Serious Charge

An unmarried vicar, the Reverend Howard Phillips (Anthony Quayle), newly arrived in the parish, attempts to get local 19-year-old thug and petty criminal Larry Thompson (Andrew Ray) to face up to his responsibilities to Mary Williams (Leigh Madison), the naive young girl he has made pregnant. When Howard threatens to tell his coffee-bar friends, Larry trashes the room and fakes a struggle. As a dishevelled Larry leaves, Hester Peters (Sarah Churchill) arrives, and he tells her that Howard "interfered" with him. Hester is the daughter of the parish’s previous clergyman and has become infatuated with the athletic and handsome new vicar. However, having earlier seen a young girl leaving the vicarage late one night (Mary, who had sought the vicar's advice about her pregnancy), Hester jumps to the conclusion the two are romantically linked and, "a fury like a woman scorn'd",[1] chooses to believe Larry's account. Shortly afterwards, Mary chances across Larry kissing another girl, and in distress blindly stumbles across the road into the path of a car, and is killed.

As a consequence of the malicious accusation, Howard is subjected to suspicion and abuse by his parishioners, including having his car's tyres slashed and receiving poison pen letters. When his mother (Irene Browne) learns of events, knowing about Hester's romantic interest in Howard, she quickly comprehends the situation, takes Hester to task, and persuades her to accept Howard's account. Larry duly receives his come-uppance at the hands of his father.[2]

The film includes a film debut by Cliff Richard, at that time a teenage pop idol, as Larry Thompson's younger brother, Curley. Richard sings three songs, although none is heard in its entirety: "No Turning Back", "Mad About You", and "Living Doll" (the latter is a different version from that which became a No. 1 hit in the British charts).

A fellow delinquent character was played by another 1950s rock and roll star, the uncredited Jess Conrad in an early acting performance.

• Anthony Quayle as Reverend Howard Phillips
• Sarah Churchill as Hester Peters
• Andrew Ray as Larry Thompson
• Irene Browne as Mrs. Phillips
• Percy Herbert as Mr. Thompson
• Noel Howlett as Reverend Peters
• Wensley Pithey as Police Sergeant
• Leigh Madison as Mary Williams
• Judith Furse as Probation Officer
• Jean Cadell as Almshouse Matron
• Wilfrid Brambell as Verger
• Olive Sloane as Mrs. Browning
• George Roderick as Fishmonger
• Cliff Richard as Curley Thompson
• Liliane Brousse as Michelle
• Wilfred Pickles as Chairman of the court [uncredited]
• Philip Lowrie as a member of Larry's gang [uncredited]
• Jess Conrad as a Teddy Boy [uncredited]
• Marie Devereux as the attractive girl in the coffee bar [uncredited]

• Serious Charge at IMDb
• Review of film at Variety