Having seen many of these CFF films over the last few years-mainly courtesy of Talking Pictures TV channel-I place this one up high in my list of favourites.
Reason-for a change, there is no skulduggery, cheating, bullying, villains (and no obligatory dunking in a pond or river!), and no anxieties to be salved in the final moments. No, here we have a warmhearted little tale about an engaging "gang" of kids in post-War London doing a variety of odd jobs in amusing situations to get enough money to buy a new saw for the Dad. (They have damaged the original when constructing a rabbit hutch.)
There are two main interests I feel-filmed in crisp B&W in 1957/8 we see many London streets notable for little traffic, evidence of bomb damage, bomb sites, and reconstruction going on. The movie location websites give particularly extensive coverage to this film.
Secondly, it evokes the spirit of that time-the kids just get out there and use their initiative; adults might grumble a bit but are generally sympathetic and tolerant; workers (like scrap merchants, lorry drivers, builders) have time for the kids and can be generous. OK, there's a danger of those of us who grew up in those times having rose-coloured memories, but I can certainly recall having similar adventures; one example-when making a trolley (go kart) the chaps in a local garage cheerfully drilled some holes for us in the axle of the 'pram wheels we'd found. Imagine that happening now!
And it's heart-warming to see the gang including a girl and also a boy of mixed race-decades ago.
A quite delightful little film.
