Children of the Damned

"Beware the eyes that paralyze!!!"

1964 1h 30m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 112

DramaHorrorMysteryScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Six children are found spread through out the world that not only have enormous intelligence, but identical intelligence and have a strange bond to each other.

“Beware the eyes that paralyze!!!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ian Hendry
Tom Llewellyn
Alan Badel
David Neville
Barbara Ferris
Susan Eliot
Alfred Burke
Colin Webster
Sheila Allen
Diana Looran
Ralph Michael
Minister of Defense
Patrick Wymark
Commander
Martin Miller
Prof. Gruber

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Anton Leader
Writers: John Briley
Languages: English, Russian
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Damned Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Directed by Anton Leader, shot by Davis Boulton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ron Goodwin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ernest Walter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ian Hendry and Alan Badel and Barbara Ferris carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Anton Leader directs. Davis Boulton behind the camera. Ron Goodwin scores. Ernest Walter cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
262 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Russian.
4Part of the "The Damned Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Anton Leader, shot by Davis Boulton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Ron Goodwin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Ernest Walter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Ian Hendry and Alan Badel and Barbara Ferris carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Beware the eyes that paralyze!!!".
10IMDB entry: tt0056931 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Davis Boulton
Original score: Ron Goodwin
Editing: Ernest Walter
Runtime: 90 min · 1h 30m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $2,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Children of the Damned (1964)

Part of

The Damned Collection

We have met the enemies, and they are the children. The offspring of aliens who secretly impregnated human women terrorize their parents or anyone who defies them. Armed with glowing eyes, these humanoids develop at an alarming rate and use astonishing powers of mind to assert their supremacy.

Also by

Anton Leader

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-04-13
★ 5/10
We are here for the same reason you are. "Warning: Spoilers" Children Of The Damned is directed by Anton M. Leader and written by John Briley. It's a thematic sequel to Village Of The Damned from 1960 which was based on the novel written by John Wyndham. Plot finds 6 children identified by UNESCO to have special powers that if used in unison could have devastating consequences for mankind. Interesting and atmospheric if ultimately lukewarm as a whole. Retreading the plot from the superior first film, it's amazing that this take actually has very little to do with the 1960 darling. Confused? Well you wont be watching this since it's very talky and the makers are intent on making us listen. Listen to some moral quandaries, Cold War politics and even a touch of existentialism. All nicely wrapped around 6 not very creepy kids who actually aren't very evil at all. The acting is fine, notably the taut turns from Ian Hendry and Alan Badel, while David Boulton's black & white photography carries a suitable bleakness to it. Well made but all too often dull; where Briley's script isn't as clever as it wants to be, the film is mostly saved by some technical smarts and a boldly gloomy ending. 5/10

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