Bang! You're Dead

British Lion Films

Industry	Film production and distribution
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Films

Bang! You're Dead, alternatively titled Game of Danger, is a 1954 British psychological drama produced as a second feature ('B' film). Directed by Lance Comfort, it stars Jack Warner, Anthony Richmond, Veronica Hurst, and Derek Farr. The screenplay, penned by Ernest Borneman and Guy Elmes, delves into the aftermath of a tragic accident in which a child unintentionally kills a man, examining the resulting ethical and judicial challenges.

Plot

Cliff Bonsell, a seven-year-old boy, resides with his elderly widower father on a disused American military munitions site located in the English countryside. His closest friend is Willy Maxted, a quiet child living nearby with his grandmother. Fascinated by firearms depicted in movies, Cliff stumbles upon an old army revolver left behind at the depot and begins to treat it like a plaything.

During an outing together, Cliff points the gun at Ben Jones, a locally disliked man, engaging in a cowboy-style game. When Jones declines to participate, Cliff pulls the trigger, unaware that the revolver is loaded with live ammunition. Jones falls and dies instantly; initially believing it to be part of the game, both Cliff and Willy panic and run away.

Bob Carter discovers Jones’s lifeless body and notifies the authorities while secretly pocketing the weapon. Detective Gray takes charge of the investigation, directing suspicion toward Carter due to a recent altercation between him and Jones over Hilda’s attention. Meanwhile, Cliff and Willy wrestle with whether to admit their involvement or let an innocent person face punishment. As the inquiry unfolds, Gray begins to sense that the situation is more complicated than it appears.

Cast

• Jack Warner as Bonsell
• Anthony Richmond as Cliff Bonsell
• Sean Barrett as Willy Maxted
• Derek Farr as Detective Gray
• Veronica Hurst as Hilda
• Michael Medwin as Bob Carter
• Gordon Harker as Mr. Hare
• Beatrice Varley as Mrs. Maxted
• Philip Saville as Ben Jones
• John Warwick as Sgt. Gurney
• Toke Townley as Jimmy Knuckle

Production

Filming took place at Shepperton Studios, with art director Norman G. Arnold responsible for set design. The film was released through British Lion Films.

The pub featured in the movie, named "Who'd A Thought It," was situated on Nine Mile Ride in Crowthorne and was demolished in 2003.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin characterized the movie as "indifferently directed and photographed," labeling it a mediocre melodrama that appeared to exploit the then-popular theme of children involved in violent crime stories. Although woodland scenes—such as Cliff’s escape through the forest—were intended to generate empathy, they ultimately came across as forced.

The Time Out Film Guide described it as "an odd little film" caught between thriller elements and social commentary, though it acknowledged that the young actor’s performance brought some appeal.

Leslie Halliwell dismissed it as "[a] singularly pointless and unattractive melodrama."

The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded it 2 out of 5 stars, noting its narrative resemblance to The Window and The Yellow Balloon, but criticized its superficial treatment of the boy’s guilt and found the suspense weak with an unsurprising ending.

In The British 'B' Film, Chibnall and McFarlane observed that the film creates discomfort by deliberately avoiding straightforward resolution.