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Le village des damnés

Original title: Village of the Damned
  • 1960
  • 12
  • 1h 17m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
19K
YOUR RATING
Le village des damnés (1960)
Theatrical Trailer from MGM
Play trailer2:02
1 Video
74 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.

  • Director
    • Wolf Rilla
  • Writers
    • Stirling Silliphant
    • Wolf Rilla
    • Ronald Kinnoch
  • Stars
    • George Sanders
    • Barbara Shelley
    • Martin Stephens
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    19K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Wolf Rilla
    • Writers
      • Stirling Silliphant
      • Wolf Rilla
      • Ronald Kinnoch
    • Stars
      • George Sanders
      • Barbara Shelley
      • Martin Stephens
    • 148User reviews
    • 86Critic reviews
    • 77Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos1

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

    Photos74

    Le village des damnés (1960)
    Peter Vaughan in Le village des damnés (1960)
    Peter Vaughan in Le village des damnés (1960)
    Bruno in Le village des damnés (1960)
    Linda Bateson, June Cowell, Carlo Cura, Howard Knight, Roger Malik, Mark Mileham, Peter Preidel, Lesley Scoble, Teri Scoble, Martin Stephens, Peter Taylor, Elizabeth Munden, and John Kelly in Le village des damnés (1960)
    June Cowell and Martin Stephens in Le village des damnés (1960)
    June Cowell and Martin Stephens in Le village des damnés (1960)
    Linda Bateson, June Cowell, Carlo Cura, Howard Knight, Roger Malik, Mark Mileham, Peter Preidel, Lesley Scoble, Teri Scoble, Martin Stephens, Peter Taylor, Elizabeth Munden, and John Kelly in Le village des damnés (1960)
    Barbara Shelley and Kim Clarke Champniss in Le village des damnés (1960)
    Peter Preidel in Le village des damnés (1960)
    George Sanders in Le village des damnés (1960)
    Le village des damnés (1960)

    Top cast

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

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Based on the John Wyndham novel, "The Midwich Cuckoos". The title refers to the fact that when cuckoo birds lay eggs, they deposit them in the nests of other (unsuspecting) birds, who then raise the cuckoo chicks as their own. Compounding the insidious nature of this process, the cuckoo chicks often kill their nestmates in competition for food and parental attention.
    • Goofs
      An abdominal X-ray is displayed which supposedly shows the fetus of a pregnant woman. Not only is there no fetus, the X-ray isn't even that of a woman, as the pelvis is obviously that of a man.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Gordon Zellaby: [voice over] 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 reviews148

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Eerie little thriller
    I originally saw this when I was in junior high on late night TV. Those glowing eyes gave me nightmares for weeks! Seeing it now MANY years later, it still scares me. It's very quiet but very spooky. No real on-screen violence, no special effects (with the exception of the eyes) and all talk but never dull. The film is intelligent, doesn't talk down to the audience and handles the subject matter in a very realistic manner. Most people in horror films act like idiots--not in this one! Also some superb acting by George Sanders, Barbara Shelley (as his wife) and those creepy little kids (especially Martin Stephens) helps a lot. Proves a quiet little, goreless film can scare you silly. AT ALL COSTS, AVOID THE 1995 REMAKE!!!!!!! Carpenter's a great director, but you can't remake a great film. See this one!!
    helpful•54
    9
    • preppy-3
    • Nov 1, 1999

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    FAQ32

    • How long is Village of the Damned?Powered by Alexa
    • 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
      • February 8, 1961 (France)
    • 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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