As a fan of the tough black and white dramas churned out by the British cinema in the 50s i was looking forward to this film.Alas i was disappointed.the script was derivative and full of clichés.the producers had gone to the trouble of location work in Liverpool but there was a total lack of verisimilitude in the casting of the actors.Only one boy in a large cast had a Liverpool accent.There was Ann Heywood with a faux "oirish"accent as had the twins.On the other hand Daivid Macullum had a voice that seemed straight out of Rada.The climax of the film was bizarre and seemed to me as if the producers desired to have a sensational ending to get an X certificate.There is no logical reason why Maccullum should be handed a machine gun.One that seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of bullets.Nor was there any dramatic logic behind him putting the school under siege.Peter Cushing easily steals the acting honours in a distinguished cast.Stanley Baker seems to be chafing at the bit.Clifford Evans seems to be the over optimistic head.John slater is fun always chiding Baker over his new Juvenile Liason role.However i found this to be greatly disappointing.
Review of Violent Playground
