Escapade

Philip Leacock was an expert on filming children, and every film of his is a masterpiece, not just because of the children, but they are usually highly sophisticated, intelligent and interesting plots of steadily increasing suspense. Here is a mystery from the beginning which you only get vague hints of by the strange manoeuvres of the boys, so you as the audience will be as befuddled as the headmaster (Alastair Sim) not being able to make head or tail of anything.

John Mills is excellent as usual as the aggressive pacifist, and no wonder his wife cannot stand him. It gradually appears that they have several children and not just the one clandestinely reading comics when he should go to sleep. The topic of the comics will emerge as an interesting clue to the whole story, as the children see more clearly what the grown-ups are up to than they themselves - "Newspapers are comics for grown-ups, and the problem is they take them seriously."

The great architecture of the film is the towering mystery as it eventually climaxes in sensational glory, dwarfing the whole political world to children's play, while the children are the ones who do something about it. It's one of the most wonderful boys' film ever made, and typical is, that once you have seen it you look forward to see it again.

This is quite a fun little gem stolen, as usual, by Alastair Sim as the headmaster "Dr. Skillingworth". This time, though, he is not in his "St. Trinians" guise - here he has to manage three typically mischievous brothers who have a grand design. That plan is not so much anti-education, but aimed at their ever rowing parents: pacifist John Mills and the kindly, but at the end of her tether Yvonne Mitchell whose marriage appears to be teetering on the edge of divorce. It's quite a clever premiss - do parents who send their kids away to school gain or lose from their respective experiences? Mills isn't up to much, sadly - he over-acts the role, but the boys do well as does their pal "L. W. Hartley" (Jeremy Spenser) and Colin Gordon's meddling journalist "Deeson". I hadn't heard of this until yesterday, but I'm glad I watched it.

John Mills plays a pacifist who is always in a shouting match with his wife Yvonne Mitchell.His children decide to fly in a plane to Vienna to deliver a peace petition.All rather nebulous.

The action in this charming (yes) Cold War comedy centers around the brilliant, extraordinary son of Mills - a son who is never seen, but who has become a school hero, then a national, and finally, an international hero! At turns moving and hilarious, this film is how a highly civilised people react to the dread of atomic war - I refer to the writers. The enemy is hardly the West, of course, but amongst the freest of humanity, complacency and lassitude reign. But in this wonderful tale, one boy ignites (almost literally - you will know what I mean) the minds of young Britons.

John (John Mills) is an idealistic yet clueless man. He's dedicated himself to the pacifist movement to the detriment of his family. Because he's often gone, his sons and wife are nearly strangers to him...and he has no clue that the kids are in trouble at school and his wife is considering leaving him. And, when the wife tells him she's leaving AND the school contacts them to tell them the boys are in trouble, John refuses to accept any of this. Is there any getting through to this idiot? And, when his sons disappear on a crazy outing, does this get him to accept that there are serious troubles? Probably not, as he IS a complete idiot and terrible family man.

This film kept my interest but the finale, when you learn WHY the boys disappeared...well, it comes off as rather preachy and difficult to believe. In other words, the acting is very good but the overly idealistic ending left me a bit cold when the story concluded. Not terrible...but one that could have been better.