The Adventures of Hal 5

The Adventures of Hal 5
Opening titles
Directed byDon Sharp
Written byDon Sharp
Based onnovel Hal 5 and the Haywards by Henry Donald
Produced byGilbert Church
StarringWilliam Russell
Production
company
Bushey Film Studios
Distributed byChildren's Film Foundation
Release date
  • 1958 (1958)
Running time
57 mins
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Adventures of Hal 5 (also known as Hal Five) is a 1958 British children's adventure film directed by Don Sharp and starring William Russell and John Glyn-Jones.[1][2] It was produced for the Children's Film Foundation (CCF) and was written by Sharp based on the 1955 novel Hal 5 and the Haywards by Henry Donald.

Plot

Hal 5, an old car, is discovered by two children and purchased by their uncle, a vicar. The garage proprietor, Goorlie, conceals Hal's faulty transmission.

Cast

Production

Sharp had previously directed The Stolen Airliner for the CCF.[3]

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "In spite of some technical crudities this is a charming little film. 'Hal' has a genuine personality, the children are attractive and are not asked to act beyond their modest capabilities. The adults know their place, and there are several entertaining accidents with pipes, buckets and ponds – all gratifyingly full of water."[4]

Robert Shall wrote that Hal 5 "combines two favorite CFF elements: gentle fantasy and nostalgic affection for vintage vehicles of varying kinds...the appeal, apart from the charming anthropomorphic car, lies in the presentation of a rural idyll... the pace is particularly leisurely."[5][6]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "good", writing: "British relative of The Love Bug is charming, full of fun."[7]

References

  1. ^ "The Adventures of Hal 5". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  2. ^ Vagg, Stephen (27 July 2019). "Unsung Aussie Filmmakers: Don Sharp – A Top 25". Filmink.
  3. ^ Obituary: Don Sharp: His eerily atmospheric Hammer horror films included The Kiss of the Vampire Bergan, Ronald. The Guardian 24 Dec 2011: 39.
  4. ^ "The Adventures of Hal 5". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 25 (288): 152. 1 January 1958. ProQuest 1305818224 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ Shail, Robert (21 March 2016). The Children's Film Foundation: History and Legacy. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 55–56. ISBN 9781844578603.
  6. ^ Sharp, Don (2 November 1993). "Don Sharp Side 2" (Interview). Interviewed by Teddy Darvas and Alan Lawson. London: History Project. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  7. ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 276. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.