Hide and Seek (1972) User Reviews

Deptford Fun City

[JohnSeal · 7/10 · 30 December 2016]

It's hard to imagine a film being made today opening with the superscript 'DEPTFORD London', but in 1972 the Children's Film Foundation took the plunge and set this production in one of the Big Smoke's least tourist-familiar neighbourhoods. Hide and Seek stars future Spandau Ballet singer Gary Kemp as Keith, a streetwise youngster helping Chris Barker (Peter Newby), a runaway schoolboy who's been dubbed 'The Deptford Dodger' by local media in honour of his shoplifting feats. This being a CFF film there is, of course, a backstory that makes it clear that young Chris is the unfortunate victim of society. Also on hand are Robin Askwith as a phony PC and Roy Dotrice as a rather crusty old man in desperate need of a bath. All in all, a delightful time capsule of an early '70s London that has long since disappeared.

A real hoot

[Leofwine_draca · 9/10 · 28 May 2021]

Another exemplary Children's Film Foundation picture of the 1970s. Here we're in the middle of a London rapidly being gentrified although the children still manage to hang out in ruined and abandoned old buildings and building sites. The protagonist is the Deptford Dodger, a kid on the run from the authorities, and he teams up with future Spandau Ballet singer Gary Kemp (!) to help tackle an extensive gang of robbers. Very high production values in this one, and you know from the creative action-packed opening that you're on to a good thing here; oodles of comedy too which helps a lot. What's particular of note is the high quality of the adult cast members, with lots of '50s standbys in the form of Liz Fraser and Terence Morgan alongside up-and-comers like Alan Lake and Robin Askwith. A real hoot.