film was "in the money" at the British box office in 1957.

References

External links

* 1957 films 1957 drama films Films directed by Wolf Rilla British drama films Films shot at British National Studios 1950s English-language films 1950s British films {{1950s-UK-film-stub