Danny, the Champion of the World (film)
| Danny, the Champion of the World | |
|---|---|
 UK DVD cover | |
| Based on | Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl |
| Screenplay by | John Goldsmith |
| Directed by | Gavin Millar |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Stanley Myers |
| Country of origin | |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Eric Abraham |
| Cinematography | Oliver Stapleton |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Budget | $3 million[2] |
| Original release | |
| Network |
|
| Release | 29 April 1989 |
Roald Dahl's Danny, the Champion of the World, or simply Danny, the Champion of the World, is a 1989
Danny, the Champion of the World debuted in the United States on 29 April 1989, on
Plot
In 1955, in the
In response, Hazell sends in a string of inspectors to harass William, claiming the Smiths are selling inferior gasoline. When this fails, Hazell suggests to local Child Welfare agents that William may be an unfit parent and that he provides an unfit home for his son. However, after noticing how well William keeps the vardo and the shop, and watching Danny fix their rattling old car, the agents agree not to investigate further. One agent tips off William that Hazell sent them, and advises him to “hang in” to the piece of land that he owns.
Meanwhile, Danny starts a new term at school. Delivering a car repair bill to his kindly headmaster, Mr. Snoddy, Danny accidentally discovers Mr. Snoddy is a heavy
One night, William sneaks out of the vardo. Discovering this, Danny stays up waiting for him until he returns. William explains that he had been attempting to poach some of Hazell's pheasants as a playful revenge, using raisins as bait; William and his late father poached birds this way before, when they were starving during the Great Depression. Relieved, Danny tells William he can go out poaching again any time he likes, so long as he lets Danny know where he's going.
William goes out again some days later, but Danny wakes after midnight to find that he has not returned. Danny’s father has been repairing an old Austin 7, and Danny sets out in it to search for him. He crosses paths with a police car, who take pursuit after realising that the driver is too young to be driving, but Danny manages to escape them by veering down a track which leads to the woodland belonging to Hazell.
Danny creeps into the woods and spots two gamekeepers in the distance, and overhears them talking to a poacher who has fallen into an illegal
When Captain Lancaster mistakenly believes he has caught Danny cheating on a test, he canes Danny's hand. Mr. Snoddy immediately intervenes and threatens to fire Lancaster, as corporal punishment is not allowed in the school. Later, Danny and William learn that Mr. Hazell will be holding a huge pheasant shoot on his property to impress some of the local aristocracy. The Smiths decide to poach all of Hazell's pheasants beforehand, to humiliate him. Danny realizes they can use the sedative Doc Spencer prescribed William; he and William stay up late to crush the pills and stuff the raisins with the powder. Danny falls asleep in class the next day, and Lancaster makes him run laps of the playground as punishment after school. Danny escapes the schoolyard, and Lancaster attempts to follow, ripping his trousers. Frustrated, he resigns his position, much to Mr. Snoddy's delight.
The night before the shoot, Danny and William manage to drug and capture hundreds of pheasants, hiding them in the garage. The next morning, after being laughed at by his guests, who had nothing to shoot at except a sparrow, Hazell sends Rabbets and Springer to search the surrounding countryside for pheasants. The birds wake earlier than expected and start drunkenly flying around the Smith's garage.
Soon Hazell, his gamekeepers, his guests, and most of the villagers have gathered to see the spectacle. Hazell wants William arrested, but Sergeant Samways reminds Hazell that live game birds legally belong to whoever owns the land they are sitting on. Hearing that William still owns his land, Mr. Tallon, a developer, steps forward. It turns out William's refusal to sell has saved the village; without William's centrally-located property, Hazell couldn't go ahead with his secret plan to tear down the village and build a newer and bigger town in its place. Danny lets all the birds go as an act of mercy, and the village celebrates the happy ending together as a furious and humiliated Hazell drives away.
Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jeremy Irons | William Smith |
| Robbie Coltrane | Victor Hazell |
| Samuel Irons | Danny Smith |
| Cyril Cusack | Doc Spencer |
| Michael Hordern | Lord Claybury |
| Lionel Jeffries | Mr. Snoddy (Headmaster) |
| Jean Marsh | Miss Hunter (Social Worker) |
| John Grillo | Mr Parker (Social Worker) |
| Jimmy Nail | Rabbetts (Head Gamekeeper) |
| William Armstrong | Springer (Gamekeeper) |
| Ronald Pickup | Captain Lancaster |
| John Woodvine | Tallon |
DVD release
A
Reception
The film had a mostly positive reviews.[6][7]
References
- ^ a b "This page no longer exists". Archived from the original on 3 October 2018.
- ^ Billington, Michael (27 November 1988). "FILM; when Three Generations Go on Location". The New York Times.
- ^ "Danny, the Champion of the World (Television)".
- ^ "Roald Dahl's 'generous spirit' uncovered by auction find – his prized school trophy gifted to a little boy". March 2022.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Danny the Champion of the World". Empire. January 2000.
- ^ "Danny the Champion of the World Review. Movie Reviews - Film - Time Out London". 7 June 2011. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011.
