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IMDbPro

Village of the Damned

  • 19601960
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 17m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
17K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,336
210
Village of the Damned (1960)
Theatrical Trailer from MGM
Play trailer2:02
1 Video
64 Photos
HorrorSci-Fi
In the English village of Midwich, the blonde-haired, glowing-eyed children of uncertain paternity prove to have frightening powers.In the English village of Midwich, the blonde-haired, glowing-eyed children of uncertain paternity prove to have frightening powers.In the English village of Midwich, the blonde-haired, glowing-eyed children of uncertain paternity prove to have frightening powers.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
17K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,336
210
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Wolf Rilla
    • Writers
      • Stirling Silliphant(screenplay)
      • Wolf Rilla(screenplay)
      • Ronald Kinnoch(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • George Sanders
      • Barbara Shelley
      • Michael Gwynn
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Wolf Rilla
    • Writers
      • Stirling Silliphant(screenplay)
      • Wolf Rilla(screenplay)
      • Ronald Kinnoch(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • George Sanders
      • Barbara Shelley
      • Michael Gwynn
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 135User reviews
    • 94Critic reviews
    • 77Metascore
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos1

    Village of the Damned
    Trailer 2:02
    Village of the Damned

    Photos64

    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)
    Village of the Damned (1960)

    Top cast

    Edit
    George Sanders
    George Sanders
    • Gordon Zellaby
    Barbara Shelley
    Barbara Shelley
    • Anthea Zellaby
    Michael Gwynn
    Michael Gwynn
    • Major Alan Bernard
    Laurence Naismith
    Laurence Naismith
    • Doctor Willers
    John Phillips
    John Phillips
    • General Leighton
    Richard Vernon
    Richard Vernon
    • Sir Edgar Hargraves
    Jenny Laird
    Jenny Laird
    • Mrs. Harrington
    Thomas Heathcote
    Thomas Heathcote
    • James Pawle
    Martin Stephens
    Martin Stephens
    • David Zellaby
    Richard Warner
    Richard Warner
    • Harrington
    Sarah Long
    • Evelyn Harrington
    Charlotte Mitchell
    • Janet Pawle
    Pamela Buck
    • Milly Hughes
    Rosamund Greenwood
    • Miss Ogle
    Susan Richards
    Susan Richards
    • Mrs. Plumpton
    Bernard Archard
    Bernard Archard
    • Vicar
    Peter Vaughan
    Peter Vaughan
    • P.C. Gobby
    John Stuart
    John Stuart
    • Professor Smith
    • Director
      • Wolf Rilla
    • Writers
      • Stirling Silliphant(screenplay)
      • Wolf Rilla(screenplay)
      • Ronald Kinnoch(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The eerie effect of the children's glowing eyes was created by matting a negative (reversed) image of their eyes over the pupils when they used their powers. The British print of the film contained no optical effects, as the British Board of Film Classification considered them too frighting for an 'A' classification.
    • Goofs
      A soldier walks into the zone of unconsciousness wearing a gas mask and a tether rope, immediately passes out, and is dragged back out by his mates. But the supposedly unconscious soldier is clearly holding his head up off the ground as he is dragged along headfirst on his back.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Prof. Gordon Zellaby: [voiceover] A brick wall... a brick wall... I must think of a brick wall... a brick wall... I must think of a brick wall... a brick wall... brick wall... I must think of a brick wall... It's almost half past eight... brick wall... only a few seconds more... brick wall... brick wall... brick wall... nearly over... a brick wall...

    • Alternate versions
      In order to get an 'A' certificate in the UK no optical effects shots were used in the UK print and original footage or alternative shots used instead. Both the UK and the 'standard' version of the film run to the same length. At the end of the film no glowing eyes are seen rising from the flames in the UK version, which also has a "Made at M.G.M British Studios, Borehamwood, England" credit. Because this change was requested at the scripting stage there is no reason to believe that the two versions of the film were not edited in tandem. It is incorrectly stated that the British print has the burning man sequence cut. This was a cut requested by the Production Code office in the US and is the same for both versions of the film, where the victim is never engulfed by the flames in close-up, which contradicts the long shot seen in the sequence.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)

    User reviews135

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Aaaaaaaaaaargh!! Those EYES!!
    Village of the Damned is a strongly compelling Science-Fiction highlight and easily of the eeriest movies I ever saw. Although it's a very modest and simply made production, the scary-effect of this film is a lot more effective than some of its big-budgeted colleagues. On a random day, the entire English village of Midwich falls into a trance-like sleep. Completely inexplicably, they awake again seemly normal but two months later it appears that every fertile woman in town got pregnant on the day of the blackout. The newborns show a strange resemblance in looks and – what is even more bizarre – they're telekinetic! Due to their amazing intelligence and emotionless behavior, they form a huge threat and freak out the entire little town. `Village of the Damned' is loyally adapted from John Wyndham's novel `The Midwich Cuckoos'. Throughout the whole film, you don't get much explanation and, as a viewer, you're forced to guess at the mystery's origin. Although highly unlikely, the events in Midwich really are alarming and make you feel uncomfortable. This effect is reached through solid tension and macabre atmosphere much more than through special effects. The eerily lit eyes of the ‘children' are the only real effects but they cause a lot more fear than gallons of blood ever could! Village of the Damned also owes a lot of its power to a terrific casting job. Essentially to achieve the obtained scary effect were the children. Well, they did a good job! The offspring looks alienated almost naturally and their appearance literally chills your blood. The concerned adult in Village of the Damned is excellently played by George Sanders. Sanders was a terrific and shamefully overlooked English class actor who committed suicide in the early 70's. He has a got a few other delightful horror movies on his repertoire like `Psychomania' and `Doomwatch' (both are some of his last films). Village of the Damned is a highly recommended picture that'll certainly keep you close to the screen till the end-credits role. Equally recommended is the (unofficial) sequel called `Children of the Damned'. There's a bit more background in that film, as well as some more explicit horror sequences. The 1995 remake by John Carpenter, however, is rather unexciting and one of the most redundant films ever made. Stick to the original and be scared!
    helpful•68
    10
    • Coventry
    • May 21, 2004

    FAQ16

    • What is 'Village of the Damned' about?
    • Is "Village of the Damned" based on a book?
    • Where did the children come from?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 7, 1960 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Midwich Cuckoos
    • Filming locations
      • Letchmore Heath, Hertfordshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 17 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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