Children Galore

Terence Fisher made some rum films between the end of his brief tenure at Gainsborough and finding his niche at Hammer, of which this must be the rummest; and although previous writers have compared it to Ealing it obviously owes more to Group 3.

Despite the cute title, the relaxed treatment, the attractive location work by Jonah Jones and the pretty score (the author of which is uncredited) the subject matter is bizarre to say the least and the infighting among the predominantly female cast rather nasty (with even illegitimacy briefly mentioned at one point).

Like so many films from this era it all seems to belong to a totally vanished age; yet our present Queen's portrait on the wall of the village hall once again reminds us this all hails from just within living memory.