alanwriterman
I saw this film on television ( in black and white ) around 1969/70 and thought it was incredible. Marty Wildes title song is up there with Gunfight At The OK Corral and Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.Then the film vanished ( this was long before we could record films off TV and watch them over and over ) and many film reference books ignore it.Fans of the film know it's practically unobtainable in any format.But here's what's interesting...I recently bought a back-issue of ' Whats On In London' magazine, dated the week the film opened in London and it has the poster on the front. Which looks great.But inside, the films reviewer, F. Maurice Speed, states he doesn't know if the film was supposed to be a comedy, because it was so bad, and mentions some poor performances by one or two lead actors.I couldn't understand these comments, as in my memory ( 45 years on ) the film was a classic.Then I managed to get a VHS copy taped by a friend off American TV and the film, watched now, is awful, with the Hellions themselves all way over the top, especially James Booth who chews the scenery unmercifully.But the worst performance by miles is by South African actor Jamie Uys, who mumbles and whispers and looks down at his feet most of the time. It's hilarious because he is absolutely atrocious. He looks like he wandered onto the set to give someone a message and the camera kept rolling.It just goes to show that what you think is a great film when you're a kid can be a major disappointment when you catch up with is half-a-century later.
ragosaal
I can't remember where I saw "The Hellions" but I know I was an early teenager back then. I also know I thought it was a great sort of western settled in small town in South Africa where a mean old men and his nasty four sons arrive and start abusing the locals. The place's lawman searchs for help among the town's men to deal with the menace (in a sort of "High Noon" style) but he was left alone.Lionel Jeffries played the old man and he was very good as a villain in an uncommon role for him (he was usually casted in comedies or serious characters but rarely as a villain). James Booth played his older son Jubal (as mean and devilish as his father) and Richard Todd was the lawman in a blue uniform jacket.I haven't seen this film ever since (not on theatres, TV, VHS or DVD) and people I usually talk about movies with don't even heard of it except for a cousin of mine that agrees it was a very good one.As for me, I'll keep looking for it because I enjoyed it very much but also because I would like to have an adult view on it. One thing is for sure: if "The Hellions" is half as good as I can remember it will still be a little classic.
agabus1
I recall seeing The Hellions on TV some 30 years ago (I think). It was like most of our Westerns, Hign Noon or My Darling Clementine best comes to mind. Yet it is different for it reminded me that there were other countries outside of the US that shared similar themes as our westerns. Richard Todd is good but a little wooden and unemotional. The brothers are weird but terrifying and so is Lionel Jefferies. The thing I recall with the greatest fondness are the opening lines of the theme song. "Here they come and may they soon be gone: Matthew, Jubal, Mark and Luke and John." Too bad the movie has not been shown for so long. Should be on DVD.
sanmigman
The Hellions is a great film and Richard Todd is very convincing. I have seen this film only once and that was about 30 years ago on British television. I too, have searched for a video but have been unable to find any although Posters do appear on ebay from time to time. Most people say it is a High Noon and in some respects it is similar as a lone lawman, in this case a South African Constable has to face the bad guys alone out of his personal sense of duty. It is dissimilar to High Noon in that the action is more spread out as a sequence of events. It is most similar to Firecreek which was made 7 years later and stars James Stewart and Henry Fonda and I think this was a copy of the Hellions script adapted as a Western. In Firecreek James Stewart plays a honorary sheriff of a small town of losers which becomes a place for the bad guys led by Henry Fonda to hold up in. Fonda leads a gang of gunmen who take part in Range Wars. So if you can't watch the Hellions get a copy of Firecreek.Jeff Herbert
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