Bang! You're Dead

Jack Warner - Bonsell
Derek Farr - Detective Grey
Veronica Hurst - Hilda
Michael Medwin - Bob Carter
Gordon Harker - Mr. Hare
Anthony Richmond - Cliff Bonsell
Sean Barrett - Willy
Beatrice Varley - Mrs. Maxted

Story of how an outspoken young man is suspected of murder actually committed accidentally by small boy in play. Lance Comfort’s mildly suspenseful crime melodrama opens in flashback and builds to a predictable climax. The guilt-stricken performance of young Anthony Richmond lacks conviction, but fellow teenager Sean Barrett provides a more rounded sympathetic characterisation as his introverted friend. There’s also effective support from Jack Warner, Gordon Harker and Derek Farr.

Young Cliff Bonsell (Anthony Richmond) and his best friend, gramophone-loving Willy Maxted (Sean Barrett), regularly play in a disused US Army store depot where he lives with his widowed father (Jack Warner) in an old camp hut. Cliff is fascinated by guns but fails to comprehend the weapons true potential, and subsequently becomes a danger to the locals when he discovers an old service revolver and mistakes it for a toy. When out playing with Willy, Cliff encounters disliked local Ben Jones (Philip Saville), and recalling his fathers words that ‘when a thing ain’t wanted it’s better off dead’.

Ben is found dead on the roadside by Bob Carter (Michael Medwin), and given the two had recently been fighting over the love of flirty Hilda (Veronica Hurst), Bob becomes the chief suspect. Detective Inspector Grey (Derek Farr) arrives to investigate and the two chums quickly arouse his suspicion.