Main Cast: Patrick Troughton, Devin Stanfield, Robert Stephens, Geoffrey Larder, Jonathan Stephens
Release Year: 1984
Country: UK
Run Time: 120 minutes
Plot
The British made-for-TV production The Box of Delights begins during the Christmas season, when young Devin Stanfield returns home from boarding school. No sooner has he arrived than Stanfield has made the acquaintance of elderly eccentric Patrick Troughton, who entrusts the boy with a mysterious box. Whatever magical powers the box possesses are coveted by evil Robert Stephens, who'll stop at nothing -- including kidnapping -- to get what he wants. The story comes to a rousing finale when Stephens plans "one last great wickedness" to claim the box for himself. The Box of Delights was first telecast in the U.S. as a three-part presentation (December 10, 17, and 24, 1984) on PBS' Wonderworks series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Box of Delights was originally presented in England as a six-part miniseries running three hours (recut into three hour-long installments for America's PBS), during the six weeks leading up to Christmas Eve of that year. As a result of the fortuitous scheduling on both sides of the Atlantic, but especially in England, it not only drew the expected children's audience but entire families and became a huge ratings success. For American home-video release, however, this two-hour feature was excised from the three-hour miniseries, and has appeared on VHS from various distributors. This version of the story is missing a lot of material, including many of the sequences involving Joanna Dukes as Maria and her encounter with Abner. At best, this is an introduction to the complete work, and should be no more than a stop on the way to discovering this most magical of fantasy stories -- and anyone who remembers the original may well find it very frustrating. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Carol Frazer - Caroline Louisa; Nick Berry - Pirate Rat; Stewart Harwood - Pirate Rat; Glyn Baker - Herne the Hunter; Crispin Mair - Peter Jones; Patricia Quinn - Sylvia Daisy Pouncer; James Grout - Inspector; Helen Fraser - Ellen; Joanna Dukes - Maria; Heidi Burton - Jemima; Flora Page - Susan; Bill Wallis - Rat; Philip Locke - Arnold of Todi; Charles Pemberton - Chief Constable; Jason Kemp - Waterfall Boy; Nicholas Chagrin - Bronze Head; Anne Dyson - The Old Lady; Simon Barry - Mouse; Paul Wilce - Alf; John Casino - Old Jim; Joyce Latham - Mrs. Calamine; Len Edwards - Railway Porter; Gordon Coulson - Monk; Bruce White - Greek Captain; Dave Mitty - Electrician
Credit
Ian Emes - Animator, Renny Rye - Director, Roger Limb - Composer (Music Score), Paul Stone - Producer, Alan Seymour - Screenwriter, John Masefield - Book Author
