Child's Play (1972)

At an exclusive boys' school, a new gym teacher is drawn into a feud between two older instructors, and he discovers that everything at the school is not quite as staid, tranquil and harmless as it seems.

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Leon Prochnik (screenplay by), Robert Marasco (based on the Broadway play by)

Stars:

James Mason, Robert Preston, Beau Bridges

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Mason	...	Jerome Malley
Robert Preston	...	Joseph Dobbs
Beau Bridges	...	Paul Reis
Ron Weyand	...	Father Mozian (as Ronald Weyand)
Charles White	...	Father Griffin
David Rounds	...	Father Penny
Kate Harrington	...	Mrs. Carter
Paul Alessi	...	Student
Jamie Alexander	...	Sheppard
Anthony Barletta	...	Student
Brian Chapin	...	O'Donnell
Kevin Coupe	...	Student
Bryant Fraser	...	Jennings
Mark Hall Haefeli	...	Wilson
Christopher Hoag	...	Student

Storyline

Paul Reis returns to the exclusive Catholic prep school he graduated from nine years earlier as a gym teacher. He is reunited with his former mentor and English teacher, the affable and gregarious Joseph Dobbs, the most popular member of the faculty and advisor to the junior class, and Jerome Malley, a strict disciplinarian and teacher of classical languages, whose old-fashioned methods make him heartily disliked by his pupils. Reis finds himself caught in between the two men in a struggle for the hearts, minds, and souls of the boys. Malley, nicknamed "Lash" by his students has ruled out retirement, and Dobbs, who feels that Malley has lost touch with the students, hopes to inherit the senior class. Even though Malley's mother is dying an agonizing death from cancer, the Latin and Greek teacher refuses to surrender his position as head of the senior class to a man whose motives he questions. The tensions on the faculty are mirrored in the student body, which has endured a rash of ...

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Plot Keywords:

poetry reading | prank | boys school | homosexual subtext | male male relationship | 

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Taglines:

You only lose once.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Reis' name was spelled "Reese" in the theatrical version.

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Quotes

Jerome Malley: [to Dobbs in chapel] I wouldn't expect the truth from you, Dobbs, even in here.

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Connections

Referenced in By Sidney Lumet (2015)

User Reviews

An overly talky if well acted adaptation of Robert Marasco's play

A new games master (Beau Bridges) goes back to his old boarding catholic school where he finds that bullying is rife while one of the head's (James Mason) does not have his priorities in order. Another master, (Robert Preston) has an unhealthy relationship with the boys.

Based off the play by Robert Marasco, Sidney Lumet's film is an at times over the top and expressive melodrama with some dangerous overtones. A little claustrophobic in places and overly talky, it is however well acted.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 1973 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Child's Play

Filming Locations:

Marymount Secondary School, Tarrytown, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$133,069

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1