"Disneyland"
The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh: Part 1 (1963)

Director:

James Neilson

Writers:

Russell Thorndike (novel)
Robert Westerby (teleplay) ...

TV Series:

"Disneyland" (1954)

Original Air Date:

December 1963 (Season 10, Episode 17)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Western

Plot:

Dr. Syn, a country priest leads a rebel band against the King's naval press gangs. Press gangs (impressment)...

Plot Keywords:

Mask | British | Press Gang | Priest | Secret Identity

Cast

Patrick McGoohan	...	Dr. Christopher Syn / The Scarecrow
George Cole	...	Mr. Mipps / Hellspite
Tony Britton	...	Simon Bates
Michael Hordern	...	Squire Thomas Banks
Geoffrey Keen	...	General Pugh
Kay Walsh	...	Mrs. Waggett
Eric Pohlmann	...	King George III
Patrick Wymark	...	Joseph Ransley
Alan Dobie	...	Mr. Frank Fragg - Prosecutor
Sean Scully	...	John Banks / The Curlew
Eric Flynn	...	Lt. Philip Brackenbury
David Buck	...	Harry Banks
Percy Herbert	...	Dover Castle Jailer
Robert Brown	...	Sam Farley
Jill Curzon	...	Katharine Banks

Runtime:

USA:129 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | UK:U

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

A promotional picture shows Patrick McGoohan's face half as the Vicar with the other half painted, instead of a mask as in the movie, as the Scarecrow.

Movie Connections:

Follows Captain Clegg (1962)

A Scary (but kid-friendly) Hero

Patrick McGoohan has rarely been better than in this role as the Scarecrow/Dr. Syn. Set in pre-Revolution England, the film contains a perfect mix of tension and action without ever becoming violent or too intense for youngsters.

McGoohan plays a Robin Hood-like character who cheats the tax collector by smuggling, thereby supporting the common folk who form his gang. McGoohan is ably supported by Michael Hordern as the local landlord, George Cole as the sexton, and Geoffrey Keene as the stuffy British general. The plot twists are plentiful without seeming contrived; the music is wonderful; and the makeup (especially McGoohan's mask!) has stuck with me for 37 years.

Originally telecast in the U.S. as a three-part series--which caused me to spend three anxious weeks as a ten-year old who could hardly wait for the next installment.