A cheaply made b&w post-War British family film, revolving around 11 yo William Brown, his long-suffering family and his Outlaw gang. Not a lot of money was wasted here, there's whole stretches of silent movie - especially noticeable at the climax where the frenetic action and tense music tries to disguise the fact no-one speaks for 10 minutes.
The Outlaws see themselves as Nites of the Square Table Wrighting Rongs - sort of quasi-Quixotic - and after an hour of adventures with local luminaries such as a glamorous film star and an erudite tramp get involved with a gang of fur smugglers. The book by Richmal Crompton followed later with Val Guest's screenplay being rewritten in places to tighten up on characterisation slippage. But basically William's World is intact and Garry Marsh for my money was the best Mr. Brown ever, even if a little bit too bald. William Graham as William himself was in character - pity about his gang of hair though!
A nice film for fans but not much here for people who've never read a William story.
The Outlaws see themselves as Nites of the Square Table Wrighting Rongs - sort of quasi-Quixotic - and after an hour of adventures with local luminaries such as a glamorous film star and an erudite tramp get involved with a gang of fur smugglers. The book by Richmal Crompton followed later with Val Guest's screenplay being rewritten in places to tighten up on characterisation slippage. But basically William's World is intact and Garry Marsh for my money was the best Mr. Brown ever, even if a little bit too bald. William Graham as William himself was in character - pity about his gang of hair though!
A nice film for fans but not much here for people who've never read a William story.