Figure 1.--'Forbidden Games' won the best foreign film Academy Award. The French title is 'Jeux Interdits'. It is set in occupied France shortly after the Battle of France (May-June 1940). A family is fleeing Paris during the war. A little girl's parents are killed in an air raid. She is taken in by a poor farm family with a 10-year old boy. He is the the youngest boy who wears a black beret which was still apparently common in rural France. It is a Sensitive film about the developing relationship between the girl and the boy who become great friends and turn to each other for understanding. Influenced by the devastation around them, they build and tend a cemetery for animals.

You can also slect the movies available on HBC by using this alphabetical movie listing. At this time only a few movies have been analized by HBC with individual movie reviews with costuming and clothing information, but more review pages are being added all the time. We encourage readers to submit reviews of their favorite films.

Follow Me Boys! - (US, 1966)

A road weary saxophonist decides to settle down in a small town and becomes the devoted leader of a troop of Boy Scouts. Fred MacMurry movie with lots of Scouts. Some of the boys wear shorts and knickers, but most wear long pants. The film covers a wide chronological range and this quite a variety of boys' clothes are shown. It is a movie well worth seeing, a real tear jerker. Especially disappointing is the closing sequence. The town throws a big parade and ceremony for the aging scout master. The scouts are all perfectly done up in immaculate scout uniforms, all wearing the long pants uniform. This is probably the classic Boy Scout movie ever made. There are many boys in the film. Kurt Russel has the largest role.

(The) Fool Killer - (US, 1965)

The hero is a 12-year old runaway. In the one still I have seen, he wears longs. The boy is impressed by a story he hears about a tall man whose job is killing off the fools of the world. Shortly after he meets Milo, a strange young man who believes that all people are his enemies. The boy takes Milo to a gospel meeting and blacks out under the preachers spell. When he revives the preacher is dead and Milo has disappeared. Finding a foster home with a storekeeper and his wife, the boy is terrified when Milo returns to take him away.

Fools of Fortune - (1990)

The film is set during the Irish war for independence, depicting the viciousness of the struggle. Reviewers found the film rather muddled. Most of the information comes through the Quinton family's son, Will, who is played compellingly by Sean McClory. The boy witnesses the burning of the family estate and the killing of his father and younger sisters by English soldiers.

Footloose - (US, 1984)

A big city kid moves to a conservative midwestern town. His interest in rock music and his gyrating dance moves cause a frenzy in the high school. The local preacher is especially concerned about the moral affect on the town's young people.

For Heavens's Sake - (US, 1950)

Two aging angels come to the earth to save a marriage. Somehow entwined in the plot are two children waiting to get married. Tommy Rettig who was about 8 years old plays the boy and is quite engaging. He is outfitted in a very smart long pants suit.

For Hope - (US,1996)

A single parent's family rallies to her side when she is diagnosed with scleroderma.

For the Love of Aron - (US, 198?/9?)

A beautifully done TV movie about a mentally ill woman and her struggle to keep and care for her 9-year old son. No particularly notable costumes, but Aron brilliantly plays his part.

For the Love of Benji - (US,1977)

I think a boy is part of Benji's family.

For the Love Of Mike - (US,1960)

A young boy trains a crippled colt to compete in an important race in an effort to earn money for a new church.

For The Love Of Willadean (??)

Billy Mummy, Roger Mobley

Forbidden Adventure - (US, 1932?)

Jackie Searl is seen in a velvet Fauntleroy suit with short pants, ankle socks, strap shoes, and long curls. He wears various costumes including an Eton suit, cowboy outfit, etc.

Forbidden Games / Jeux Interdits - (France, 1951/52)

'Forbidden Games' won the best foreign film Academy Award. The French title is 'Jeux Interdits'. It is set in occupied France shortly after the Battle of France (May-June 1940). A family is fleeing Paris as the Germans approch. A little girl's parents are killed in an air raid. The Luftwaff attacked fleeing refugees as a way of clogging the roads and disrupting French military movements. A Focke-Wulf 190 is shown in this scene. This was one of the finest fighters of the War, but the Luftwaffe did not vhave it at the time. The German fighter should have been the ME-109. This kind of plane didn't exist at the moment of the "battle of France" in May and June 1940. She wanders away from the road and other refugees and is taken in by a poor peasant family with a 10-year old boy. He is the the youngest boy who wears a black beret which was still apparently common in rural France. It is a Sensitive film about the developing relationship between the girl and the boy who become great friends and turn to each other for understanding. Influenced by the death and devastation around them, they build and tend a cemetery for animals. This is an especiakly good film ilustrating how children struggle to understand wars in hich bthey are enveloped. The children give wonderful performances. There is a degree of honesty in their performancds thst is often lacking in Hollywood films. In French with English subtitles. Georges Poujouly plays Michel Dolle. Brigitte Fossey plays Paulette.

(A) Foreign Affair - (US, 1948)

Predictable, but mildly entertaining comedy set in post World War II Berlin. There are two interesting scenes. One is a group of boys playing baseball. The boys at bat wear knickers and longs. But several boys are visible wearing shorts and kneesocks. Later there is a little scene where a father and son have to report to the de-Nazification office. The boy is in a suit, but behind a desk. After receiving a lecture, the boy's father is dismissed and for a minute or so you can see that he is wearing short shorts and white knee socks.

Figure 2.--Here in 'Foreign Correspondent' we see school boys who were sightseeing in the Westminister bell tower in London. The asassain has just plummeted from tower while trying to kill the foreign correspondent. Moments earlier the sassasin had held one of the boys to help him gett a better view. The play of innonsence and evil is a common one when children are used in mystery films.

Foreign Correspondent - (US, 1940)

Rather a hokey spy thriller made by Hitchcock. Near the beginning the hero's family sees him off to Europe. A little fellow, presumably a younger brother appears in short shorts and mischiviously nabs his hat. Later during a scene in a tower the correspondent is about to be pushed to his death a school group shows up. The boys att wears dark caps and presumablyh grey short pants suits. The shorts are very long as was the style then. At the end Hollywood makes an appeal to America. The American foreign correspondent is making a broadcast with the Luftwaffe makes another raid on London. When the lights go out in the studio he describes the lights going out all over the world, only in America were the lights on. The correspondent urges American to build more guns, tanks, planes, and battleships. Sounds hokey today, but it wasn't at the time. In actuality, American correspondents in Europe, especially Edward R. Murrow and his vbrodcasts during the Blitz, played a major in changing the isolationists views of most Americans.

Forever Young - (1983)

A priest falls for the mother of a 12-year old boy. Liam Holt, Nicholas Gecks.

Forever Young - (US, 1992)

A missing father suddenly appears, or something like that. The cast includes a boy played by Elijah Wood. The boys in the film wear to-the-knee shorts and jeans. Very true to the period. A nice film that also stars Mel Gibson and Jamie Lee Curtis. A story of a man frozen in an experiment in the 1940s and isn't unfrozen until the 90s.

Forever Young, Forever Free - (US, 1977)

Lovely little movie about an abandoned white boy raised in an African mission by a priest and strict nuns. The white orphan boy and an African heardboy share hardships and adventures. The white boy is a little blond boy about 10. The boy and his black friend proves a bit much to handle. The nuns want the boys disciplined more strictly and the kindly missionary priest finally is forced to take a stand. In one bit of mischief the father finally gives them a switching. After the white boy is beaten, he generously takes off his short pants (the black boy wears a long shirt, but no pants) so he can wear for a bit of protection them while being switched. Later they cool their bottoms in a stream and go to a witch doctor to take away the pain.

Fortress - (Australia, 1985)

Rural school children and nine of her students fight for survival after being abducted by criminals. The boys all wear long pants.

Figure 3.--A reader has provided information on 'Fotress Brest', a Russian film made in 2010. It is a depiction of the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa--the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The Germans launched hostilities against their former ally without warning in the early hours of Sunday June 22, 1941. Brest today is in Belorus near the Polish border. The Trearty of Brest-Litovsk was signed there, ending World War I on the Eastern Front. At the time it was in Soviet occupied eastern Polnd. The Soviers seized as part of the joint NAZI-Sovietr invasion of Poland as conceived under the ternms of the NAZI-Soviet Non-Agression Pact (August 1939). As with most Soviet/Russian World War II films, it shows a peaceful Russian people suddenly assulted by the Germans. Unexplained is why Soviet Red Army soldiers were defendind a Polish fortress. The German assault and Soviet defense of the city is depicted through the eyes of Red Army cadet Sasha Akimov. The film beginds on Saturday June 21 and Akimov is playing trumpt in the rehgimental band. The following morning he is seen in an off duty role fishing with his friend on the river Bug.

Fortress Brest - (Russia, 2010)

A reader has provided information on 'Fotress Brest', a Russian film made in 2010. It is a depiction of the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa--the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The Germans launched hostilities against their former ally without warning in the early hours of Sunday June 22, 1941. Brest today is in Belorus near the Polish border. The Trearty of Brest-Litovsk was signed there, ending World war I on the Eastern Front. At the time it was in Soviet occupied eastern Polnd. The Soviers seized as part of the joint NAZI-Sovietr invasion of Poland as conceived under the ternms of the NAZI-Soviet Non-Agression Pact (August 1939). As with most Soviet/Russian World War II films, it shows a peaceful Russian people suddenly assulted by the Germans. Totally ignored was the fact that that Soviet Union asa an ally of NAZI Germany has pursued invaes and annexed the territory of neigboring states (Finland, Estonia, Larvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania). Also ignored is the NKVD oprrations against POlish people while they occupied easrtern Poland and for that matter why Soviet troops were manning a fortress in Brest--at the a Polish city. The Fortress was garrisoned by the Red Army and also 300 military familes lived there. It was of very strategic importance as it protected the River Bug and the Warsaw Moscow railway line. Positions the Nazis wanted to have in their control. At about 3: 45 Sunday June 22, the Germans attacked. The film shows the events of the next 9 days through the eyes of a cadet boy soldier in the film called cadet Sasha Akimov. This character is played by a child actor called Alyosha Kopashov. Throught the film we see the boy in various military roles. The film beginds on Saturday June 21 and Akimov is playing trumpt in the rehgimental band. The following morning he is seen in an off duty role fishing with his friend on the river Bug. They are fly fishing and the hook is caught in a tress. Sasha climbs up to free it. It is at that moment that the bombardment commences. From then on we see the cadet in a military fighting role as he fights along side experienced troops as they battle the Nazi forces. The battle is long and bloody but the cadet is seen carrying out orders given to him by the commanding officer. This is interesting and adds insight into the role a cadet plays as a combatant in the conflict. Sasha Akimov is based on a real cadet called Sasha Peter Klypa. The museum authorities adviced on accuracy during the filming.

(The) Fortunate Pilgrim - (US, 1988)

Experiences of an Italian immigrant in New York. I didn't see it all, but one boy has an important part. He wears knee length pants and long stockings.

3Figure 2.--The young Harry Faversham played by Clive Baxter is seen here in a smart Eton suit from "The Four Feathers" (1939).

(The) Four Feathers - (UK, 1939)

The movie is based on the novel by A.E.W. Mason. The young Harry Faversham (Clive Baxter), a A 15-year boy, appears at the beginning of the film. His grandfather fears he is a bit of a sissy. He wears a long pants schoolboy uniform, with an Eton collar. The film than fast forwards to find boy has become a British army officer. He is accused of cowardice when he resigns his commission just before his unit is deployed to Egypt to fight rebels there. They send his feathers of cowardice. The unit in Egypt is overwhelmed by the rebels and his comrads are captured. He redeems himself by going to Egypt and disguising himself as an Arab. He is able to return the feathers of cowardice in the end by freeing his former comrades. Thre has been two remakes. One was Storm Over the Nile (1955). The other was called The Four Feathers (1977) again.

(The) Four Feathers (US, 1977)

The plot of the film is little changed from the two earlier versions. The beginning of the movie pictures the main character as a boy wearing a blue satin suit with knicker length pants and white stockings. The boy was pampered by his mother, but she died when he was young and he was raised by his martinet of a grandfather.

(The) Four Feathers - (??, 2002)

A reader tells us that another version of "Four Feathers" was made in 2002. I'm not sure about the introductory scenes. The other versions depicted the main characters as children. I'm not sure about this version. The main story is basically the same as the other versions. The film centers around Harry Faversham, a British officer, in the Sudan during 1898. He resigns his commission just before the battle of Omdurman against rebels. As a result, his fiance and three friends see him as a coward and give him four white feathers--the symbol of cowardice. He of course has been given a secret undercover assignment.

Four Sides Triangle - (England, 1952)

An englishreader writes, "I am in a bit of an anti climax. For a very long time I have tried to find a film I watched on late-night television long ago when I was 11 years old. The research is over because I found the film. This is the story. Years ago in 1960 I was up late. It was 11 o'clock at night.I started to watch a late night film. I should have been in bed. My sureptiious after-hours TV viewing did not last long. I only saw about 10 minutes of the film. I wondered what happened in the story. It looked like it was going to be an exciting film. I hoped it would be repeated but I never saw it screened again. I can remember how it started. There were three children, two boys and a girl who were playing in a barn in the countryside. That's as much of the film I saw. Since then I have tried to find out the name of the film. The British Film Institute suggested I visit their library and look through the TV times and Radio times for the films shown in that period. Last Thursday I spent all afternoon looking through the magazines from May 1 throgh the beginning of July 1960. I made a list of all the films I found for future reference. Today I went through the list and found the film I partially watched then. It is on You Tube so I watched it. It started the way I remembered. It is a Hammer film made in 1952. The story is a science fiction tale. The film is called 'Four Sided Triangle'. So that ends my research and it is why I feel its an anti climax."

Four Men and a Prayer -

Four sons swear to avenge their father's dishonor and murder by exposing the avaricious munitions group behind a plot.

Four Weddings and a Funeral - (England, 1994)

This is a film I keep meaning to see, bnut have missed the beginning the several times I have caught it on televisioin. on television. The title pretty well describes the movie. There does not see to be a great deal which pertains to GBC. One of the weddings includes a boy in a fancy suit and hat going down the isle, presumably as a ring bearer. This scene was used in the TV ads. It must have been in one of the first weddings. I've caught the latter half of the movie on TV, but haven't seen it in the latter part of the film. I've never seen the film straight through. Another wedding has a boy dressing in a blue sailor suit, but its hard to get a good look at his outfit in the actual wedding. There ios also a choir which appears.

(The) Fourth Protocol - (UK, 1987)

Michael Cane spy thriller. His son is pictured briefly in a few scene. He is a little freckled face boy and wears long pants.

(The) Fourth Wish - (US, 1976)

The father of a terminally ill boy tries to make his son's last months as fulfilling as possible. Robert Bettles, John Meillon

Fox Movietone Follies - (US, 1929)

Jackie Cooper

(La) fracture du myocarde (France, 1990)

Frankenwinnie - (US)

Disney film about a boy (Barett Oliver) who stitches his dead dog together. In the clip I saw the boy was wearing longs.

Fraternity Row - (US, 1977)

The brawling and hazing practices of 1950s college fraternities cause a group of determined young men to buck the system.

Fraternity Vacation - (US, 1985)

Hapless nerd accompanies his stud fraternity brothers to Palm Springs where he out does them with the ladies.

Freaky Friday - (US, 1977)

Girlhood "Visa-Versa" with Jody Foster. No particularly notable costuming. She has a brother who is about 6 or 7 years. He wore longs in the scenes I saw.

Freckles - (US, 1960)

When a young boy loses his hand, he tries to overcome his handicap and make his own way in the world of men and lumberyards. Martin West, Carol Christensen.

Free and Easy - (US, 1941)

A down-and-out father and son set out to improve their lot in life by marrying wealthy women.

Free Willy - (US, 1993)

Tear jerker of a film featuring a troubled 12-year old boy, Jesse (Jason James Richter) and a killer whale. Jason is a very engaging little chap and does a superb job with his part. He often appears in shorts. He and Willy make the film worth while, but it is somewhat mechanical and a little cliched. I saw Jason later on a TV interview and he said he became very attached to the whale, even crying when he had to say goodbye.

Freeze-Die-Come to Life - (USSR, 1990?)

A stark look at growing up in Soviet Siberia at the end of World war II. A couple of street-smart kids struggle to survive in a mining town. The children, a boy and girl, are an engaging pair of non-professionals. The boy, Valerka, is played by Pavel Nazarov. Ragged and hungry, the two sell hot tea to the miners and street people. The two manage, however, a semblance of childhood despite the terrible conditions. Valerka's mother is a prostitute who locks him out when she has a visitor and reports him to school administrators when he plays a prank. His friend Galiya, slightly older and wiser as little girls are wont to be, is continually getting him out of trouble. The two demonstrate a capacity for playfulness that belie the drab conditions of their life.

(A) French Mistress (England, 1960)

'A French mistress' was a Bolting Brothers comedy about an unexpected ladt teacher arriving at an all-boys school with male cteachers. Americans even in the 19th century became acustomed to lady teachers, especially in elementary (primary) schools. Lady teachers were generally much less common in Europe, including Britain. This began to change in the 20th century, especially after World war I and even more so after World War II. At the same time the schools began to change from single gender to coeducation. Many schools changed in the 1950s, but some schools had still not made the change by the early 60s. These decisions were made by the various school authorities around the country and not the Minisyry of Education. Private schools were even slower to make the changes. This film is about these changes. The opening credits show all the major members of the school. The boys at the all boys Melbury Preparatory (private primary boarding) School are shocked to learn that their expected new French master upon arrival turns out to be a mistress--in fact, the first lady teacher in the school's history. Madelin Leforge turns out be a real charmer, in fact a bomb shell and the male staff members fall for her as do the boys. Suddenly French which had not been very popular becomes the boys' favorite subject. They all sign up for extra French lessons. Discipline as the staid old school disentegrates. And then the Headmaster discovers that Mademoselle Leforge's mother was a French girl he courted during World War II. Feeling for some reason that the school's honor was at stake, the Head decides she must go. But the boys feel very differently and launch a strike to save her job.

Frenzy - (US, 1972)

A number of unsuspecting women fall victim to a crazed killer. Worthless horror film. A boy is woven into the story. He wears long pants.

Freud - (US, 1963)

This hautingly dark pseudo-biographical movie deals with 5 years (1885-90) in the life of famed Vienese psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) who is played by (Montgomery Clift) . It depicts the turning point in his career. His colleagues reject his approach to curing hysteric patients. Many believe that hysterical patiens were acting out to gain attention. Freud uses hypnosis to find to deave into the origins of psychosis. The film focuses on one of his patients--Cecily Koertner (Susannah York). The film aflicts this young woman with every imaginable neurotic symtom. She refuses to drink water and is plagued repeatedly by the same nightmare. She is sexually repressed, hysterical, and fixated on her father, becoming a kind of composite patient, And so Freud goes to work, developing one hypothesis after another. The film compresses Freud's forative years into a short period for dramatic tension. We also see Freud's home life with his wife Martha (Susan Kohner). There are also flashbacks with Freud as a boy and his parents.

Friday the 13th -

Terrible horrid movie with Mark Owens as an orphan.

Fried Green Tomatoes - (US, 1992)

A beautifully acted film with several children are involved. The main character is first pictured as a girl around 10 or 11. She has to wear a frilly dress for a wedding and is mortified when her brother makes fun of her. She runs outside and goes up into her tree house and rips off her dress and stockings. She insists on going to the wedding in the boys' clothes she usually wears, a knicker suit. Later a charming little boy (Chris McDonnel) enters the plot. He wears overalls and bangs. Chris beautifully plays his role.

Friendly Persuasion - (US, 1956)

The outbreak of the Civil War causes dissension in a rural Indiana Quaker family. The star is Gary Cooper who gives a persuasive performance. A boy about 8 or 9 (I've seen him in other movies) appears in many scenes. He wears typical simple Quaker clothing.

Friends - (UK, 1971)

Bittersweet love story about teenagers (a neglected 15-year old British boy and French orphan girl) who both run away from their families.

Friends Forever - (Denmark)

A 15-year old boy who one day must choose between his friend Henry, who is sensitive, and Patrick, who is the strong and domineering boy at school. Teenagers. 47 minutes.

(A) Friendship in Vienna - (US, 1988)

Story of the friendship between a Jewish girl and a Austria girl whose family are NAZIs. The film deals with girls and the costuming is quite well done. The girls wear sailor suits. They both have older brothers who wear longs.

From 7 to 12 (Soviet Union, 1965)

A Russian readertells us about a Soviet film, 'From 7 to 12' (1965). We do not yet know much about it. It seems to be about a boy growing up from age 7 to 12 years of age. We note one scene at home. An older brother seems tyo be helping his little brother dress in the morning. He is holding a stocking upporter, some rtely seen in the movie. Sticking supporters were used with long stockings which were still commonly worn in the Soviet Union during the 1960s. Hopefully we will be able to find out nore about the plot. Our Russian reader tells us it was a simple movie made up of four short vignettes about kids. This was apopular forn=mt with Soviet film makers.

From This Day Forward - (US, 1946)

Bobby Driscoll

From the Secret Mixed -up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - (US, 1995)

Made for TV movie. A young runaway uncovers a mysterious secret while she and her brother hide out in an old museum. Both the boy and girl are charming with infectious smiles. The boy wears longs.

Fugitive Family - (US, 1980)

A syndicate witness and his family are relocated with new identities and new lives to protect them from a murder contract. I'm not sure if there are any boys in the family.

Figure 5.--Here is a scene from the Heimat film "Frühlingslied" (1954). Not only did the film have the Alps and children, but here we seen the children in a Alpine meadow complelte with copious wild flowers and an adorable puppy added for good measure.

Frühlingslied - (Germany, 1954)

"Frühlingslied" is one of the many "Heimat films" made in West Germany during the 1950s. As soon as you see children and the Alps, you know you are looking at a Heimat film as this film as both in abundance. I'm not sure how the title translates into English. We do not know the plot. A HBC reader, however tells us that it was a real tearjeaker. Hopefully our German readers will tell us about the plot. The movie was directed by Hans Albin. The screen play was written by Peter Francke. The main character was played by Oliver Grimm. Oliver just began making movies in 1952 and already he has a starring role.

Funny Bones - (U.K., 1994)

Captivating tribute to English vaudeville. After bombing in Las Vegas, the son of a comic legend returns to England for inspiration. He looks up old chums. One has a teenage son, Jack (George Kahn). In one scene Jack is shown in his school uniform, a red blazer with white trim and proper grey shorts. Jack has considerable promise as a comedian.

Fuzzbucket -

Created: December 30, 2000
Last updated: 11:46 AM 7/10/2015