Bang! You're Dead is a 1954 British psychological drama film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Jack Warner, Anthony Richmond, Veronica Hurst, Derek Farr and Sean Barrett. The film takes as its subject the accidental killing of a man by a child, and the struggles of the child and his companion to comprehend the gravity of what has happened. The film was shot at Shepperton Studios with sets designed by the art director Norman G. Arnold. It was distributed by British Lion Films.
Plot
Seven year old Cliff Bonsell (Richmond) lives a lonely life with his very elderly and widowed father (Warner) in a hut on a decommissioned American army munitions stores depot in rural England.
Cliff has few friends, his main companion being the slightly older Willy Maxted (Barrett), a quiet and introverted child who lives nearby with his grandmother (Beatrice Varley). Cliff has developed a fascination for guns from films he has seen, regarding them as fun toys with which to play imaginative games. Willy's main interest is his gramophone and a single recording : "Bang! She's Dead/Lazy Day".
Cliff discovers an old army service revolver left behind at the depot and is thrilled to have found a realistic toy to play with. He and Willy are out together when they come across unpopular local Ben Jones (Philip Saville). Cliff decides to tease him by threatening him with the gun cowboy-style. When Jones refuses to play along, Cliff pulls the trigger, not realising that the gun is still loaded with live bullets. Jones collapses and the pair at first think he is play-acting, but soon realise that he is dead. They flee the scene in panic.
Jones's body is discovered shortly afterwards by Bob Carter (Michael Medwin), who alerts the local police. Carter also finds the gun and pockets it. However, when investigating detective Gray (Derek Farr) learns that Carter and Jones had recently been involved in a fight over the attentions of the flirtatious Hilda (Veronica Hurst), Carter becomes the main suspect and is taken in for questioning. Cliff and Willy become increasingly tormented as they try to weigh up whether it is better to let an innocent man be punished, or to confess to what actually happened and face what they see as the fearful consequences. Meanwhile, Grey gradually comes to realise that the case may not be as clear-cut as it first appeared.
Cast
Jack Warner as Bonsell
Anthony Richmond as Cliff Bonsell
Sean Barrett as Willy Maxted
Derek Farr as Detective Gray
Veronica Hurst as Hilda
Michael Medwin as Bob Carter
Gordon Harker as Mr. Hare
Beatrice Varley as Mrs. Maxted
Philip Saville as Ben Jones
John Warwick as Sgt. Gurney
Toke Townley as Jimmy Knuckle
Locations
The public house "Who’d A Thought It" was in Nine Mile Ride, Crowthorne. It was closed and demolished in 2003.
Reception
The Time Out Film Guide describes it as "a strange little film (which) can't make up its mind whether it's a thriller or a piece of social conscience, but the performance of the boy lends it charm."