A Boy Ten Feet Tall (1963) User Reviews

Epic little film

[tord-1 · 8/10 · 5 July 2010]

Found this little gem on DVD via Amzon.co.uk.

The film is about a little boy (excellently played by a very young Fergus MacClelland), whose British parents die under a British bombing of Port Said during the Suez crisis, and he is left to his own devices to, if possible, get to and to find his aunt in Durban, near the other end of the African continent.

After many adventures he gets there, involving life and death, but on his way there he meets many people, including an old diamond smuggler, excellently played by Edward G. Robinson, at that time around 70 years old, and doing his very best of acting. The supporting cast is equally good, by the way.

The masterful director is the man who made British classics like 'The Guns of Navarone', 'Lady Killers', and 'The Man in the White Suit', Alexander MacKendrick.

On the DVD there is an excellent interview with the lead actor, Fergus MacClelland (now with the Royal Shakespeare Company), and with an American director, who had had MacKendrick as teacher in directing.

Well worth watching both! You learn that originally the film was over three hours long, but the released copy is just under two hours!

Edward G.

[thurberdrawing · 7/10 · 8 August 2005]

My review is based on my one viewing of this movie. I saw it in 1967, two years after its release. I was seven years old. My elementary school was showing it after school. I went because the title intrigued me. The title in this country was A BOY TEN FEET TALL. There was a poster on the wall, made by a student (or a teacher) with the title in big letters next to a line drawing of an extremely tall boy. The actual movie was disappointingly realistic to me. I was expecting something like a Popeye cartoon. Ever since seeing it I've asked fellow movie buffs if they remember a movie in which Edward G. Robinson gives sage advice to a boy in the jungle. Nobody I know has ever heard of this. Maybe the fact that it is also called SAMMY GOING SOUTH has caused confusion, because I have always referred to it as A BOY TEN FEET TALL. In the half-a-lifetime since seeing this, I've come to realize that Edward G. Robinson gave it his all. Late-career Edward G. was truly a scene-stealer. He's the reason we remember SOYLENT GREEN. I'll give it 7 stars because I saw it when I was seven and seven is a lucky number. I was lucky to see what has become a rare performance by a great actor.

Absolute must for a re-release.

[Petie3-2 · 8/10 · 25 March 2006]

I saw this in the 60s and it captivated me. All the characters were realistic, it could have happened. I probably spend two decades trying to locate a copy; bid for one on E-bay for $80 and lost, then finally lucked out and got one for $35 a year later. It was worth the wait and is just as good as it was. According to a poster it was originally almost an hour longer and had different music, which I don't know anything about. Also the use of guns by a kid is probably looked on as politically incorrect, especially since he saves Eddie Robinson by shooting a leopard. Can't have that. Just another reason to re-release it.

Left a lasting impression

[michael-993 · 6 November 2004]

I saw this movie by myself as a young boy - and for years I thought I had dreamed the whole thing. As an adult (an psychologist) years later I realized how the movie impacted me and touched something deep in myself about how a boy who has lost everything - must make a long journey 'south' (symbolic of the unknown - unconscious - what better metaphor than traversing Africa) to find himself and the man who is living inside of him. I have looked for years for a copy - and wonder why to this day it has not been released on VHS or DVD - if anyone knows where it can be found I would LOVE to know. For those interested the book is wonderful as well - but doesn't have the 'feel' and 'power' the images in the movie left upon me.

A good film, with some flaws

[hayesstw · 7/10 · 27 September 2006]

On one level it is a straight adventure story -- an orphaned boy's adventures in trying to cross a continent to find an aunt he has never met.

At another level it is more complex, as it shows his relationships with the different adults he meets. Some are uncaring, while others try to exploit him, and leave him hardened by the encounters so that when he meets people who help him with no ulterior motive, he remains detached and withdrawn from real human contact. At first sight Fergus McClelland seems to have a rather wooden performance as the boy, Sammy Hartland, but in fact this is part of the character in the story.

Eventually it is a diamond smuggler, played by Edward G. Robinson, who breaks through his reserve, and begins to bring him out of his shell.

The 5000 mile walk across Africa by a little boy

[robert-temple-1 · 10/10 · 18 December 2013]

This British film, whose original title was SAMMY GOING SOUTH but was retitled as A BOY TEN FEET TALL in America, is one of the many wonderful films directed by Alexander ('Sandy') Mackendrick. I knew Sandy very well before he went to teach film making in America. He was a kind, loving and sentimental man with a great fondness for children, which explains why he made three notable films featuring children, this one, MANDY, and A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA. This film is based on a novel by W. H. ('Bill') Canaway, who also wrote the script for THE IPCRESS FILE (1965). Shooting films like this on location is one of the riskiest things a director can do. With this film, it was shot from Egypt to South Africa, and down the entire length of the African continent. Sandy survived that danger to his career. But it was the location shooting for A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA later on which finished his career as a feature film director. It went so greatly over budget because of the location work that Sandy was the fall guy for a major budgetary disaster. He liked to shoot a lot of takes and was a perfectionist, but that did not explain the financial loss. If the film had been a big hit and made a profit, no one would have complained. But instead, HIGH WIND was used as a pretext to save the reputations of the producers and distributor by declaring Sandy responsible and spreading the word throughout the entire film industry that he was from thence forward to be 'unbankable', that dread word which means the end of any director's career. I know all of this for an absolute fact. Most people do not know what it means for a film director to be declared 'unbankable'. It means that the guarantors (a form of insurers) of the budgets will never approve the 'unbankable' director to direct any film again, no matter how brilliant and talented he is. This was also a problem for Orson Welles, who by the way was a great friend of Sandy's. One evening at dinner at Sandy's, the table was heaped with huge mounds of grey caviar from Iran. I never saw so much caviar before or since. Sandy explained that Orson was supposed to come but cancelled at the last minute, and he had a gargantuan appetite. So I shamelessly ate a great deal of Orson's caviar, as did we all, and it was a caviar feast never to be forgotten. This film stars the boy actor Fergus McClelland, and I recommend that everyone who gets the DVD watch the extra feature which is an interview with him remembering what it was like to work with Sandy on the film. Edward G. ('Eddie') Robinson added a great deal of gravitas to the film and did a wonderful job of playing a rogue diamond prospector who takes the wandering boy in and treats him like a son. Harry Corbett plays a straight role (this was before STEPTOE AND SON). The saga of the boy's lonely journey from Port Said, where his parents have been killed by British planes in a bombing raid during the Suez Affair of 1956, all the way to his aunt's Fairview Hotel in Durban, South Africa, alone and without money, is a truly amazing one. Sandy's original final cut was about 3 hours, whereas the released version of 129 minutes only appears to survive in the 114 minute version of the DVD, the rest being lost. How I wish the director's cut still existed! The adventures are so amazing, and we would have seen more of the magnificent cinematography which features so strongly in the film. This is a film every child should see, but also every adult. It is a film the appeal of which will never die. A great emphasis is placed by Sandy on the child's perspective as he makes the 5000 mile journey. The film is not at all sentimentally done, however, but is very realistic and does not hesitate to portray the terrible tragedies that happen on the way. When the Syrian's face is hurt by an explosion in the Sudanese desert, the shots of his disfigured face were removed, probably the only loss from the director's cut which was acceptable artistically. When the boy saves Eddie Robinson's life by shooting a charging mother leopard, it seems that a real tiger may actually have been shot. (I'm not certain about that.) That was in the days before animal rights groups. Sandy was a soft-hearted man who would never knowingly mistreat an animal, but the story was the story back in those days. In any case, the leopard's cub was taken away and nurtured. This film portrays a true epic journey, of the kind which would be impossible today. Who could walk across Africa now? There are too many civil wars and massacres taking place all the time, not to mention crazed terrorists. Possibly the best thing about this film is that it is not a pile of Hollywood mush with ersatz emotions and everybody splashing out their feelings in great torrents. Everyone, including the elderly African man in tribal dress on the White Nile ferry who befriends the boy, maintains a stiff upper lip throughout. This film was made in the days when people still had self-control, something all but unknown today in our decadent, narcissistic, and over-indulgent society. I cannot reveal the ending of the film, but will merely say that it is handled with such realism and delicacy that it lends the final elements of integrity to the entire film which preceded it.

You know he's going to survive.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 22 November 2023]

A trek through the entire continent of Africa doesn't give young Fergus McClelland much opportunity for him to grieve for the death of his parents after the Suez bombing. Survival is first and foremost on his mind, as is finding his only living relative, his aunt Zena Walker. The world is a kindly place when you're an orphaned kid, or at least it is for McClelland, finding native locals (especially native children) quite helpful and some responsible adults determined to protect him.

The two most memorable are British traveler Constance Cummings and a wanted criminal, Edward G. Robinson, who is like a grandfather to him. Robinson makes his entrance an hour into the film, and like many similar major supporting role is difficult to forget after he's off screen. Beautiful location photography and some adorable animals also add sparkle to this family adventure geared more to adult tastes than young children. The lesson that there are good people everywhere no matter the difference in race and culture is a wise one, and that makes this quite memorable.

A fantastic film

[willb65 · 10/10 · 5 December 2006]

I saw this film when I was ten when it was first released. I have only seen it once but can vividly remember it. My father had already died and Sammy's experience of returning to his home and finding it bombed and his parents dead had a profound effect on me. I lived the fear as Sammy travelled south. I have often thought about the film but have never seen it again. I have tried to find it on DVD but unsuccessfully as I assume it's never been released. I remember Sammy's resolve and determination to complete his journey but I can also remember lying awake at night wondering if I would be orphaned. A fantastic film, release it on DVD.

A journey from home.

[tao902 · 6/10 · 23 July 2015]

Made in 1963, the film tells the story of Sammy's journey from Egypt to South Africa.

His parents were killed by British bombing of Port Said during the Suez Crisis. He decides to travel on foot from Port Said to his Aunt in Durban. His journey provides him with unintended adventures. We see the various difficult encounters he has with poachers, criminals, smugglers and others of questionable intentions.

Wonderful cinematography and an engaging story but the remote content and dated style might mean it is not immediately accessible viewing for a contemporary audience.

My first cinema experience.

[mg-29 · 10/10 · 13 July 2000]

This film was my first cinema experience, seen together with my grandmother.

It made an impression on me that has lasted for years. I strongly identified with the main character in the film.

It has taken years to find any reference to this film.

A good view for anyone and an adventure that's very suitable for children.

Edward G is a scene stealer

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 13 December 2022]

Normally the advice is don't act with children and animals. Here it must be the reverse as Edward G Robinson steals every scene which he appears in. Mind you the child actor is so wooden that this is not a difficult feat.

The film is a bit disjointed at times. No surprise when you realise that the film was three hours long after its first edit.

The director,Alexander Mackendrick was excellent but he was a perfectionist which led to him being sacked from two major films and led to the end of his directorial career.

The Eastman colour photography by Erwin Miller is superb.

One of the last Michael Balcon productions.

Sammy Going South

[tm-57 · 10/10 · 28 April 2006]

I recall seeing this movie for the first time on TV back in the mid-70s when it went by a different title (possibly for US viewers), "A Boy 10 Feet Tall". Sadly I have only see this film one other time back in the late 80s. I too was drawn in by this film an it's youthful wanderer determined to make his own way from Egypt to South Africa despite all of the hardships involved. I credit this film in part in helping to pique my interest in travel and the world around me, especially Africa. It's too bad that a DVD or VHS version of this film were never officially released. This is one the films that remain on my 'Must Have' list.

A great family film! Needs to be re-released!

[bobolla2002 · 10/10 · 26 November 2005]

I showed this film ( U.S. version titled "A Boy Ten Feet Tall")at the base theater while stationed with the U.S. Navy in Asmara, Eritrea in 1973 and I thought it was one of Edward G. Robinson's finest. The basic premise of the movie, as I recall after all these years, is a boy is orphaned during an air raid in Egypt and then compelled to live with a foster parent. Having heard that he had an aunt living in South Africa he ran away from the foster parent and set out on his own to South Africa. The story tracks him through many adventures on his way and the best was when he came upon a diamond smuggler, Edward G. Robinson, who eventually befriends the boy and takes him under his wing. Of course this 'soft' gesture eventually leads to Edward G's demise and capture by authorities but he was able to instill a keen sense of responsibility and independence in the boy during their time together. The boy travels further across Africa and does eventually turn up at his Aunt's doorstep. I searched for this movie for years but no one seems to have heard of it. I think it would be a great candidate for a re-release or to come out on DVD.

Definitely Hasn't Gone South

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 24 July 2014]

Great to see a story of this quality taken seriously and well acted by all. There is a strong central character: Sammy. The narrative revolves around him, and he is not dismissed by the other characters for being a child, as so often happened in other non-children's films of the era. This is important, because it shows the audience that Sammy is a real person, and it makes the audience more interested in what makes him tick. It also makes the other main characters more human. Thus the audience is drawn into, and involved in this tremendously strong small story. It appears however that some of the film was lost, as the film was apparently originally ten minutes longer. This is a shame because the audience becomes aware of the tiny leaps in the narrative flow. Still a great film though.

A children's picture filled delights.

[Aldanoli · 10/10 · 3 May 1999]

A ten year-old English boy's parents are killed in Port Said during the 1956 Suez crisis, and so, in the British way, he sets off--alone and on foot--to travel the length of Africa to find his only relative, an aunt in Durban, South Africa. A children's picture filled with delights, especially the lovely location cinematography; the inspired casting of Edward G. Robinson as a wily soldier of fortune; and the engaging Fergus McClelland as the boy, Sammy, whose own innocence somehow mirrors an Africa which, even in 1956 (or 1963), was already quickly passing away.

A long lost friend

[essdubyacee · 10/10 · 3 June 2005]

the other day something somewhat amazing (at least for me) happened, i was checking out this usenet group that posts various obscure movies. and was reading the description of one of the posts and immediately knew it was a movie that i had seen many many years ago on when we had a b&w television so i would have been 9yrs old or younger. This movie had a almost overwhelmingly profound impact on me, it's the sort of thing that hardly a few days go by that i don't recall some scene, even 35 some years later, and it may sound a little corny, but i really think it had a formative effect on my life, basically it's an old British film about this 10yr old kid who's parents are killed during the 1956 conflict in the suez canal zone, and he is all alone in this chaotic country, decides to find some relative in Durban clear on the other end of the continent, so he treks out and gets into all these hair-raising situations but survives on his guile and wits, in particular i remember what saved him several times was his abandonment of any aristocratic bearing which endeared him to the myriad natives etc he became involved with, seeing it at that time deeply touched me somehow and the kid became a huge hero and role-model to me, probably more subconsciously than anything considering it has remained so vivid all these years. so it was a minor miracle in a way, to stumble upon it like that, i doubt you would ever see it on television, all these years i had never even known the name of it. I feel as if i have been re-united with a long lost friend, a friend who's name is "Sammy Going South"

i never read any other review before writing my own… now after having read others, there is an almost eerie similarity, i find it extraordinary that this long lost film has had such a profound effect.

One of the great adventure films

[fung0 · 9/10 · 24 October 2010]

It's a great shame this film isn't better-known, especially outside the UK. It has recently (fall 2010) been re-released on DVD - at LAST. And it truly is worth seeking out.

The story is equally reminiscent of Rudyard Kipling's 'Kim' and Nicholas Roeg's 'Walkabout.' A young boy, suddenly on his own, determines to rejoin his family, at the opposite end of Africa. Along the way, he meets a number of interesting characters, including Edward G. Robinson, in a small but pivotal part.

The story is told without sentiment or sensationalism. Shot on location, it shows an Africa that may hardly exist any more, in which wild animals were still a greater danger than armed humans. The scenery is often breathtaking... but the focus is always on Sammy. Despite the trappings of epic adventure, this is really a very intimate film, about one boy's journey from loss to self-reliance.

I'd rank Sammy Going South amongst the great children's adventure films of all time: Treasure Island (any version), Captains Courageous, The Wind and the Lion, In Search of the Castaways, and others. But it has a unique magic all its own. It gets inside the soul of a child like few other films, and perfectly captures a quintessentially British vision of childhood.

See this film if you possibly can. You'll be glad you did.

The Boy Ten Feet Tall

[dden953975 · 10/10 · 16 June 2012]

After reading several other reviews I was amazed to find out how many other folks had a profound effect from this film. This movie has been embedded with me for 49 years. I first saw this movie when I was 7 years old. I remembered how intrigued I was with the Sammy before, during and after I first saw this film. I vividly remember the movie poster and the black and white ad in the movie guide in the newspaper.

I think that this movie's affect as a young boy was the bond I felt for the character and how as a young boy I could relate to his character. Somehow I felt empowered from all of it. In retrospect what this movie had done was to transform and transport me into this character and take me on a journey to a different time and place that was strange, exciting and different. If you ever saw me when I was 7 I looked and acted very like Sammy. I guess thats one reason why over the years why I've traveled some much and enjoy meeting and interacting with different people who we normally don't interact with. Also if you notice Syammy embraced being alone (sign of strength) and yet he was instinctive about certain people he could trust and care for and others he was very suspicious of their motivation. I was the perfect demographic for this movie. I definitely have a soft spot for this flick both then and now.

They say a good movie is when you remember it a day later, but a great movie you'll always remember, well The Boy Ten Tall was one of those. There was something special about this movie that stayed with me so many years. Over the years I have viewed this movie twice and tonight I found this movie online and watched it with great excitement. I just can't believe that this wasn't mainstream more...it should be.

A don't miss movie! All thumbs up!!

[castlerocklake · 10/10 · 21 December 2004]

We saw this movie (A Boy Ten Feet Tall) almost forty (40) years ago and have never forgotten it. Edward G. Robinson is fantastic in one of his best, yet least known roles. The boy Sammy (Fergus McClelland)is a hard worker and shows character growth throughout in his rugged adventure. The story line holds the viewer's attention from beginning to end. Although this has been described as a great children's movie, it is also definitely a movie for adult viewers. There is some violence, but it is pertinent to the story. I would recommend this movie highly to everyone. I have been searching for it for many years and recently obtained a video which I now prize among my favorites. I understand that it has been shown infrequently on television and would hope that more people would have the opportunity to see it!

Great adventure movie for a kid - Should be on DVD!

[diamondgirl904 · 10/10 · 25 October 2005]

How does one write a review for a movie that one hasn't seen in 35 years? A Boy Ten Feet Tall received regular summer matinée showings throughout the late 60's on the local TV station. I have to believe I never missed a one. The cross-country adventure with tigers, elephants, a jungle boy friend, Edward G. Robinson and a gorgeous Aunt has had me searching for a copy for years. Sammy had the ability to make friends, thwart enemies and act like a man all on his own. It all seemed so doable, so within reach, so exotic, so within the realm of "I can do this too". There is magic in this movie, the kind that lights the fire of independence and adventure in a kid.

This movie has got to be released on DVD

[farscapefan65 · 9/10 · 12 September 2008]

I saw this movie only once when I was somewhere between the ages of 7 and 10 years old. I remember this movie vividly and somehow feel that it has affected my life in a subconscious manner, as some other people have written on here.

As I read the other reviews of this movie, I find it strange to see how many people also had the same impression of this film. I don't remember it as Sammy Going South or A Boy Ten Feet Tall, but as The Ten Foot Tall Boy. Funny that I remember it that way. I have mentioned this movie, with the title I remembered it by, to many people (many of whom are movie buffs) but no-one seems to remember it at all.

I did a search online and found nothing and nowhere to purchase it. But, fortunately, I am a UCLA alumnus and did a search of The UCLA Film Archives and found it there. I think it is the American edited version, but I would be very glad to be able to see even that version (which is probably the one I did see about 35 years ago, once).

It's amazing to see how many people have had the same experience with this film, having seen it only once. This movie must be released on DVD. How does one go about doing that? Who does one need to contact to have this done?

Most memorable movie of all time!

[raafcyr · 10/10 · 30 May 2008]

I would like to also concur with most of the previous posters. This movie was perhaps one of the most memorable movie of my entire life. I was first captivated by it when I was about 12-years-old to our 7th or 8th grade Civics & Geography class. It was shown along with another movie about a boy who lived in a tree in Canada--anyone remember that classic?--as well as,the politically motivated film "Z." Apparently it was shown for about ten or more years thereafter, until the projector and the film it self fell into complete disarray....Along with a few other great movies, in my opinion, this is one of the greatest movies of all time.

I'm still completely perplexed for the reasons it hasn't been re-released either on DVD or shown on TCM by now? This is truly bizarre. For many years, I always thought the name was "Mogambo"--which was also shown in our school. Nowadays these poor kids are shown a lot of gobbledygook. This ought to be amongst all of the masterpieces, such as, Bread & Chocolate; Dr.Zhivago; The Adventurers, etc.

If anyone has any information of how to get a copy of it, please let me know. So far very few movies were ever made the way the Director in this film created it.

This is a very psychologically uplifting and powerful film. Ironically, I've mentioned this movie to many people, most who are over 30-years of age, in nearly any country, and they can somehow recall this film.

A Timeless Adventure

[footsore · 9/10 · 16 February 2011]

This is a film every boy should see. Full of adventure, and life lessons. Edgar G Robinson is perfect. This is a film that deserves a remake with a modern story, and cinematography.

Its a crime it hasn't been released to DVD, until just recently, and then only in the UK(so not playable on US players...). I've been looking for it for 10 years, and couldn't even find a VHS all that time. I finally found it on the pirate bay, and downloaded it. I figure I earned a free copy with all the hours I've put in trying to get it at any price... The new DVD release is under the British title, Sammy Going South. I hope it gets a US release soon.

Awesome family movie "A boy 10 feet tall" Sammy going south"

[forestloj · 10/10 · 10 March 2010]

I saw this movie as a kid. I don't know how old I was. It was a very powerful movie, or at least for a young child. I haven't seen it in 35 or 40 years but I sure remember it. I had been kind of thinking about it and remembered the name "The boy who was 10 feet tall". Just for kicks looked it up on Netflix. It wasn't there. It was an awesome movie with British accents. I remember the diamonds and a bush baby??? I don't remember a lot of details about this movie. I knew it took place in Africa. It was a boy turns to man movie. Kind of like British Tom Sawyer only without the humor. It was definitely in black and white. It was a cool movie that I will never forget. This movie is being released by optimum Releasing 6/28/2010 Wow I can't wait!!!!!!

Excellent movie I saw as a child. (SPOILER)

[KnockKnock1 · 18 September 2016]

My Father took me to this movie at the old Rialto Theatre in Pasadena. It horrified me, but in a good way. The opening scene shows a Woman complaining to her Husband that She doesn't want to do something. The photography focuses however on a small boy, lying on the floor playing with toys. His ears prick up when he realizes that She (we later realize this is his Mother) is talking about sending him away. Seconds later an air raid siren sounds. The Boy runs downstairs to follow the commotion. Pandamonium reigns in the streets. He literally has to dive for cover after being strafed by enemy planes.

(Spoiler coming up) When he returns to his apartment, He finds both his Parents dead in the rubble of what used to be his childhood home. The sequence is reminiscent of Luke finding his Uncle Owen and Aunt Baru dead in Star Wars. It's a huge emotional moment in both films, and in the lives of two young human beings.

This is not a movie for children. It's a movie for Men reminiscing about when the tumultuous boundaries of their childhood were broken. Excellent movie, powerful and under rated. I also cannot seem to find this on DVD anywhere. I hope it comes on bluray some day.