Cosh Boy
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Cosh Boy is a 1953 British film starring James Kenney, Joan Collins, Hermione Baddeley, Hermione Gingold, Betty Ann Davies and Robert Ayres. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert, and produced by Daniel M. Angel.
Based on an original play by Bruce Walker, the film tells of the exploits of sixteen-year-old deliquent youth Roy Walsh (James Kenney) and his gang, in Post-War London.
The gang start off by mugging ladies. Later, Roy becomes infatuated with Rene, the sister of one of the gang members. Already having a boyfriend, Brian, she rejects Roy, to his fury. Later the gang beat up Brian. Roy menaces Rene, who eventually submits to him. When she informs him that he has made her pregnant, and urges him to marry her, he decides he wants nothing more to do with her.
Roy's mother, Elsie Walsh (Betty Ann Davies), is involved with Canadian Bob Stevens (Robert Ayres), who urges her to marry him so he can take Roy "in hand" before it's too late. Roy hates Bob.
Bob works as an assistant manager at the Palidrome dance hall, which becomes a target for the gang. Another member of staff appears on the scene, and is shot and wounded by the gang.
Later that night Bob decides to give Roy a thrashing - for his own good - before the police arrive. The police arrive just as Bob is brandishing his belt in readyness. Bob lets them in, and they ask who he is. He tells him he is the boy's stepfather, as "his mother and I were married this morning".
The leading officer congratulates him, then, seeing the belt in his hand, smiles, and suggests to his colleague that they go and arrest the other gang member first and come back for Roy later.
Cosh Boy has also been named "The Tough Guy", or "The Slasher". It was the first British film to receive the new X certificate. It was given a Certificate rating of 16 in Norway (1953), and banned in Sweden.
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