Roland Curram gives the performance of his life as mentally disturbed Simon Lacey, who gives out his prescription barbiturates to children thinking they are sweets because they're normally administered to him by his mother. How sad his screen career ended in crap soap Eldorado - "The Lowly Grail".
The cop on the case is the ever reliable Bernard Archard, who appeared as the main cop in many of the contemporary Edgar Wallace Mysteries. In contrast to the rather pedestrian interpretations he gives in the EWs here he is positively hyperactive, chasing Simon through the streets and alleys of London.
Other acting honours to (naturally) Jean Anderson as Simon's mum and Desmond Llewelyn as the doctor in charge; and (unnaturally) John Ronane who is usually too belligerent for my taste but a real sweetie here. A special accolade must go to the uncredited black child actor whose (white) best friend is one of the victims.
Like several of my favourite films, this was filmed in the freeze/thaw/freeze winter of 1962/3 and makes excellent use of snowy parks and streets, deserted playgrounds, tower blocks adjacent to 1930s housing and the river Thames.
Criminally, this film is not available on DVD; but it is available from BFI to rent for a preposterously reasonable £2.50 for 48 hours of unlimited viewings of a very crisp print. 9/10 (1 point deducted for sometimes twee and intrusive music) Mark James Burden
