An extraordinary film, written by Jeremy Brooks and Mrs. Clayton Haya Harareet, based on a novel by Julian Gloag.
As the eldest of seven children, it falls on Margaret Brooks (the writer's daughter) to tell the others that Mother has died. Realising this probably means the orphanage, they decide to bury her in the garden and not tell anyone. Which works, until one of them becomes very ill..
Fifty minutes in, their alleged 'father' Dirk Bogarde pops up (an atypical but good performance). And young Pamela Franklin (The Innocents) develops a bit of a crush on him.
Rest of family: Louis Sheldon, John Gugolka, Mark Lester, Phoebe Nicholls (much on TV still), Gustav Henry. With Yootha Joyce, Clare Davidson (teacher), Anthony Nicholls (neighbour), Gerald Sim (bank clerk)
Clayton doesn't seem to have any difficulty whatsoever marshalling this young cast in complex sequences, which are superbly observed by DP Ian Pizer with absolutely state-of-the-art camera operating by Denis Lewiston (and focus pulling, not credited), who can go from a closeup of a hand on a bible to a two shot so smoothly that you barely notice.
Music by Georges Delerue. Edited by Tom Priestley (Deliverance, The Great Gatsby, also with Clayton).
The house was 12 Chichester Road, Croydon, since demolished.
Thanks to reelstreets.com for identifying the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace lake.
Clayton was associate producer on Moulin Rouge and Beat the Devil.
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