I can't remember where I saw "The Hellions" but I know I was an early teenager back then. I also know I thought it was a great sort of western settled in small town in South Africa where a mean old men and his nasty four sons arrive and start abusing the locals. The place's lawman searchs for help among the town's men to deal with the menace (in a sort of "High Noon" style) but he was left alone.Lionel Jeffries played the old man and he was very good as a villain in an uncommon role for him (he was usually casted in comedies or serious characters but rarely as a villain). James Booth played his older son Jubal (as mean and devilish as his father) and Richard Todd was the lawman in a blue uniform jacket.I haven't seen this film ever since (not on theatres, TV, VHS or DVD) and people I usually talk about movies with don't even heard of it except for a cousin of mine that agrees it was a very good one.As for me, I'll keep looking for it because I enjoyed it very much but also because I would like to have an adult view on it. One thing is for sure: if "The Hellions" is half as good as I can remember it will still be a little classic.

My sister took me to see this film years ago and I loved it. We often reminisce about it. Our favourite character was Jubal. I wish it would be shown on TV or released on DVD. I'd love to see it again. I can't remember very much of the story line so it was nice to read about it on your website. I must have seen loads of films throughout my life so it says something about the film that I can remember this one.It had an excellent cast and the filming was superb. I can't think why it hasn't been shown on British television, unless it's because it is a South African story, though why that should matter I don't know. Anyway, It is a brilliant film and if anyone ever gets the chance to watch it, They should!

I first saw it just over forty years ago. All told I have seen it either two or, perhaps, three times at the cinema. I have never known of it having been on television. I enjoyed it so much I can still remember a vast amount of it. R.Todd, as ever, a controlled and sensitive performace and Zena Walker was a gem. Several of the others were very good but, not to be critical of any of the other actors in the film, by far the best was Lionel Jeffries. For an actor so famous for his comedy roles this performance is by far his best. As the father of the hardened band of outlaws he knew how to keep control of his sons. He should have, at the very least, have been nominated for an award. An excellant comedy drama with first class music to keep the pace of the film going. I cannot think of any other film that I would like to see again as much as this one. Why can it not appear on DVD, video or television?Thank-youTake Care.dadjohnfj

The Hellions is a great film and Richard Todd is very convincing. I have seen this film only once and that was about 30 years ago on British television. I too, have searched for a video but have been unable to find any although Posters do appear on ebay from time to time. Most people say it is a High Noon and in some respects it is similar as a lone lawman, in this case a South African Constable has to face the bad guys alone out of his personal sense of duty. It is dissimilar to High Noon in that the action is more spread out as a sequence of events. It is most similar to Firecreek which was made 7 years later and stars James Stewart and Henry Fonda and I think this was a copy of the Hellions script adapted as a Western. In Firecreek James Stewart plays a honorary sheriff of a small town of losers which becomes a place for the bad guys led by Henry Fonda to hold up in. Fonda leads a gang of gunmen who take part in Range Wars. So if you can't watch the Hellions get a copy of Firecreek.Jeff Herbert