Never Take Sweets from a Stranger – 1960

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 Credits |
Assistant Director | John Peverall | 39 | 1921 | 3 Oct 2009 | 88 | 20 |
Associate Producer | Anthony Nelson-Keys | 48 | 13 Nov 1911 | 19 Mar 1985 | 73 | 41 |
Based on the “Pony Cart” by | Roger Garis | 58 | 10 Sep 1901 | 3 Oct 1967 | 66 | 1 |
Camera Operator | Len Harris | 43 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 52 |
Continuity | Tilly Day | 57 | 1 Jan 1903 | 1 Jan 1994 | 91 | 12 |
Directed by | Cyril Frankel | 38 | 28 Dec 1921 | 7 Jun 2017 | 95 | 2 |
Director of Photography | Freddie Francis | 42 | 22 Dec 1917 | 17 Mar 2007 | 89 | 6 |
Editor | Alfred Cox | 1925 | 2005 | 80 | 21 | |
Executive Producer | Michael Carreras | 32 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 83 |
Hair Stylist | Henry Montsash | 54 | 17 Sep 1905 | 29 Sep 1974 | 69 | 16 |
Make Up | Roy Ashton | 50 | 16 Apr 1909 | 10 Jan 1995 | 85 | 36 |
Music Composed by | Elizabeth Lutyens | 53 | 9 Jul 1906 | 14 Apr 1983 | 76 | 1 |
Musical Supervisor | John Hollingsworth | 43 | 20 Mar 1916 | 29 Dec 1963 | 47 | 36 |
Producer | Anthony Hinds | 37 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 84 |
Production Designer | Bernard Robinson | 47 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 46 |
Production Manager | Clifford Parkes | 12 | ||||
Screenplay by | John Hunter | 49 | 1 Jan 1911 | 4 | ||
Sound Editor | Arthur Cox | 4 | ||||
Sound Recordist | Jock May | 55 | 1905 | 8 Jan 1991 | 86 | 29 |
Supervising Editor | James Needs | 40 | 17 Oct 1919 | 2003 | 83 | 111 |
Wardrobe Mistress | Molly Arbuthnot | 51 | 19 Dec 1908 | 1 Nov 2001 | 92 | 48 |
Cast
Character | Actor | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Appearances |
1st Policeman | William Abney | 38 | 7 Jan 1921 | 9 Aug 1997 | 76 | 2 |
2nd Policeman | Tom Busby | 23 | 7 Nov 1936 | 20 Sep 2003 | 66 | 1 |
Charles Calliduke | Cal McCord | 45 | 13 Aug 1914 | 24 Sep 1983 | 69 | 1 |
Clarence Olderby Jr. | Bill Nagy | 38 | 21 Feb 1921 | 19 Jan 1973 | 51 | 1 |
Clarence Olderby Sr. | Felix Aylmer | 70 | 21 Feb 1889 | 2 Sep 1979 | 90 | 2 |
Defence Council | Niall MacGinnis | 46 | 29 Mar 1913 | 6 Jan 1977 | 63 | 3 |
Dr Montfort | Jack Lynn | 36 | 30 Jan 1923 | 24 Apr 2012 | 89 | 1 |
Dr Stevens | James Dryenforth | 64 | 31 Jan 1895 | 26 Dec 1973 | 78 | 1 |
Eunice Kalliduke | Estelle Brody | 59 | 15 Aug 1900 | 3 Jun 1995 | 94 | 1 |
Foreman of Jury | John Bloomfield | 18 | 1942 | Living | 79 | 1 |
Hammond | Budd Knap | 46 | 9 Jan 1913 | 6 Aug 1982 | 69 | 1 |
Janitor | Charles Maunsell | 76 | 25 Apr 1883 | 1 Aug 1968 | 85 | 1 |
Jean Carter | Janina Faye | 11 | 16 Apr 1948 | Living | 72 | 2 |
Judge | MacDonald Parke | 68 | 30 Jul 1891 | 17 Jul 1960 | 68 | 1 |
Lucille | Frances Green | 1 | ||||
Martha | Alison Leggat | 55 | 7 Feb 1904 | 15 Jul 1990 | 86 | 1 |
Mrs Demarest | Vera Cook | 47 | 19 Jun 1912 | 1 Jun 1996 | 83 | 3 |
Mrs Nash | Shirley Butler | 1 | ||||
Mrs Olderberry | Hazel Jennings | 47 | 28 Feb 1912 | 15 Oct 2006 | 94 | 1 |
Neal Phillips | Gaylord Cavallaro | 39 | 28 Aug 1920 | 29 Jun 1998 | 77 | 1 |
Nurse | Patricia Markes | 1 | ||||
Olderberry’s Chauffeur | Andre Dakar | 62 | 23 Feb 1897 | 30 Dec 1987 | 90 | 1 |
Peter Carter | Patrick Allen | 32 | 17 Mar 1927 | 28 Jul 2006 | 79 | 4 |
Prosecutor | Michael Gwynn | 43 | 30 Nov 1916 | 29 Jan 1976 | 59 | 4 |
Receptionist | Sonia Fox | 1 | ||||
Sally Carter | Gwen Watford | 32 | 10 Sep 1927 | 6 Feb 1994 | 66 | 2 |
Sam Kingsley | Larry O’Connor | 1 | ||||
Sammy Nash | Michael Hammond | 1 | ||||
Sylvia Kingsley | Helen Horton | 36 | 21 Nov 1923 | 28 Sep 2007 | 83 | 1 |
Taxi Driver | Bill Sawyer | 2 | ||||
Tom Demarest | Robert Arden | 37 | 11 Dec 1922 | 25 Mar 2004 | 81 | 1 |
Usher | Peter Carlisle | 45 | 4 Aug 1914 | 16 Oct 2000 | 86 | 1 |
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