Never Take Sweets from a Stranger – 1960

Alternative Title: Never Take Candy from a Stranger

A Columbia Pictures Corporation presentation of a Hammer Film
Production.
Copyright MCMLIV by Hammer Film Productions Ltd. Ltd. All rights reserved

Megascope
MPAA Approved
RCA Sound System
Produced at Bray Studios

All characters and incidents portrayed, and the names used herewith are ficticious and the similarity to any names, characters or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional

Black & White 81 mins

Storyline

Opening title: This story – like its characters – is fictitious. It is set in Canada. But it could happen anywhere – And it could be true.
Peter Carter meets official resistance when he finds his 9 year old daughter has been the victim of the pedophile patriarch of the town’s most powerful family.

Watch the trailer on YouTube

Crew


Function	Credited	Age at Release	Birth		Death	Age	Hammer Productions
	Click a link for more info						Credited	Uncredited	Total
Assistant Director	John Peverall	29	1 Jan 1931		3 Oct 2009	78	21		21
Associate Producer	Anthony Nelson-Keys	48	13 Nov 1911		19 Mar 1985	73	41		41
From “Pony Cart”	Roger Garis	58	10 Sep 1901		3 Oct 1967	66	1		1
Camera Operator	Len Harris	43	19 May 1916		21 Feb 1995	78	52	1	53
Continuity	Tilly Day	57	1903		1994	91	13	1	14
Director	Cyril Frankel	38	28 Dec 1921		7 Jun 2017	95	2		2
Director of Photog.	Freddie Francis	42	22 Dec 1917		17 Mar 2007	89	6		6
Editor	Alfred Cox	35	1925		2005	80	21	4	25
Executive Producer	Michael Carreras	32	21 Dec 1927		19 Apr 1994	66	82	3	85
Hair Stylist	Henry Montsash	54	17 Sep 1905		29 Sep 1974	69	16		16
Make-up	Roy Ashton	50	16 Apr 1909		10 Jan 1995	85	36	4	40
Music Composer	Elisabeth Lutyens	53	9 Jul 1906		14 Apr 1983	76	2		2
Musical Supervisor	John Hollingsworth	43	20 Mar 1916		29 Dec 1963	47	36	2	38
Producer	Anthony Hinds	37	18 Sep 1922		30 Sep 2013	91	84	1	85
Production Designer	Bernard Robinson	47	28 Jul 1912		2 Mar 1970	57	46	3	49
Production Manager	Clifford Parkes	33	1927		2014	87	12		12
Screenplay	John Hunter	48	22 Aug 1911		8 Sep 1984	73	4		4
Sound Editor	Arthur Cox						4	1	5
Sound Recordist	Jock May	55	1 Jan 1905		8 Jan 1991	86	30	1	31
Supervising Editor	James Needs	40	17 Oct 1919		4 Feb 2003	83	110	1	111
Wardrobe Mistress	Molly Arbuthnot	51	19 Dec 1908		31 Oct 2001	92	48	4	52
Uncredited
Ass. Costume Design	Yvonne Blake	19	17 Apr 1940		17 Jul 2018	78		3	3
Ass. Camera Op.	Alan McDonald	22	1938	01.01.1938		85		14	14
Assistant Editor	Paul Smith							2	2
Boom Assistant	Maurice Smith							1	1
Boom Operator	Jim Perry							8	8
Clapper Loader	Les Paul							1	1
Draughtsman	Neil MacPhee							1	1
First Assistant Editor	Peter Todd							4	4
Focus Puller	Harry Oakes	39	16 Jan 1921		11 Dec 2012	91		53	53
Production Secretary	Pat Green	31	29 Oct 1928	29.10.1928		94		3	3
Publicity Director	Dennison Thornton	50	23 Aug 1909		1977	67		9	9
Scenic Artist	Gilbert Wood	56	1904		1982	78		2	2
Second Ass. Director	Tom Walls	47	31 May 1912		28 Nov 1992	80	1	9	10
Second Ass.Editor	Pauline Harlow (Wise)	22	1 Jan 1938	01.01.1938		85	11	3	14
Sound Camera OP.	Alan Thorne							7	7
Sound Camera Op.	Michael Sale							8	8
Still Photographer	Tom Edwards				1999			26	26
Third Ass. Director	Dominic Fulford	40	19 Aug 1919		23 Apr 2007	87	1	5	6

Cast


Character	Actor	Age at Release	Birth		Death	Age	Hammer Productions
	Click a link for more info						Credited	Uncredited	Total
1st Policeman	William Abney	39	7 Jan 1921		9 Aug 1997	76	2		2
2nd Policeman	Tom Busby	23	7 Nov 1936		20 Sep 2003	66	1		1
Charles Calliduke	Cal McCord	45	13 Aug 1914		24 Sep 1983	69	1		1
Clarence Olderby Jr.	Bill Nagy	39	21 Feb 1921		19 Jan 1973	51	1		1
Clarence Olderby Sr.	Felix Aylmer	71	21 Feb 1889		2 Sep 1979	90	2		2
Defence Council	Niall MacGinnis	46	29 Mar 1913		6 Jan 1977	63	3		3
Dr Montfort	Jack Lynn	37	30 Jan 1923		24 Apr 2012	89	1		1
Dr Stevens	James Dryenforth	65	31 Jan 1895		26 Dec 1973	78	1		1
Eunice Kalliduke	Estelle Brody	59	15 Aug 1900		3 Jun 1995	94	1		1
Foreman of Jury	John Bloomfield	18	1 Jan 1942	01.01.1942		81	1		1
Hammond	Budd Knap	47	9 Jan 1913		6 Aug 1982	69	1		1
Janitor	Charles Maunsell	76	25 Apr 1883		1 Aug 1968	85	1		1
Jean Carter	Janina Faye	11	16 Apr 1948	16.04.1948		75	2	1	3
Judge	Macdonald Parke	68	30 Jul 1891		17 Jul 1960	68	1		1
Lucille	Frances Green						1		1
Martha	Alison Leggat	56	7 Feb 1904		15 Jul 1990	86	1		1
Mrs Demarest	Vera Cook	47	19 Jun 1912		1 Jun 1996	83	3	2	5
Mrs Nash	Shirley Butler						1		1
Mrs Olderberry	Hazel Jennings	48	28 Feb 1912		15 Oct 2006	94	1		1
Neal Phillips	Gaylord Cavallaro	39	28 Aug 1920		29 Jun 1998	77	1		1
Nurse	Patricia Markes						1		1
Olderberry’s Chauffeur	Andre Dakar	63	23 Feb 1897		30 Dec 1987	90	1		1
Peter Carter	Patrick Allen	32	17 Mar 1927		28 Jul 2006	79	4	2	6
Prosecutor	Michael Gwynn	43	30 Nov 1916		29 Jan 1976	59	4		4
Receptionist	Sonia Fox						1		1
Sally Carter	Gwen Watford	32	10 Sep 1927		6 Feb 1994	66	2		2
Sam Kingsley	Larry O’Connor						1		1
Sammy Nash	Michael Hammond						1		1
Sylvia Kingsley	Helen Horton	36	21 Nov 1923		28 Sep 2007	83	1		1
Taxi Driver	Bill Sawyer	36	18 Jul 1924		1996	72	2	3	5
Tom Demarest	Robert Arden	37	11 Dec 1922		25 Mar 2004	81	1		1
Usher	Peter Carlisle	45	4 Aug 1914		16 Oct 2000	86	1		1
Uncredited
Barrister	Guy Standeven				Oct 1998			7	7
Court Official	George Hilsdon	52	25 Apr 1907		28 May 1982	75		7	7
Courtroom Spectator	Richard Neller	65	1 Oct 1894		14 Jul 1970	75		8	8
Courtroom Spectator	Louis Matto	49	16 Aug 1910		16 Apr 1989	78		4	4
Juror	Ernest Blyth							11	11
Man in Courtroom	Ray Austin	27	5 Dec 1932		17 May 2023	90		2	2
Man Outside Court	Dido Plumb	54	23 Jun 1905		4 Mar 1991	85		10	10
Party Guest	Walter Henry	38	24 Oct 1921		21 Feb 2005	83		5	5
Passerby	Muriel Greenslade							1	1
Policeman	John Tatham	48	29 Jul 1911		Dec 1996	85	1	8	9
Student	Rodney Dines	20	1940	01.01.1940		83		1	1
Trooper	Joe Phelps							7	7

Production


FILMING BEGAN	14 August 1959
UK RELEASE	4 March 1960
STUDIO	Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England
LOCATION	Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England

Footnotes

The twin themes are paedophilia and the sexual abuse of children, and the way in which those with sufficient pull can corrupt and manipulate the legal system to evade responsibility for their actions. The film is regarded as bold and uncompromising for its time in the way in which it handles its subject matter.

There is some mild swearing in the original British ‘Sweets’ prints. It features a line from Patrick Allen’s character around the ten minute mark: “If he touched her, I swear I’ll kill the bastard.” In the US ‘Candy’ prints, the word ‘swine’ is used on the audio instead, also recorded by Allen, although the picture remains the same and he can clearly still be seen to say ‘bastard’.

On its original release, the film made little impact at the box-office and its press was mainly negative. It’s reception prompted Hammer Studios boss James Carreras to later comment: “Message pictures? I tried one – Never Take Sweets from a Stranger. Nobody bought it. I’m not an artist, I’m a businessman.”

Gwen Watford was a popular English TV actress, this was her only performance for Hammer.

Patrick Allen also appeared for Hammer in “Captain Clegg” 1962. He had a distinctive, authoritative voice which was familiar across the UK, and was often employed as a narrator. He dubbed Leon Green in Hammer’s “The Devir Rides Out” and was narrator for “The Viking Queen” 1967. His voice was used in many other films and television shows and this led to him starting up his own business, running a very successful recording studio for voice-over work.

Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection