Adventure in the Hopfields (1954) User Reviews

Excellent Children's Film Foundation Flick

[boblipton · 8/10 · 13 December 2017]

When Mandy Miller breaks her mother's treasured china dog, she comes down with a brainstorm and runs away in hopes of a working vacation in Kent without telling anyone.

Having seen half a dozen of these Children's Film Foundation movies, I thought I knew what to expect: some great scenic photography and some heavy-handed moralizing about how good children should behave -- as decreed by people who no longer remembered being children, had no children themselves, or who believed the lies their children told them. What I found was a very well told story directed by John Guillerman with a frequently subjective camera that evoked very nicely the fears and simple moral narratives of children. If it gets heavy-handed at the end, with a melodramatic rescue from a burning mill, at least the evil-doers are ambiguously repentant -- they never expected anyone to get hurt, really, they were just having a bit of a laugh.

I doubt the moralisers will be very pleased with this movie. However, I was.

Looking for a copy of this CFF film

[waldenpond88 · 8/10 · 7 August 2009]

Watched this in the mid to late sixties on German TV and was always trying to find a copy. Is there anybody out there who has one and would be willing to make a copy for me? I'm looking for this one for more than 40 years. This would be a dream come true! My e-mail address is [e-mail].

The British Children's Film Foundation (CFF) produced lots of very good and very thrilling movies for kids in the fifties and until the mid sixties. Everything that has been made after 1966 is unfortunately not nearly as good as the early black & white films.

Rank Screen Services and Rayant Pictures were among the movie production companies who made movies for CFF.

The CFF has been founded by Mary Field.

This film was on the German channel Pro7 in the summer of 1989. Unfortunately I missed recording it. I hope somebody was smarter than me, recorded it and later transfered it to DVD.

Exceptionally paced

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 29 March 2021]

An enjoyable early Children's Film Foundation film, shot in black and white and detailing the adventures of a precocious young Londoner who decides that heading off to earn some money from the Kentish hop fields is the perfect solution to replacing a broken china dog. Being exceptionally accident prone, her adventure becomes more a series of misadventures as she's beset by accidents and ill fortune. This episodic production has it all, from humour and child gangs to pursuit by police, suspense and peril (a burning windmill climax!) and some early turns from later faces such as Melvyn Hayes and Jane Asher. It's all good fun and exceptionally paced.

Fascinating

[drednm · 14 December 2017]

This 1954 film from the Children's Film Foundation (CFF) survives now in this version which says it was revised in 1972, although we don't know what was revised.

Little Jenny (Mandy Miller) breaks her mother's china dog and so decides to go with neighbor's to work in the hop fields to earn money to buy a replacement. Straightforward plot then follows her adventures in the hopfields while her parents try to find her.

This time capsule shows street signs advertising for families to "vacation" in Kent and earn money by picking hops. Film opens with a frenzy of activity as all the families on Jenny's street rush to catch the train to Goudhurst, Kent.

Jenny hides out with a neighboring family but also has an adventure in an old mill with two nasty ragamuffins who engage in several fights with the hopfield kids. It's never explained where these two boys come from, but they apparently meant to be gypsies.

Miller is fine as the girl. Several familiar faces in the cast include Mona Washbourne as Mrs. McBain, Hilda Fenemore and Russell Waters as the girl's parents, Harold Lang as Sam Hines, and Dandy Nichols as Mrs. Harris. Among the kids are Melvin Hayes and Leon Garcia as the ragamuffins, and Jane Asher as one of the McBain kids.

The film was found in a rubbish bin in Chicago, and a film collector in England bought the film sight unseen. The long-lost film finally had its "premiere" in Goudhurst in 2002 with several of the film's children in attendance.

Excellent Nostalgia

[j-reed-1 · 9/10 · 30 March 2008]

I saw this film at the Whitbread Hopfarm in Kent a few years back. What an excellent piece of nostalgia and a perfectly delightful film. Reminded me of Saturday morning pictures 6d admission. The story is of a the London families who spent their "annual holiday" at the Hopfields. way that they would stretch out money (even a gift of a china dog) and the subsequent adventure that the children have at a windmill. Mandy Miller ( yes her of Mandy fame) played an excellent part - was probably one of her first parts. Could the owner of this film PLEASE consider releasing it for purchase on DVD. He was so enthusiastic that people should see it when he showed it and today's technology gives him the perfect opportunity to pass on this piece of history. I would give this 10/10 but the picture quality is a little grainy (but nevertheless well restored and acceptable)

A Dog's Life

[richardchatten · 9/10 · 27 March 2021]

Mandy Miller demonstrates that her captivating performance as 'Mandy' was no flash in the pan in what is easily the most delightful and accomplished Children's Film Foundation presentation - directed by an up-and coming John Guillermin - I've so far seen. (I wonder what changes were made to the revised edition of 1972 the credits on the print on Talking Pictures declare it to be?)

Beautifully shot by Ken Talbot in Kent in what was obviously a glorious summer in 1953 (when 45/- was an eye-watering sum to pay for a ceramic dog) with a lively score by an uncredited Ronald Binge. Obviously young Jenny doesn't go to her local pictures often enough or she would have seen Harold Lang play spivs often enough to have given him a wide berth; but he's here playing a good guy and for a CFF production there's an unusual absence of out-and-out villains, even young tearaway Melvyn Hayes coming through in the end. The amazing cast also ranges from a young Dandy Nichols and Edward Judd to an even younger Jane Asher.

Another great CFF film.

[plan99 · 9/10 · 27 March 2021]

These CFF films of the 1950s are a useful record of how the ideal 1950s childhood was, they are not all that far away from reality however as children of the 1950s and 60s actually had a childhood unlike now when they are expected to be adults by the age of ten spending far too much time with electronic gadgets.

Please bring out on DVD

[alang50s60s · 12 February 2019]

Totally agree with the review that said they hope this film comes out on DVD. Or better still,how about an entire BoxSet collection of Mandy Miller's films. Extra's could include the many TV appearances she made including The Avengers,The Third Man,Juke Box Jury and The Saint. Great that she has been married to an architect for 54 years as I write in 2019 and has 3 children(not sure about grandkids). In 2017,she did a special interview for the 65th Anniversary edition DVD of 'Mandy'.

Just saw this movie on Talking Pictures on UK TV. Brilliant copy and good film.

[scotsdavy · 10/10 · 9 August 2021]

Just saw this movie on Talking Pictures on UK TV. Brilliant copy and good film.