The Monster of Highgate Ponds

Like Michael Powell, Alberto Cavalcanti (1897-1982) ended his illustrious career in British films following a sojourn abroad with a fantasy for the Children's Film Foundation. Inspired by the surge in interest the Loch Ness Monster was currently enjoying, it features Rachel Clay (who shortly afterwards played a child that was cold to the touch in Losey's 'The Damned') as one of the kids presented with an enormous Malayan reptile's egg of otherwise mysterious provenance that's still warm.

It demonstrates the film's casual approach to science that although he's supposed to be a scientist himself, uncle Ronald Howard is neither surprised nor curious when a reptile's egg proves to be warm in the first place. All continue to take it in their stride when the egg then hatches into a cute little stop-motion dinosaur chick (this is a Halas & Bachelor production, after all); and none of the members of the public who see the fully-grown monster driven through the streets of London tied to the back of a lorry (after an attempt by the usual pair of bungling crooks to steal it) seem particularly surprised or concerned either.

The special effects were never in any danger of winning an Oscar but they would have been adequate for the target audience in 1961, films these days suffer from way over the top CGI usually used to disguise a bad film. The monster was similar to those in the early Godzilla films, i.e. A man in a rubber suit and not in the slightest convincing. Not bad acting except for the lady with the dog, the dog was better than the lady was, the monster was better than her also. Another CFF film well worth watching.

This CFF film is from 1961 and therefore towards the end of that run of gritty B&W works that featured self-reliant kids making their own amusements in camps, dens, with little parental involvement; London's bombsites often were central, as were scrapyards and threatening toughs; amongst the kids was bullying, betrayals, fights.....there was usually a tense chase towards the end that eventually got resolved.

This little film is more gentle fare with "goody-goody" kids coming from a nice family in Highgate, with the parents well involved. Still, it's a decent little story directed by one of the greats (Cavalcanti) with some recognisable character actors, not least Philip Latham and lovable rogue Michael Balfour. Add to this mix interesting London locations, and you have another period piece for present-day students and those of a certain age reliving their childhoods. I'm sure that younger kids loved this at the time.

Just don't pay too much attention to the monster!

Nice way to spend an hour watching this charming little children's film.

It is a bit surprising that despite the fact that the film was produced by Halas and Bachelor there is surprisingly litlle animation. Yet it is quite a sweet little film. Showing areas of North London that I am very familiar with.