Violent Playground

VIOLENT PLAYGROUND sees tough detective Stanley Baker assigned to a new role after falling foul of his boss; he's directed to head up a juvenile crime prevention scheme. Baldwin fears that his new role will be anything but interesting, but things turn out otherwise as a sub-plot involving an arsonist terrorising the streets of Liverpool becomes mixed up with the main story.

This is a gritty, ahead-of-its-time thriller that mixes social drama with a hard-hitting crime flick. It's surprisingly modern in feel, with tight, character-based drama mixed with action, ranging from car chases to hostage scenarios and of course one or two fiery set-pieces. Basil Dearden's black-and-white photography is crisp and clear and he makes sure to elicit strong performances from his cast members.

Baker is one of those underrated actors who sort of got forgotten about after his death, aside from his role in ZULU, of course, but he's very good given the right material and VIOLENT PLAYGROUND is perfectly suited for his talents. Baker is supported by an engaging cast, including Anne Heywood's love interest and Peter Cushing's priest, and it's worth looking out for future stars Tsai Chin and Freddie Starr in more minor parts. The best actor of the lot is David McCallum in a real star-making turn as the disturbed delinquent whose storyline propels the narrative. Altogether VIOLENT PLAYGROUND is a pacey and engaging piece of film-making which mixes drama and thrills in an effective way.

Had no idea if I was going to enjoy this film which is in black and white and was filmed on location in Liverpool, England in a very depressing area with a great deal of problems. Truman, (Stanly Baker) is a detective and is reassigned to another position which is, Juvenile Liason Officer who is now in charge of trying to stop juvenile crime in the City of Liverpool. Truman is not too happy about his assignment but does get involved with young twin children named Mary and Patrick Murphy who have been stealing things in the local stores and meets up with their older sister, Cathie, (Anne Heywood). Johannie Murphy, (David McCallum) is the older brother and he is a ring leader who is causing many problems in the City of Liverpool. Johannie has some mental problems which cause him to enter a school with a gun and starts a major problem and gets himself deeper and deeper in trouble with the police. Peter Cushing, (Priest) plays a great supporting role and even falls off a ladder that is pushed by bad boy Johannie. There is some brief romance in this film also between Cathie and Detective Truman. This film is very different and explodes towards the end of the film. Enjoy.

This movie pops up reasonably often on VERY late night TV in Australia on ABC TV (Not the american network).ABC tends to show very old British movies late at night, so I got to watch this one not too long ago.I quite liked it, it's certainly no worse than a lot of simular American films from around that time (Anything by American International for example). The locations and sets were good, Liverpool was an excellent choice for the movie.The fact that it was shot in black and white only enhances the mood and feel of this film. My only complaints about it are, I think that the romantic sub plot between the sargent and the older girl was tiresome and un necessary. The plot was strong enough without it, not to mention in real life, most policemen would be a lot more distant in the situation the good sargent found himself in. But hey. I'm not a policeman so it's only my opinion. My other complaint is that the title song was played throughout the movie ad-nauseum. It was ok for the intro, but after you heard it for the sixth or seventh time, it really started to get annoying. I can't help thinking that the movie was partially intended to be a promotional vehicle for whoever it was that sung it, the closing credits even mentioned that he/she was an artist with Fontana records. Obviously this ploy didn't work if that was the case. But the twins were absolutley gorgeous, especially Mary, it wouldn't have been as good without them. And David Maccallum was also very good as Johnny, happily he went onto much bigger things and deservedly so. It may seem a little dated now, not it's still an excellent movie, Well done!

Seven years after A Hard Day's Night came out and the world heard John, Paul, George and Ringo spoke the Liverpudlian accent. We in America knew what the main criticism of Violent Playground was, that few if any used Liverpool's distinctive speech pattern.

The underrated Stanley Baker plays a sergeant with the Liverpool PD. who reluctantly is working for the juvenile division. In said capacity he comes across Anne Heywood and her juvenile delinquent brother David McCallum in his salad days,

My earliest recollection of McCallum was in The Great Escape. Violent Playground is five years earlier and the best part of this film is the cinematography of post war Liverpool showing the still unrepaired damage from the war. It's the background from which these kids come from and pretty nasty too.

McCallum is suspected of being an arsonist responsible for several fires in the city. He's a charismatic sort and the other juveniles don't want to turn him in.

As for Baker he's in a conflict with growing feelings for Heywood and his duty as a cop in regard to McCallum.

Violent Playground is a gritty realistic film even with the wrong accents being used. It holds up well after half a century.

Stanley Baker plays a Liverpool police detective who is reassigned to a special Juvenile Liassion Department, which takes this film into the world of a large public housing project teeming with youth of all ages who are seemingly teetering on the edge of becoming responsible adults or the criminals the movie portrays, played quite well by David McCallum and the other tough actors who play his hoodlum friends and followers. There's an awesome opening shot of McCallum and his boys within the confines of the project, and the film interjects Baker into this world through his relationship with two childhood twins who play McCallum's younger siblings, and their older sister, whom Baker begins to fall for. Things get a little bit unbelievable as the film progresses, but the focus on alienated youth bopping along to a rock and roll song isn't half bad, and the conclusion, which seemed to me to be too much of a stretch, was still shockingly well done.