''Serious Charge'' (also known in US release as ''A Touch of Hell'') is a 1959 British film, directed by

Terence Young Terence or Terry Young may refer to: *Terence Young (director) (1915–1994), British film director * Terence Young (politician) (born 1952), Canadian Conservative Party politician * Terence Young (writer), Canadian writer * Terry Young (American p ...

, produced and co-written by Mickey Delamar (with

Guy Elmes Guy Elmes (22 July 1920- December 1998) was a British screenwriter. Select Filmography *''Behold the Man'' (1949) - TV movie *'' The Planter's Wife'' (1952) *'' Counterspy'' (1953) *''The Flanagan Boy'' (1953) *'' Wheel of Fate'' (1953) *'' The ...

). It was adapted from a stage play written by Philip King. The film is notable for the screen acting debut of pop singer

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

in a minor supporting role.

Plot

An unmarried vicar, the Reverend Howard Phillips ( Anthony Quayle), newly arrived in the parish, attempts to get local 19-year-old thug and petty criminal Larry Thompson ( Andrew Ray) to face up to his responsibilities to Mary Williams ( Leigh Madison), the naive young girl he has made pregnant. When Howard threatens to tell his coffee-bar friends, Larry trashes the room and fakes a struggle. As a dishevelled Larry leaves, Hester Peters ( Sarah Churchill) arrives, and he tells her that Howard "interfered" with him. Hester is the daughter of the parish’s previous clergyman and has become infatuated with the athletic and handsome new vicar. However, having earlier seen a young girl leaving the vicarage late one night (Mary, who had sought the vicar's advice about her pregnancy), Hester jumps to the conclusion the two are romantically linked and, " a fury like a woman scorn'd",Congreve, William. (1697). ''The Mourning Bride'', (play) chooses to believe Larry's account. Shortly afterwards, Mary chances across Larry kissing another girl, and in distress blindly stumbles across the road into the path of a car, and is killed. As a consequence of the malicious accusation, Howard is subjected to suspicion and abuse by his parishioners, including having his car's tyres slashed and receiving poison pen letters. When his mother (

Irene Browne Irene Browne (29 June 1896 – 24 July 1965) was an English stage and film actress and singer who appeared in plays and musicals including ''No, No, Nanette''. Later in her career, she became particularly associated with the works of Noël Coward ...

) learns of events, knowing about Hester's romantic interest in Howard, she quickly comprehends the situation, takes Hester to task, and persuades her to accept Howard's account. Larry duly receives his come-uppance at the hands of his father.Film plot
/ref>

Production

The film includes a film debut by Cliff Richard, at that time a teenage pop idol, as Larry Thompson's younger brother, Curley. Richard sings three songs, although none is heard in its entirety: "No Turning Back", "Mad About You", and " Living Doll" (the latter is a different version from that which became a No. 1 hit in the British charts). A fellow delinquent character was played by another 1950s

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

star, the uncredited

Jess Conrad Jess Conrad (born Gerald Arthur James; 24 February 1936) is an English stage and screen actor and singer. As a boy he was nicknamed "Jesse" after American outlaw Jesse James; as there was already an actor named "Gerald James" in Actors' Equity, a ...

in an early acting performance.

Cast

* Anthony Quayle as Reverend Howard Phillips * Sarah Churchill as Hester Peters * Andrew Ray as Larry Thompson *

as Mrs. Phillips * Percy Herbert as Mr. Thompson *

Noel Howlett Noel Howlett (22 December 1902 – 26 October 1984) was an English actor, principally remembered as the incompetent headmaster, Morris Cromwell, in the ITV 1970s cult television programme ''Please Sir!'' He was the subject of infatuation by De ...

as Reverend Peters *

Wensley Pithey Wensley Ivan William Frederick Pithey (21 June 1914 – 10 November 1993) was a South African character actor who had a long stage and film career in Britain. Biography Pithey was born in Cape Town, South Africa. A graduate of the Univers ...

as Police Sergeant * Leigh Madison as Mary Williams * Judith Furse as Probation Officer * Jean Cadell as Almshouse Matron * Wilfrid Brambell as Verger * Olive Sloane as Mrs. Browning * George Roderick as Fishmonger *

as Curley Thompson * Liliane Brousse as Michelle *

Wilfred Pickles Wilfred Pickles, OBE (13 October 1904 – 27 March 1978) was an English actor and radio presenter. Early life and personal life Pickles was born in Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire. He moved to Southport, Lancashire, with his family i ...

as Chairman of the court ncredited*

Philip Lowrie Colin Philip Lowrie (born 20 June 1936) is an English former stage and television actor, best known for playing Dennis Tanner in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', from the programme's inception in 1960–1968, and again from ...

as a member of Larry's gang ncredited*

as a Teddy Boy ncredited*

Marie Devereux Marie Devereux (27 November 194030 December 2019) was a British model and film actress. She was born Patricia Sutcliffe on 27 November 1940 in Edmonton, London. Marie Devereux became a regular and very popular nude model in magazines during th ...

as the attractive girl in the coffee bar ncredited

Soundtrack

References

External links

*
Review of film
at '' Variety'' {{Terence Young 1959 films 1959 drama films 1950s English-language films 1950s musical drama films British musical drama films Films directed by Terence Young 1950s British films