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The Midwich Cuckoos
Golden eyed they were, cuckoos in the nest, children. John Wyndham had introduced us to The Midwich Cuckoos, in yet another
of his quietly understated novels, in 1957. In 1960 this black and white film came to the screens, yes the title is a bit
melo-dramatic, but the film itself is every bit as terrifying as the book.(it was indifferently remade in 1995 by horror schlock-meister
John Carpenter). Once more, we believe we can use the term quietly terrifying to describe the "dayout" in the English village
of Midwich, and once more we gladly go along for the ride with John Wyndham, because we want to know the why, the what and
the when of the affairs in Midwich.
| Cast |
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| Gordon Zellaby |
SANDERS, George |
| Anthea |
SHELLEY, Barbara |
| David |
STEPHENS, Martin |
| Alan Bernard |
GWYNN, Michael |
| Dr. Willers |
NAISMITH, Laurence |
| Harrington |
WARNER, Richard |
| Mrs. Harrington |
LAIRD, Jenny |
| Evelyn |
LONG, Sarah |
| James Pawle |
HEATHCOTE, Thomas |
| Janet Pawle |
MITCHELL, Charlotte |
| Milly Hughes |
BUCK, Pamela |
| Miss Ogle |
GREENWOOD, Rosamund |
| Mrs. Plumpton |
RICHARDS, Susan |
| Vicar |
ARCHARD, Bernard |
| General Leighton |
PHILLIPS, John |
| Director |
Wolf Rilla |
| Production Company |
Ronald Kinnoch |
| Producer |
Ronald Kinnoch |
| Screenplay |
Stirling Silliphant |
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Wolf Rilla |
| |
George Barclay |
| Original novel |
John Wyndham |
| Director of Photography |
Geoffrey Faithfull |
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From The Midwich Cuckoos
by John Wyndham
One of the luckiest accidents in my wife's life is that she happened to marry a man who was born
on the 26th of September. But for that, we should both of us undoubtedly have been at home in Midwich on the night of the
26th-27th, with consequences which, I have never ceased to be thankful, she was spared.
Because it was my birthday, however,
and also to some extent because I had the day before received and signed a contract with an American publisher, we set off
on the morning of the 26th for London, and a mild celebration. Very pleasant, too. A few satisfactory calls, lobster and Chablis
at Wheeler's, Ustinov's latest extravaganza, a little supper, and so back to the hotel where Janet enjoyed the bathroom with
that fascination which other people's plumbing always arouses in her.
Next morning, a leisurely departure on the way to
Midwich. A pause in Trayne, which is our nearest shopping town, for a few groceries; then on along the main road, through
the village of Stouch, then the right-hand turn on to the secondary road for - But, no. Half the road is blocked by a pole
from which dangles a notice 'ROAD CLOSED', and in the gap beside it stands a policeman who holds up his hand...
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the webpage at
screenonline.
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| Cover Art by Peter Lord |
in German the title reads
Das Dorf der Verdammten
the pictures are every bit as
disturbing today as they were
in 1960
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| George Sanders as Gordon Zellaby |
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