Dick (John Moulder-Brown) and his pals attend a London school with an old naval tradition, evidenced by a ship’s bell – “the dolphin bell” – donated to them by a retired admiral.
When the bell goes missing, Dick and his friends set about investigating the theft and discover that a local scrapyard owner named Skinner (played with camp relish by Derren Nesbitt) has the bell and is planning to steal a valuable painting from the admiral’s house.
The kids keep watch on the villain and plan their campaign to trap Skinner in a manner redolent of any number of caper movies, even down to creating an ops room with a blackboard covered in diagrams and plans.
They utilise a range of methods readily available to children, from following Skinner on roller skates and bikes and spying on him from behind a copy of The Avengers comic book.
When he takes the stolen painting to Regents Park to sell it on to a dealer, the kids lie in wait with most of the school’s third year and use a doll’s pram to tip him into the pond as the police descend – and the kids roll around in fits of laughter.
The bell is returned to the school and the kids are given a day off as a reward.
This Children’s Film Foundation production once again showed that crime does not pay and justice is done.
Dick
John Moulder-Brown Tom
Kevin Bennett Paddy Probie
Sydney Bromley Skinner
Derren Nesbitt Alan
Michael Crockett Brian
Ronnie Caryl Jill
Roberta Tovey Boss
George Roderick Admiral
William Sherwood
Director
David Eady
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When the bell goes missing, Dick and his friends set about investigating the theft and discover that a local scrapyard owner named Skinner (played with camp relish by Derren Nesbitt) has the bell and is planning to steal a valuable painting from the admiral’s house.
When he takes the stolen painting to Regents Park to sell it on to a dealer, the kids lie in wait with most of the school’s third year and use a doll’s pram to tip him into the pond as the police descend – and the kids roll around in fits of laughter.
