Plot
The unmarried vicar Reverend Howard Phillips (Anthony Quayle), newly arrived in a parish, accuses a local 19 year old thug and petty criminal, Larry Thompson (Andrew Ray) of being partially responsible for the recent death of a teenage girl (Leigh Madison). In retaliation and as an attempt to divert attention, the teenager accuses the vicar of molesting him. His invented story is substantiated out of spite by another local woman still furious that the vicar rejected her amorous advances. Unfortunately for the vicar, the woman is a highly respected member of the community, her father being the parish’s previous clergyman.
The film features musical performances by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, still called the Drifters at the time. Richard plays the thug’s younger brother. He barely speaks in the film, other than to sing three songs in coffee bar scenes.
Read more about this topic: Serious Charge
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