The Boys (1962)

In 1962 London, four troublesome teenagers are charged by the police with robbing a garage and murdering the night watchman.

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writer:

Stuart Douglass (original screenplay)

Stars:

Richard Todd, Robert Morley, Dudley Sutton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Todd	...	Victor Webster
Robert Morley	...	Montgomery
Dudley Sutton	...	Stan Coulter
Ronald Lacey	...	Billy Herne
Tony Garnett	...	Ginger Thompson
Jess Conrad	...	Barney Lee
Felix Aylmer	...	The Judge / Judge
Wilfrid Brambell	...	Robert Brewer (as Wilfred Bramble)
Colin Gordon	...	Gordon Lonsdale
Kenneth J. Warren	...	George Tanner
Allan Cuthbertson	...	Randolph St. John (as Alan Cuthbertson)
Wensley Pithey	...	Mr. Coulter (as Wensley Pithey/Wensley Athey)
Roy Kinnear	...	Mark Salmon
Patrick Magee	...	Mr. Lee
David Lodge	...	Mr. Herne

Storyline

When the night watchman of a garage is found murdered, 4 young men are arrested and put on trial. Under cross-examination, suspects and witnesses give differing accounts of the same incidents that led up to the crime. After re-examining the suspects' statements, the prosecuting counsel finally learns the truth.

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Plot Keywords:

london england | 1960s | year 1962 | teenager | gang | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1962 (UK)

Also Known As:

Băieţii

Filming Locations:

Soho, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Galaworldfilm Productions, Atlas Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jess Conrad has said in interviews that Sidney J. Furie told "The Boys" to tear up the script, and improvise their dialogue.

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Goofs

The events leading to the trial are said on numerous occasions throughout the film to have taken place on a Thursday, January 15, 1962. January 15, 1962 was actually a Monday.

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Quotes

Montgomery: These were no more than boys trying to have an evening out.

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Alternate Versions

The 2009 DVD master seems to come from a TV master. The movie is cropped to a ratio 1:1.77 with some strong anamorphic deformations. Also the nude calendar presented at the trial is blurred.

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Connections

Referenced in Talkies: The Boys Reunion (2017)

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Soundtracks

Main Theme
(uncredited)
Written by Brian Bennett, Bruce Welch & Hank B. Marvin
Played by The Shadows

User Reviews

Out of obscurity

Why have I never heard of this film before? Why is it so unknown? I watched this last night on BBC4 as part of the courtroom drama season (I do love a good courtroom drama) and i wasn't exactly expecting much, I'd never even heard of 'The Boys' before. And sure enough, when the film opened, i got what i expected. It was clumsy, ill paced and badly timed. But THEN...it got going! After 20 minute i was gripped, amazed at how well the film manipulated my emotions, making me sympathise with different people at will, changing my mind at every turn! The flashbacks are dealt with superbly, without the cheesy, dreamy dissolves and instead the witness testimonies abruptly change in to the actually events. Without going into too much detail on the plot, the way that the truth is subtly hidden from the audience is masterful, and it grips you even as much as something like The Lady Vanishes (which is saying a lot!) From its unpromising start, the film just keeps on getting better until its chilling conclusion, not only will it provoke your emotions but also your mind. It certainly isn't as beautifully shot as To Kill a Mockingbird, or as well acted as 12 Angry Men, but it's every bit as powerful and i think that this deserves to be recognised as one of the all time great courtroom dramas.