Never Take Sweets from a Stranger

1960
Approved
1h 21m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960)

Play trailer2:30

1 Video

31 Photos

Drama Horror Mystery Thriller

In Canada, a British schoolmaster meets official resistance when he learns that his 9-year-old daughter has been the victim of the pedophile patriarch of the town's most powerful family.In Canada, a British schoolmaster meets official resistance when he learns that his 9-year-old daughter has been the victim of the pedophile patriarch of the town's most powerful family.In Canada, a British schoolmaster meets official resistance when he learns that his 9-year-old daughter has been the victim of the pedophile patriarch of the town's most powerful family.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 2:30

Never Take Candy from A Stranger

Photos31

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9:57

Storyline

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Trivia
On its original release, the film made little impact at the box-office and its press was mainly negative. This was partly because at the time the issue of paedophilia and child sexual abuse was a great taboo, rarely referred to or spoken about, and merely to produce a film dealing openly with the issue was deemed sordid and distasteful.

Goofs
When Martha returns home after her aborted attempt to go to the hairdresser and she sits down, a shadow of the boom microphone is briefly visible on the stone wall behind Sally.

Quotes
Martha: This isn't an ordinary crime like burglary or a holdup.

Crazy credits
Before the opening credits: "This story - like its characters - is fictitious. It is set in Canada. But it could happen anywhere - And it could be true."

Connections
Referenced in Destination danger: The Lovers (1960)

User reviews45

Featured review

7/10

You certainly have to admire its intentions

Highly controversial at the time of it's release and still disturbing today "Never Take Sweets from a Stranger" now feels like a polemic which somewhat dilutes its effectiveness as a thriller. It's extremely well-intended if a little on the dull side. The subject is child abuse; of course, being 1960 the abuse in question is never actually shown and is actually not even looked on as abuse by anyone other than the parents of the abused child.

Felix Aylmer is admirably and bravely cast as the old man who gets a couple of little girls to dance naked for him while he gets off on it. Unfortunately Aylmer is a local bigwig while the family of one of the abused children are newcomers to this closed community who then gang up against them, taking the side of the abuser's family. (The family of the other little girl don't seem to want to know). Consequently the film is as much about the abuse of power as it is about sexual abuse.

It was a product of Hammer Studios and sold as a 'horror' film but it's a very serious and sober picture, a message movie rather than an outright thriller. It is well written and Patrick Allen and Gwen Watford are fine as the parents while Niall MacGinnis as Aylmer's attorney and Alison Leggatt as the little girl's grandmother are outstanding. Today the film remains virtually unseen and while it may be no masterpiece at least you have to admire its intentions.