Violent Playground (1958): Cast & Plot
Violent Playground is a 1958 crime drama directed by Basil Dearden, starring David McCallum as Johnnie Murphy, Brona Boland and Fergal Boland. It runs 1 hour 48 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 48m (108 min)
- Director
- Basil Dearden
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- The Rank Organisation
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Violent Playground About?
The premise of Violent Playground without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In this stark, explosive drama, the camera strips away the façade of a sprawling metropolis to expose the hidden dangers of its streets. A Liverpool juvenile liaison officer is drawn into a tense cat‑and‑mouse chase with a volatile young pyromaniac, exploring the brutal realities of a city’s violent playground.
Violent Playground Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- juvenile delinquent
- truancy
- arson
- hostage
- school
- playground
- ladder
- shooting a child
- family priest
- reading a book aloud to a child
- rock and roll music
- 1950s
+38 more Show fewer
- troubled youth
- single man single woman relationship
- arson investigation
- suspicious fire
- liaison officer
- delivery van
- liverpool england
- social commentary
- police sergeant
- petty theft
- male police superintendent
- latch key kid
- tenement
- racist term
- teen gang
- chinese laundry man
- school principal
- older sister
- double decker bus
- recreation center
- surrogate mother
- older brother
- clubhouse
- hotel
- fatal hit and run
- arsonist
- police chase
- gun in guitar case
- barricaded suspect
- children used as hostages
- fire door
- catholic priest
- gunfire
- brother sister relationship
- using child as shield
- injured girl
- man in handcuffs
- epiphet
Violent Playground Cast & Characters
David McCallum leads the cast as Johnnie Murphy, with Brona Boland as Mary Murphy and Fergal Boland as Patrick Murphy. Directed by Basil Dearden; 52 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Basil Dearden
-
David McCallum as Johnnie Murphy - Brona Boland as Mary Murphy
- Fergal Boland as Patrick Murphy
- Stanley Baker as Detective Sergeant Jack Truman
Also Starring in Violent Playground
· 48 more- Anne Heywood Cathie Murphy
- Peter Cushing Father Laidlaw
- Michael Chow Alexander
- Tsai Chin Primrose
- Christopher Cooke David Catlin
- Sheila Raynor Mrs. Catlin
- Clifford Evans Headmaster Evans
- Michael Collins Police Officer in Patrol Car (uncredited)
- Cyril Shaps Hairdresser (uncredited)
- Philip Ray Stallholder (uncredited)
- John Boxer Police Sergeant (uncredited)
- John Tatham Police Sergeant (uncredited)
- Grace Arnold Customer in Grocer's Shop (uncredited)
- John Slater Sgt. Walker
- Jeremy Bulloch Pageboy at Hotel (uncredited)
- George A. Cooper Chief Inspector
Show all 52 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Leonard Sharp Spectator at Fire (uncredited)
- Jack Sharp Mechanic (uncredited)
- Stratford Johns Police Constable (uncredited)
- Melvyn Hayes Kid in Johnnie's Gang (uncredited)
- Robert Raglan Doorman at Grand Hotel (uncredited)
- Lynne Roberts Maureen Owen
- Moultrie Kelsall Superintendent
- Sean Lynch Slick
- Dervis Ward Constable (uncredited)
- Phyllis Morris
- Lindsay Hooper Police Sergeant (uncredited)
- Anne Tirard
- John H. Watson
- Anthony John Child (uncredited)
- Bernice Swanson Meg
- Victoria Harrington Child (uncredited)
- Freddie Starr Tommy
- Anthony Richmond
- Billy Lawrence
- Gareth Tandy
- Irene Arnold Mrs. Baker
- Ali Allen Boy (uncredited)
- John Bush
- Kathleen Williams
- Oonagh Quinn Jilly Baker
- Keith Crane William (uncredited)
- James Sutherland
- Gerrard Gibson
- Robert Howell
- Delene Scott
- Leslie Slysz
- Lynn Williams
More from Basil Dearden
More films directed by Basil Dearden, best-rated first: Victim, The Assassination Bureau, Woman of Straw and Mission: Monte Carlo.
Violent Playground Plot Summary
What happens in Violent Playground from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The opening moments peel back the surface of a troubled neighborhood by sketching a gallery of misfit children who will loom large in a tense, later classroom siege. Across the city, a string of arson attacks unfolds, and curious metal laundry tags appear at each scene, hinting at a coordinated, almost ritualistic pattern behind the flames. Set against this backdrop, the story centers on a Liverpool street gang led by Johnny Murphy, David McCallum in the role of Johnnie Murphy, a young man whose choices pull him deeper into trouble as the heat rises around him.
Full summary
The whole story of Violent Playground, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Violent Playground?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrays the gang leader Johnny Murphy?
Cars in Violent Playground
23 cars on screen, including the 1955 Austin LD 2A and the 1957 Ford Zephyr MkII.
-
1955 Austin LD 2A Important role -
1957 Ford Zephyr MkII Important role -
1955 Austin 303 Minor role -
1955 Austin A90 Westminster Minor role
Violent Playground Also Known As
4 alternative titles, including “Kinder der Straße” and “Barrio peligroso”.
- Also known as
-
- Kinder der Straße
- Barrio peligroso
- L'incendiario
- 暴徒地带
Seen Violent Playground?
Movies Like Violent Playground
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Violent Years, Violent Cop and Play.
Violent Playground FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Violent Playground, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Violent Playground?
Violent Playground runs 1 hour 48 minutes (108 minutes).
When was Violent Playground released?
Violent Playground was released on January 14, 1958.
Who directed Violent Playground?
Violent Playground was directed by Basil Dearden.
More films by Basil Dearden Who is in the cast of Violent Playground?
Violent Playground stars David McCallum as Johnnie Murphy, Brona Boland as Mary Murphy and Fergal Boland as Patrick Murphy, among 52 credited actors.
Does Violent Playground have a post-credit scene?
No. Violent Playground has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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