Roy Walsh is a brash and enterprising thug who bullies his friends into subservience. He and his gang assault and rob people on the street, but things get increasingly dangerous when their behavior escalates to larger crimes.
Acting
James Kenney's sneer defined 'cosh boy' for a generation.
Production
Shot in actual bomb-damaged London streets—production design by real life.
Director
Lewis Gilbert
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This film helped spark British 'teddy boy' moral panic; newspapers blamed it for actual street violence before it even opened.
Lewis Gilbert later directed Alfie and three Bond films; this was his second feature, made for £20,000 in three weeks.
GB
