Linda (film)

Linda is a 1960 British teen drama film, directed by Don Sharp and starring Carol White and Alan Rothwell. The film was shot on location in South London and Brighton, and played in cinemas as the support feature to Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. The film was featured as an episode of Cinema Insomnia.^[1] It is now classed as a lost film.

Plot

Bored South London teenager Phil (Rothwell) joins a gang led by the Chief (Cavan Malone) and begins to be drawn into a world of petty crime and violence. When he meets Linda (White), his interest begins to shift away from the gang and towards her. She tries to pull him away from the gang's bad influence.

The couple go on a day trip to Brighton. On the way home Phil makes a pass at Linda, but is rebuffed as she tells him she is not that kind of girl. Later, the local coffee bar which acts as the gang's territory is threatened by incomers. The Chief musters his minions, and Phil agrees to join in after being duped into thinking that Linda is playing fast and loose with another boy. After the ruck, Phil finds out that he has been tricked by the Chief. Urged by the progressively-minded local vicar, he decides to leave the gang behind. Other members also see the light and join him, leaving the Chief on his own. Phil and Linda discuss the possibility of marriage.

Cast

Reception

As a second feature, Linda received only passing attention from contemporary critics. The Cinema Exhibitors' Association commented favourably: "This is an unpretentious but amusing little film which combines action with humour and even some charm." The Monthly Film Bulletin was less enthusiastic, saying: "The author of this story would seem to be afraid of his subject. He steers a middle course which is neither one thing nor the other. Carol White does her best to look the part of a young tart-type, and Alan Rothwell is dressed for the part, but neither make much of an impression."

The film is considered of potential interest to cinema historians, both as an early directorial outing by Sharp and as a period piece capturing a very specific moment in British social history, with the additional nostalgia appeal of location shots of 1960 Brighton and Battersea Fun Fair. It is included on the British Film Institute's "75 Most Wanted" list of missing British feature films.^[2]

References

External links

• Linda at the Internet Movie Database
• Linda at BFI Film & TV Database