Game of Danger (1954) User Reviews (8)

British B-picture from Lance Comfort

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 9 May 2017]

BANG! YOU'RE DEAD is half a crime thriller, half a social document. It's a British B-film directed by the hard-working Lance Comfort, who churned out pictures in all kinds of genres during the 1940s and 1950s. The setting is a working class one, exploring the plight of the homeless in the aftermath of the Second World War; the unlucky folk whose homes were destroyed by the Luftwaffe and their incendiary efforts.

Jack Warner gives a world-weary turn and headlines the cast as a widower trying to make ends meet. His is a world of pubs, hard labour, and Nissan huts. The story focuses on his precocious boy, who comes into possession of a gun in much the same way as the 1956 Val Guest movie THE WEAPON. What follows has some murder mystery style material and effective performances from the likes of Michael Medwin and Derek Farr, although I found it all a little too slow and low key to really grip the senses or indeed the imagination.

Unusual film

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 16 February 2017]

This is a rather unusual film and clearly not much seen in the UK despite the fact that the film has recently been seen on Talking Pictures TV and released on DVD.The story surrounds two young boys both of whom are slightly strange.One who constantly carries around a windup francophone and the other who is obsessed with guns.Since his father is carrying around a shotgun that is probably why.They live in an old US army camp where loaded guns are lying around.Phillip Saville has been found shot dead.The chief suspect is Michael Made in is the main suspect.However detective Derek Farr comes to realise that in fact it is the young boy.As he is only 7,he escapes any criminal punishment.Intriguing film.Nice to see Gordon Barker as the pub landlord.

Game Of Danger - Bang You're Dead

[krocheav · 7/10 · 20 January 2022]

An interesting examination of life in the years following the blitz on London. Many are still living in sub-standard housing - in this case, within a deserted US military depot, where an aging widowed dad strives to support his young son. The main focus of this little psychological drama centers on the finding of an old service revolver and its consequences - while also looking at the social standards of the day.

Effective performances, direction, and good b/w cinematography help but an odd intro showing the crime before it's been committed seems unnecessarily confusing. Great Studiocanal/Network DVD Re-Mastering helps.

Legacy of War

[kidboots · 9/10 · 6 January 2019]

An on the surface idyllic woodland setting is tinged with a sinister claustrophobia in this unusually plotted movie about people on the outer. As the sensitive Detective Constable says towards the end "blame the bombs that left so many people homeless, that they were forced into places like this". The "places like this" are the Nissan huts that made up an abandoned army barracks which became a shanty town to the many who had lost not only a roof over their heads but jobs and often self respect as well. Also there is an underlying judgement of the Americanization encroaching the country - it was an American serviceman's negligence that led to the revolver being found and also young Cliff's obsession with guns due to the influence of American westerns.

Jack Warner is fabulous as Bonsell, Cliff's dad whose drinking down at the local pub "The Who'd a Thot It" leaves the kid with a lot of time on his hands which he fills with imaginative play. He and friend Willie even have their own special island which they escape to on a raft - shades of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Back in the real world Hilda the bar maid has two of the town's likely lads on a string - the amiable Bob but also the bullying Ben. But when Ben is killed on the road the police close in on Bob who had had a brawl with him at the local lumber yard and utters those famous last words "Next time I see you I'll etc etc". The locals close ranks around Bob - Ben's temper and the fact that he was able to get such an easy well paid job for some reason, made him an outsider and was not accepted by the town's people.

Most of the rest of the movie focuses on Cliff - the police don't even consider that someone other than Bob was the culprit. Cliff doesn't even realise that his pretending to be a highwayman was responsible for the tragedy. In his "bang! you're dead" game, people did the right thing and played along, he thought Ben was playing along but when he thinks he is responsible for Willie's death, that's different and his disappearance sparks a manhunt, a very atmospheric sequence over wasteground and bushland with dogs and torches.

The two boys are terrific in their roles - the boy who played Cliff had a small career as a child actor and Sean Barrett as the older, dreamy Willie had a bigger one. During the 1940s Lance Comfort had a commendable track record in A films but the failure of "Portrait of Claire" in 1950 pushed him into Bs which often featured his most confidant work - the limited budgets seemed to bring out his best directorial efforts.

Child's Play

[searchanddestroy-1 · 13 March 2009]

What an interesting drama I just discovered. A rare one. The opening sequence, when a young boy kills a man as a game, in the sunny countryside, with a music played by a record player, a crooner !!, is outstanding. Terrific. The following is quite more routine. But fairly touching, sweet, delicate. The story of a little boy raised by his father after his mother's death, and who committed a murder without realizing it.

And the wrong man is accused of it. The police investigates.

A very interesting feature. Very.

Lance Comfort's films deserve to be discovered again.

The Good Old Days

[TondaCoolwal · 8/10 · 17 April 2018]

Saw this on Talking Pictures recently, and what a joy to watch! Not so much for the story itself, but the atmosphere of the time which was faithfully captured. This film is set in my own childhood and the little details were fantastic. The hand-made wooden trolley (go-cart), the wind-up gramophone, the collecting of horse manure from the road, beer straight from the keg. Even the use of old Nissen huts as playgrounds. All rang bells with me. The plot itself is definitely social comment involving two young boys making the most of their childhood in difficult circumstances. Both have lost a parent or parents and live in quite squalid conditions on an abandoned American army camp. However, their surroundings are quite rural and sylvan allowing them to indulge their own fantasies., including paddling a raft, unsupervised, to an island where they have a tree-house. Unfortunately, Cliff, the younger boy, is obsessed with guns and comes across a real revolver containing live ammunition. The story takes an obvious turn resulting in trouble for a young man. After the other boy, Willy, falls from a tree, Cliff tries to run for it. He is found by the kindly investigating detective, and the whole story comes out, clearing the young man of any wrongdoing. Simple, but effective, and in its way a powerful argument for responsible gun control.

Very Good Film

[jromanbaker · 8/10 · 22 December 2020]

Concisely directed by Lance Comfort this is an extremely well made film with an unusual plot. I will try not to spoil viewers appreciation of it and certainly in the UK it can be purchased on DVD. It is certainly worth seeing either on Talking Pictures ( when they show it again ) or as I mentioned a low price DVD. The cast is dominated by two very young actors, and I am singling out Sean Barrett for his nuanced performance. He has a friendship with the boy played by Anthony Richmond and it is this boy who sets in motion a controversial chain of event. He commits a crime ' innocently ' which puts a man's life at the mercy of the state and possible Capital Punishment. What came over to me in this story is how easily people could be executed if the guilty person of the act is neither found or suspected. I hope Lance Comfort was conscious of this aspect of the film and if he was then he was making a subtle case against the barbarism of state ' murder '. The relationship with the two boys is delicately handled, and conveyed with childlike tenderness. This again is largely due to the acting and the director. It is well photographed and I intend to see some of Lance Comfort's other films. Judging solely by this one he was a director not to be forgotten. My only reservation is with some of the adult actors and felt Derek Farr was a dull choice, and that Jack Warner could stop for a while being Jack Warner and inhabit than just ' act ' in his significant role in the film. Michael Medwin who died this year is also to be remembered, and he is always good to watch.

Fabulous Piece of History

[nealdrv · 9/10 · 1 July 2018]

A simply fabulous piece of history filmed on location in Kent. It includes a real Kentish pub that is still in business (and very good business too) called The Who'd a Tho't It which is in the village of Grafty Green. It is well worth watching as the story has a strong moral undertone.