The Secret of the Forest

The Secret of the Forest in a 1956 children's film directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Kit Terrington and Jacqueline Cox. It was produced by Rayant Pictures for the Children's Film Foundation. The storyline was developed by George Ewart Evans following a formula already developed by the CFF.

Plot

Spoilt children Henry and Caroline are excavating an ancient burial site when two crooks, having stolen a gold cup and hidden it in the site, return to retrieve it. Johnny and Mary, children of the local chief forester, see the trouble from a forest fire-watch tower and send for help.

Cast

Kit Terrington as Henry
Jacqueline Cox as Caroline
Barry Knight as Johnny
Diana Day as Mary
Michael Balfour as Len
Arthur Lovegrove as Wally
Vincent Ball as Mr Lawson
John Drake as P.C. Oates
Roy Purcell as Mr Carver
Ewen Solon as Mr Roberts
Pamela Abbott as Mrs Roberts
Charles Saynor as Jack Hodges
John Stirling as fire watcher
Ned Hood as police motorcyclist
Dan Cressy as police motorcyclist

Production

The film was inspired by the late 1930s archaeological discovery of Sutton Hoo. The film was made on location in Suffolk including scenes in Ipswich Museum, Rendlesham Forest and on the Deben River.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "An adequate children's film which makes occasional breaks with the traditional pattern. The plot is contrived and becomes somewhat confused through the introduction of incidents relatively unimportant to the main story-line – for instance, the overemphasis on the inconsiderate nature of Henry and Caroline, already established as spoilt children. The chase sequence makes an exciting climax, compensating for some slow development in the early stages."