The Blue Peter (1955 film)

Shellshocked following his experiences as a POW, naval war hero Mike Merriworth enrols as a physical instructor at an Outward Bound sea school in Wales, and discovers new purpose shaping the lives of the boys in his charge. ==Cast==

• Kieron Moore as Mike Merriworth • Greta Gynt as Mary Griffin • Sarah Lawson as Gwyneth Thomas • Mervyn Johns as Captain Snow • Mary Kerridge as Mrs Snow • Harry Fowler as Charlie Barton • John Charlesworth as Andrew Griffin • Anthony Newley as Fred Starling • Brian Roper as Tony Mullins • Edwin Richfield as Number One • Richard Bennett as Roger • William Ingram as Karl ==Production==

It was one of several scripts Don Sharp wrote for Group Three. He had an idea for a film about the Outward Bound Program and researched it at a camp in Wales. Sharp also worked on the film as a second unit director. ==Critical reception==

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Conscientious but hardly inspired, the film fails sufficiently to communicate the central character's mental uncertainty, so that he too often appears little more than a self-pitying boor. It is the youngsters who mainly command the attention; and the final scenes, where a routine hike in the Welsh mountains almost ends in disaster, are effectively done. Despite its faults, the film manages to convey an agreeable open-air atmosphere." In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "good", writing: "Persuasive story has genuine warmth, grips and thrills in the right places." TV Guide wrote, "Several humorous scenes of camping life and a lively group of youngsters brighten an otherwise routine programmer." ==References==