Whistle Down the Wind

Story

Kathy and her two siblings seek to protect a fugitive hidden in their barn from discovery by the local police as they believe him to be Jesus Christ. Despite the fact that his face is pasted on ‘Wanted for murder’ signs about the town, a large number of local children are aware of his hiding-place long before the adults catch on…

Why we chose it

A blend of comic allegory and social realism, Whistle Down the Wind is a British cinema classic. The film was particularly praised for the strength of its child actors.

Where it came from

Mary Haley Bell’s 1959 novella Whistle Down the Wind served as the original inspiration for the film. Whilst Mary Haley Bell’s narrative was set in Kent, the 1961 film and all subsequent adaptations chose to feature characters from a Lancashire farm.

Where it went next

The World Premiere of the film adaptation was held in 1961 at the Odeon Theatre in Leicester Square where it ran for three weeks. The film received praise from the New York Times, was nominated for four BAFTAs, and was voted the 8th most popular film in 1981. In the late 1980s, the film was adapted for a musical at the National Youth Music Theatre and in 1996 was also adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman.

Associated stories

The plotline of Whistle Down the Wind formed the basis for the music video Stranger in Town by the rock group Toto in 1984.