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divorced and there were problems. So he was the perfect casting. But when he went out to Africa, he started having the time of his life. The unit adored him and, to my dismay, started to feed him...he put on weight and there was no way I could stop it. So, instead of this hunted and abused child, who’s supposed to be starving and neurotic, you had a sturdy, stocky, well fed little character. A good actor, but the physique betrayed itself." In an interview on the DVD release of the film McClelland believed he won the role when he was seen insisting on combing his own hair that the casting director thought was self-reliance in character with Sammy.
622:. He commented: "... "Boy" is above average, in detailing the 2,000-mile trek of a war orphan during the Suez crisis in 1956, from Port Said to Durban, South Africa. The picture aims to convey the emotional growth of the battered youngster, played by 10-year-old Fergus McClelland, in his encounters with toughening, adult relationships. Most fortunately indeed, at about midpoint, that wonderful old actor Edward G. Robinson saunters into view as a grizzled, warm-hearted diamond smuggler, and gives the picture its real substance."
325:, Sammy runs off and encounters a gruff old hunter/diamond smuggler, Cocky Wainwright, whose life is subsequently saved by the boy. When the police search for Sammy, they arrest the old man, who has been a fugitive for years. After Sammy is finally united with his Aunt Jane, he learns that the old smuggler left him his entire fortune.
528:
these two contrasting interpretations, which arguably detracted from the overall focus of the film. Balcon deleted key scenes vital to the narrative, which undermined the film considerably. Despite the cutting of these scenes, something of the seriousness and realism that
Mackendrick strived to put on film still came through.
439:
The film had a budget of £385,000 with £269,500 being provided by
Bryanston-Seven Arts, partnership between Bryanston and Seven Arts. There was additional investment from Enterprises (a South African company) and the US arm of Seven Arts of of £57,750 each. Bryanston Seven Arts intended to make three
527:
and
Eastman Colour. The film’s director, Alexander Mackendrick, had an entirely different understanding of the story, which was altogether darker. He saw it as "the inward odyssey of a deeply disturbed child, who destroys everybody he comes up against". Mackendrick tried his best to compromise with
489:
Alexander
Mackendrick thought that Fergus was perfect for the role. "He was a lean, hard, little boy. Tough as old nails...a really strong character", said Mackendrick. "He had the hunted look of an abused child, which in some ways he was. He came from a disturbed home; his parents were getting
536:
Originally the finished film came in at over three hours and two film editors were brought in by Balcon to trim it considerably to a more manageable 129 minutes, removing, among other scenes, shots of the Syrian peddler lusting after Sammy (oddly enough, a small part of these censored scenes
218:
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on Monday 18 March 1963. It went on nationwide release in April. Shortly afterwards it was trimmed of a further nine minutes. This shortened version was the one used for its first showing on
British television in 1970 and all subsequent television showings in the United Kingdom.
486:, then aged eight, was originally offered the part of Sammy, but he turned the offer down on his son's behalf as "only a handful of child actors ever make it as adult actors and if Marc wants to be an actor, he should wait until he is old enough to make the decision himself."
589:. Regarding the American distributors changing the title of the film, Fergus McClelland claimed in a BBC Radio interview recorded in June 2010: "They were very worried that white Americans would think it was about a black boy called Sammy and wouldn't go to see the film."
518:
stood in for the scenes set at the height of the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the air attack on Port Said. Some long shots were done clandestinely by a second unit in Egypt, with an Arab boy dressed as Sammy, and the negative was later smuggled out of the country.
522:
The making of the film was very troubled. Executive producer Sir
Michael Balcon saw the story as a warm tale of an innocent 10-year-old boy’s triumph over adversity, set against the scenery of the African continent which would be shown to best advantage by
278:. The film had a difficult production period; Robinson suffered a heart attack and some cast members were bitten by snakes. It was first broadcast on British television on BBC2 on Christmas Day 1970 and on
431:
Film rights were purchased by
Bryanston Films, a company run by Michael Balcon. He hired Alexander Mackendrick to direct (the two men had worked together at Ealing). Mackendrick had not made a film since
510:
in
England in November of that year (Fergus McClelland celebrated his 12th birthday on the set in September 1962). For political reasons filming could not be done in Port Said, Egypt, so
565:
In 2010, when
Optimum Releasing wanted to release the film on DVD in the UK, they made a thorough search for the original 128-minute version, without success. Not even the
676:
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in
February 1963, they ordered additional cuts (the sounds of a man screaming) before they would grant the film the "U" certificate that the producers were after.
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had one. Optimum released the 119-minute version, running 114 minutes at PAL running speed, instead. The original version is now believed lost.
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306:, the boy flees the city in the ensuing panic. He sets out to reach his only living relative, an aunt who lives 5,000 miles to the south in
318:. Along his journey Sammy encounters a colourful array of characters. His first "guide" is an Arab peddler who dies in a freak accident.
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in London in March 1962 when he was chosen from hundreds of other boys to play Sammy. According to the actor
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apparently made it to the release version and can be seen on the present DVD). When submitted to the
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Sammy is then rescued by wealthy tourist Gloria van Imhoff. When she wants to return him to
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When the film was released in the United States it was retitled
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749:"Movie review: 'Sammy Going South' (1963); British Twin Bill."
221:
United States theatrical poster for "A Boy Ten Feet Tall"
585:'s score was also replaced by another score composed by
468:, (who had worked for the film's executive producer Sir
314:- at the other end of the continent and in a different
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The film was based on a 1961 novel by W.H. Canaway.
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236:for its later US release) is a 1963 British
16:1963 British film by Alexander Mackendrick
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805:. New York: Hodder & Stoughton, 1985.
650:The film was a box office disappointment.
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634:for best British cinematography in 1964,
452:. It wound up only making the first two.
410:- Hassan (scenes cut from finished film).
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1055:Films directed by Alexander Mackendrick
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640:3rd Moscow International Film Festival
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616:was reviewed by Howard Thompson for
284:American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
341:Fergus McClelland - Sammy Hartland
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559:Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
462:Holland Park Comprehensive School
413:Steven Scott - Egyptian Policeman
724:" 'Sammy Going South' (1963)."
266:and adapted for the screen by
1:
1085:Films scored by Tristram Cary
1065:Films based on British novels
705:"'Sammy Going South' (1963)."
675:Petrie, Duncan James (2017).
553:of 1963 and premiered at the
539:British Board of Film Censors
262:was based on a 1961 novel by
1075:1960s English-language films
729:. Retrieved: 111 April 2015.
549:The film was chosen for the
778:. Retrieved: 11 April 2015.
710:. Retrieved: 11 April 2015.
1101:
803:Laughter In The Second Act
776:moscowfilmfestival (MIFF)
638:was also entered into the
434:The Sweet Smell of Success
272:Michael Balcon Productions
35:1963 British cinema poster
902:The Man in the White Suit
28:
985:Saraband for Dead Lovers
252:, Fergus McClelland and
1045:British adventure films
771:16 January 2013 at the
555:Odeon, Leicester Square
389:- District Commissioner
359:- Spyros Dracandopolous
166:21 April 1963
950:A High Wind in Jamaica
934:Sweet Smell of Success
567:British Film Institute
557:, London, attended by
551:Royal Film Performance
446:The World of Sammy Lee
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879:Alexander Mackendrick
270:. It was produced by
242:Alexander Mackendrick
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45:Alexander Mackendrick
1040:1963 adventure films
482:) his youngest son,
1080:1960s British films
1070:Films shot in Kenya
1012:Mary Queen of Scots
738:Sinden 1985, p. 92.
579:A Boy Ten Feet Tall
347:- Gloria van Imhoff
280:American television
233:A Boy Ten Feet Tall
831:TCM Movie Database
753:The New York Times
747:Thompson, Howard.
619:The New York Times
609:Crack in the World
508:Shepperton Studios
345:Constance Cummings
338:- Cocky Wainwright
336:Edward G. Robinson
254:Constance Cummings
250:Edward G. Robinson
244:, photographed by
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149:Paramount Pictures
86:Edward G. Robinson
1060:Suez Crisis films
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837:Sammy Going South
826:Sammy Going South
811:978-0-3402-8540-4
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183:Running time
159:Release date
68:W.H. Canaway
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54:Denis Cannan
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969:Screenplays
787:Petrie p 13
604:double bill
525:CinemaScope
500:CinemaScope
484:Marc Sinden
424:Development
383:- Aunt Jane
381:Zena Walker
375:John Turner
304:Suez Crisis
187:118 minutes
106:Jack Harris
74:Produced by
41:Directed by
1035:1963 films
1029:Categories
993:Dance Hall
918:The Maggie
654:References
646:Box office
587:Les Baxter
573:US Release
419:Production
316:hemisphere
230:(retitled
170:1963-04-21
123:Production
692:1465-3451
593:Reception
450:Tom Jones
402:Guy Deghy
377:- Heneker
323:Port Said
296:Port Said
286:in 1971.
174: (UK)
125:companies
102:Edited by
77:Hal Mason
769:Archived
598:Critical
545:Premiere
494:Shooting
404:- Doctor
211:£385,000
200:Language
112:Music by
82:Starring
59:Based on
1004:Scripts
829:at the
512:Mombasa
456:Casting
440:films:
395:- Kathy
282:by the
203:English
192:Country
168: (
1015:(1961)
996:(1950)
988:(1948)
980:(1937)
961:(1967)
953:(1965)
945:(1963)
937:(1957)
929:(1955)
921:(1954)
913:(1952)
905:(1951)
897:(1949)
809:
690:
626:Awards
308:Durban
208:Budget
910:Mandy
686:: 7.
680:(PDF)
659:Notes
606:with
516:Kenya
353:- Lem
300:Egypt
842:IMDb
807:ISBN
688:ISSN
502:and
448:and
329:Cast
290:Plot
274:and
152:(US)
145:(UK)
840:at
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514:in
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66:by
1031::
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682:.
667:^
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863:t
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172:)
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