"The Boy with Two Heads" (1974) TV series

Director:

Jonathan Ingrams

Writers:

Frank Godwin (writer)
C.M. Pennington-Richards (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

15 July 1978 (West Germany)

Plot Keywords:

Disembodied Head

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Spencer Plumridge	...	Chris Page (7 episodes, 1974)
Leslie Ash	...	Jill Page (7 episodes, 1974)
Hilda Fenemore	...	Hilda Page (7 episodes, 1974)
Peter Halliday	...	Mr. Page (7 episodes, 1974)
Stanley Meadows	...	Douglas (7 episodes, 1974)
Lance Percival	...	Stanley Thornton (7 episodes, 1974)
Louis Mansi	...	Desmond (7 episodes, 1974)
Clive Revill	...	Chico (7 episodes, 1974)
Dallas Cavell	...	Man at Rubbish Tip (7 episodes, 1974)
Peter Challis	...	1st Lout (7 episodes, 1974)
Leon Davis	...	3rd Lout (7 episodes, 1974)
Patrick Durkin	...	Lorry Driver (7 episodes, 1974)
Fred Griffiths	...	Bruiser (7 episodes, 1974)
Pearl Hackney	...	Irate Lady in Cottage (7 episodes, 1974)
Godfrey James	...	Cafe Proprietor (7 episodes, 1974)
David Lyell	...	1st Young Man (7 episodes, 1974)
Bill Maynard	...	Farmer (7 episodes, 1974)
Norman Mitchell	...	Village Policeman (7 episodes, 1974)
Miguel Oliver	...	2nd Lout (7 episodes, 1974)
Bert Palmer	...	Ben (7 episodes, 1974)
Johnny Parry	...	Newscaster (7 episodes, 1974)
Jeremy Pearce	...	Dustman (7 episodes, 1974)
Adam Rhodes	...	Bruiser's Son (7 episodes, 1974)
Ivor Salter	...	Greengrocer (7 episodes, 1974)
Colin Thatcher	...	2nd Young Man (7 episodes, 1974)

Series Directed by
Jonathan Ingrams		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Frank Godwin		(unknown episodes)
C.M. Pennington-Richards		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Frank Godwin	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Harry Robertson		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Neil Binney		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Richard Mason		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Michael Pickwoad		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Donald Toms	....	production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Gordon Grimward	....	sound recordist (unknown episodes)
Bill Howell	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Brian Marshall	....	sound (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Les Bowie	....	visual effects (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Children's Film Foundation (CFF)
• Eyeline Productions

Distributors

• Filmways Australasian Distributors (Australia) (theatrical)
• Gilles de Nanteuil Production (2003) (France) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Chico the Rainmaker (International: English title)

Runtime:

Australia:90 min (theatrical version) | France:15 min (7 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Australia:G (feature version)

Company:

Children's Film Foundation (CFF)

From the depths of my memories...

For a very long time (until last year to be precise), I really thought that I had "dreamed" this serial, since noone around me ever remembered having seen it.It actually came only once on french TV, late summer 1978, and then vanished into thin air. Miraculously, the DVD got released in France last December, and through various internet forums I have managed to talk to a few people who DID remember it... and thought they were they only ones ! Actually this show was something to be remembered : it is the tale of two kids who find a shrunken jivaro head in a box stolen in an antique dealer shop, and who spend the whole series carrying it around, hidden inside a football, to preserve it from the hands of two evilish thugs who want to make money out of it. Of course, a second vision, almost 25 years later, of this naive and childish scary story really doesn't enhance the terrified memory I had of it. The shrunken head, which looked absolutely horrid when I was 7 now looks like a corny wooden puppet with two eyes that go from left to right. The mood of the story is more detective-like than terror-oriented, but the simple fact that it was a head with no body attached to it made the whole thing totally spooky. Actually, the whole thing looks more like an Enid Blyton one-shot than like an episode from the "Tales from the Crypt". But I probably should remain faithful to my memories and not slouch in the usual and obvious adult contempt, cynicism and mockery. After all, this was made for kids, and it worked. Well, for kids in the 70's it did. Today's would probably find "The Boy with Two Heads" atrociously ridiculous !