The Hellions

The Hellions according to some might well be considered Great Britain's first western although I think The Sheriff Of Fractured Jaw has a better claim. Ken Annakin better known for such Disney films with star Richard Todd like Robin Hood, The Sword And The Rose, and Rob Roy the Highland Rogue team together again for this film set in and shot in South Africa.

It's the post Boer War era in the Union Of South Africa and the place still has a frontier feel to it. A family of real bottom feeders, the Billings clan headed by Lionel Jeffries is coming to town to settle a score with the local constable Richard Todd. They're a lot like the Clantons from My Darling Clementine and the Cleggs from Wagonmaster from those John Ford classics.

In any event Todd who patrols the place unarmed gets his gun and wants some backup, but the town hesitates. Now he knows how Gary Cooper felt with those citizens of Hadleyville.

In the end however Todd gets some help from a most unlikely source a man just sick and tired of kowtowing to these killers who collectively are known as The Hellions.

Lionel Jeffries who usually plays comic village shows a savage side to him in The Hellions. Not something normally associated with him, but very good. Plaudits should also go to James Usys and Anne Aubrey as a husband and wife pair of storekeepers The Hellions intimidate.

Note the harmonica parts of the music score are from the blacklisted Larry Adler who was probably the only American associated with The Hellions. They were a nice touch.

As for the ending, think about the Frank Sinatra western Johnny Concho.