Who was the young Black star of this 1969 Devon film?
An intriguing amateur film The Case of a Boy made in Sidmouth, Devon, more than fifty years ago features a young Black boy in the starring role. Made by two local filmmakers in 1969, the short film follows the boy as he arrives at Exeter Airport and becomes lost in unfamiliar surroundings. But who was the young actor, and how did he come to be cast in the lead role?
Recently shared with The Mixed Museum by Rachael Grant, whose father has been helping to preserve a collection of local cine films, this piece of amateur filmmaking offers a fascinating glimpse of Devon in the late 1960s. It also raises questions about Black families in the region at the time, and the stories that might still be waiting to be uncovered in family collections and local archives.
We're hoping that sharing the film might jog some memories. Could a TMM visitor recognise the boy, remember the filmmakers, or help us discover what became of its young star?
A Sidmouth mystery
We always love hearing from people who come across something in their family collections that they think might interest The Mixed Museum. Sometimes these discoveries lead us down unexpected historical paths.
One such discovery came from Rachael Grant, who had previously shared with us a fascinating photograph of a child at a First World War nursery in Woolwich, where her great-grandmother had worked. This time, she had something rather different to show us.
A Case of a Boy 1969 – Short story filmed around Budleigh and Exmouth follows a young Black boy who arrives at Exeter Airport and becomes lost, taking viewers on a journey through the Devon landscape of the time. As the story unfolds, the ten minute silent film captures glimpses of local streets, buildings and scenery, offering a fascinating record of the area as it appeared more than fifty years ago.
The film is one of a large collection of 8mm cine films made by two local amateur filmmakers, Anthony (Tony) Perram and Arnold Enticott, who filmed in and around Sidmouth, Devon. Many of their films have since been digitised by Rachael's father and made available on the YouTube channel Cine Memories of Sidmouth.
While much of the collection captures local people and places, the filmmakers also enjoyed making short fictional films, telling stories through moving images. We know that this particular film dates from around 1969, but the identity of its young star remains a mystery.
There are credits at the beginning, but unfortunately they are rather blurred. Rachael thinks the boy's name might begin with something like 'Johnson Ok...', although it's difficult to be sure.
Even more intriguingly, people familiar with the filmmakers have suggested that the boy may have been a boarder at a local religious school, possibly one associated with the Convent of the Assumption in Sidmouth. However, the details are uncertain, and we've yet to establish whether this was indeed the case.
WATCH THE FILM A Case of a Boy ON YOUTUBE
A glimpse of Black life in Devon
What particularly caught our attention was the appearance of a young Black boy as the central character in a locally made amateur film at this time. His starring role raises some intriguing questions about Black presence in Devon during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the personal histories that might still be waiting to be uncovered.
How did he come to be involved? Was he living in Devon, attending school there, or simply visiting? What was his experience of growing up, or spending time, in this part of Britain? And what led the filmmakers to cast him in their story?
We don't yet know the answers to any of these questions. But it's precisely these kinds of unexpected discoveries that can offer new ways of thinking about the people and communities who formed part of Britain's past.
Devon at The Mixed Museum
It's not the first time Devon has featured in our work at The Mixed Museum. We've previously explored the visits of mixed race composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor to Newton Abbot as part of our acclaimed Tracks of a Trailblazer audio series.
We've also taken a look at histories of Black and mixed race people connected to Plymouth and the wider county. In 2023, following a presentation we gave with Wonderzoo Arts at the Plymouth Community History Festival, our student intern Lucy Beston explored some of these stories in a blog post, including that of footballer Jack Leslie, rugby player Jimmy Peters and councillor William Miller.
LISTEN TO OUR NEWTON ABBOT EPISODE ON SPOTIFY
We’d love to expand on their stories, as well as many more from the South West that have not yet been digitised and shared at TMM. This material offers glimpses into the historical presence and lives of Black, Asian and mixed race people across the region, whose experiences have not always found their way into wider historical accounts.
We wonder what other stories too might lie behind The Case of a Boy.
Can you help TMM find out more?
opens in new Interestingly, the filmmakers went on to remake the film later in the 1970s, this time with different children. But we're particularly keen to find out more about the boy who starred in the original.
Interestingly, the filmmakers went on to remake the film later in the 1970s, this time with different children. But we're particularly keen to find out more about the boy who starred in the original.
He would probably now be in his sixties. Does he remember making the film? Did he grow up in Devon, or was he only there for a short time? And what became of him? Perhaps someone reading this will recognise him, remember the filmmakers, or know something about the schools operating in Sidmouth at the time. If you have any information, we'd love to hear from you.
Our thanks to Rachael and her father for sharing this fascinating short film and helping to preserve it for future generations.
Learn more
Find out about the First World War photo featuring a mixed race child Rachael previously donated to TMM
Listen to our audio episode retracing Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s visit to Newton Abbot and see related images at our accompanying digital exhibition
Read our previous intern Lucy Beston’s blog post on mixed histories in Plymouth