Produced by the Highway Safety Foundation in 1964,

this shocking film deals with a subject quite taboo

for its time. The short serves as a dramatized warning,

ending with graphic case studies. Unlike the driver's education

films produced by the same company, this film was apparently

issued for only a short time before being withdrawn.

**CONTENT ADVISORY: Crime scene footage at end will upset some people**

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comment Reviews

Reviewer: vkdee55 - favorite favorite favorite - August 3, 2020

Subject: I Never Forgot I saw this as a kid. The images never left me. I wouldn't talk to strangers for a long time after watching this film. - August 3, 2020I Never Forgot

Reviewer: mysapphira - favorite favorite - July 29, 2020

Subject: It goes too far I am a Pre-K teacher. I am shocked that they put in real crime scene photos of murdered children. This would be too much for a lot of adults to see.

I was fine with the movie up until that part. We can warn children about real life danger without showing graphic images that you cannot unsee. - July 29, 2020It goes too far

Reviewer: workingtonlad - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 28, 2020

Subject: A Mandatory Watch..... Sad to say but people such as the perpetrator DO exist in this world, they are not some imaginary "bogeyman" to be used to scare kids to be careful when approached by strangers, men or women. This film needs to be shown in ALL schools to children of all ages of both sexes, as it is not only little girls that can be, and are molested and killed (Re: Hindley and Brady, the Moors Murders in Gt. Britain) I would have reservations about showing the police photographs at the end of the film, but all in all the film is well done and certainly gets the desired message across . I would have no problem letting my children watch this, but I would warn them about the ending. Overall, a well made , though somewhat hard hitting production - July 28, 2020A Mandatory Watch.....

Reviewer: ace bookoo - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 3, 2020

Subject: WOW Absolute brutal truth from Uncle Sam - July 3, 2020WOW

Reviewer: sunsun333 - favorite - May 9, 2020

Subject: omg i was ok with this at the start but towards the end it just got worse and worse i cant even right now.....

also like wtf, why would you guilt the damn mother, i just needed to get that out. i think that the amount of blood that was drawn was horrific... that shoe tho.........

now i have a story to share, my mum was probably 11 and she walked to school, it probably took about an hour tot get there, anyway so for the past month she began to notice this creepy looking man who was always hiding close to the bushes, one day this man had his car parked next to where my mum was walking and he was all like "hey little girl, ive got some candy in here for you if you want it" my mum sprinted home, to be honest she was a chubby kid and would have come with him but her mum(my nan) had been telling her not to and how and what those people would do. anyway so she got home luckily she remembered the number plate and reported it to the copers but they never found him.

my mum can still remember the last few digits of the number plate but i would have to ask her what they were

bye peoples - May 9, 2020omg

Reviewer: Tinilee - - April 19, 2020

Subject: Update Version Needed I remember seeing and hearing of these topics and situations by advertisement. When I was younger it scared me to death. Information was not given by my parents they would never have spoken of these type of things because of the fear of the truth. I am a mother, grandmother and sister. In my family now and the 20th century we speak openly but I do know that all families do. In my opinion I think a updated version would be good idea. - April 19, 2020Update Version Needed

Reviewer: ladymcguyver13 - - March 31, 2020

Subject: The progression of evil against children Fast forward 2020 they are either inslaving them as sex slaves or murdering them for their vital organs WE MUST DO BETTER !!! this film is needed maybe not the deceased children of course this is 2020 kids have access to so many sick crap i mean has anyone heard of HOW TO CATCH A PREDATOR people on here commenting about how they felt yeah but guess what your alive, i bet because you watched it and understood even when you had children of your own that we must be vigilant and unwavering in the efforts to keep children safe - March 31, 2020The progression of evil against children

Reviewer: Sithlord11 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 1, 2020

Subject: Education A knew 2020 version of this video should be made, and shown to children 5 and up. Great how they compared the girl that doesn't take candy to the other ones. good job guy. Will be showing this video to my children and nephews and nieces. - March 1, 2020Education

Reviewer: alienbookworm - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 11, 2020

Subject: Monsters of all kinds do this shit All you commentors are missing the point. Every one has potential to commit crimes. Most do not let it. We have strong self-control, and most times we don't even think or even have any need to commit such crimes. But now, 2020, there's criminals who are worst molesters out there, running sex slavery rings on children, women, everyone. All for profits. And the SCUMBAGS who pays them huge money to get it on with these slaves... yes, SLAVES... these kids, women, men, are forced to endure sick stuff for the paying customers. Porn already opens the way for this kinds of shit. AND a religion that actually says it's ok. The first one originated this shit. TALMUD. Yep. The khazar mafia who invented the TALMUD saying evil is good, and good is evil. AND the copycats, the stupid muslims copied the evil shits and have had that in their islam since they started their evil 1400 years ago. Now you got TWO groups of these evil doing these evil things to INNOCENT PEOPLE, they care not if anyone gets hurts. They DO NOT CARE. They have no SOULS. They are SATANIC. Their god is the god of this world, Satan. Governments are "secular", but behind the scenes, they're active in the black magic, the black arts of evil, luciferaneans, or satanism, or whatever shits they belives that shits that they thinks will gives them more power, money, fame, whatever. Idiots. Then there's the muslims, they're so brainwashed, they actually THINKS it's normal to abuse their babies, their children. They would looks at you with puzzlement and thinks you mad for saying no to such evil. That's how they thinks. They really DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. Go look in their islam, their koran, their quran, hadiths, whatever shits they was brainwashing themselves five times a day. It says, it is permitted to ... to the child, thighing, raping, etc whatever. They actually finds any way, any excuse to indulges in their evil urges, evil lusts. They thinks it's normal.

I can never forget the story out of New York, a Jewish rabbi who don't like pederasty, goes into a Jew place, a bath place, and finds an old man, a jewish rabbi who's raping a boy, with a bored expression on his face, while the boy, his face is filled with silent FEAR. How is this fucking normal? I wished I never read that damn webpage. I hated Mankind ever since. I read another one, by accident, a guy describes watching a video of a man and his wife raping a little girl and then ... incredibly insane... she holds her down while he cuts off her head. Her little body shook. then went limp. How can I ever forget that evil? Those evil shits. Those sfcumbags. how can they do this shits? Sick fucks. More of them are coming out saying it's normal, it's normal, it' snormal. Nope, they're the ones who are ABNORMAL pieces of shits who needs wiping off the planet. All 1 billion of them, which includes the fucking muslims who are active in this shits, and also the communists, which is what the luciferianeans are, satanists too... they all hated God and hated Jesus and sows all manner of subversions and lies against God and Jesus in order to NORMALIZES THEIR EVIL VIEWS... such as it's ok to molests kids, the kids likes it, blah blah. BULLSHIT. AS a kid, I NEVER liked this shit. I knew this happened once when an old man, a father of a friend, reaches out adn grabbed my privates. I leaped back, and glared. He and my friends and my brother laughed. They thought it was a joke, just funny. I viewed it differently. No man ever done that to me, and I find it strange that he would do that. I refused to be there, even alone, I keeps well away from such men since. I warned my brohter, but he choose to disbelieve me and he rued the day he didn't listen to me. he was raped over and over by that man and his friends, at gun point, threatening to kill ME if he don't do what they say. I tells him years later he should have screamed and shouts and just make a racket to get away from them. That would scares them off. No molesters like kids fighting back. Oh yeah. But yeah, it was too late. The damage was done. Our friends was victimized by their father, and his friends. They thinks it's normal since they was babies. It was not normal, I says. They never thought it was any different. It's so sad. Their older brother and sister tried to keep them away from their father, but at times, he's a wily son of a bitch, finding ways to get at them, to rape them and shits. It's so evil, so horrifying. And they all should be put to death, all the evil doers who thinks ti's ok to do evil, they all should tbe PUT TO DEATH. There is no end to their cruetly, to their evil. No end. Only DEATH will stops them. But it's too late now, the TV, the mainstream media, are normalizing this shits year by year, increasing the evil incrementally, slowly, ever so slowly, like a frog slowly being boiled to death totally unaware it's being boiled! That's how evil these groups of scum are doing. Truly God is telling the truth, he has never told a lie. He says the world will turn away from Him, and they are mocking him and all kinds of things. Their end is very certain, though. Their end will always be in hell, just as Jesus promised. All who do not turn away from evil will always ends up in hell. All who turns to Jesus and asks Him to be saved in His Name, are saved. I believed this utterly. Since I done my researches, and I'm still learning. I'm no angel, I'm not perfect, I have sins just like everyone else, but I fucken well don't go out and actively engaged in evil just because it's so awesome or some brainwashed shits like that. Fuck evil. I spits on evil. I laugh at the evil doers who thinks they're so clever, and they cries out when they realizes they're in hell on their knees crying out to Jesus and He WILL NEVER HEAR THEM, for did He NOT PROPHESIY that they will do such and such a thing? Yep.



The criminals engaged in forcing children, women, men, into sex slavery, are also culpable in these crimes against innocent children, women, and men, against their will. All these fucking cartels, mafias, et al, they're all creeps and scum of the earth. And the DNC are culpable in aiding and abetting these criminals. Typical, really. Communists are fools, they rejects God, just like athiests and all others, believing in the EVOLUTION which is THEORY, not proven FACT. Idiots, how they are so stupid, I don't know. It's so amazing. They have such FAITH in their evil, thinking they are wise, yet they proves themselves to be FOOLS! Just like the fucking moronic muslims, too. They're so stupid too. Jesus is the WORD OF GOD. It says so in their shitkoran. Ha ha ha.



To hell with mankind and to HELL with you evil morons who thinks evil is good. Morons. That's all you all are. MORONS. MORONS. MORONS. Damn you all to hell, burn forever, scum.



Children deserves to be protected and safe from you scum.



In Jesus' Name, Amen. - February 11, 2020Monsters of all kinds do this shit

Reviewer: Death_to_Commies - - February 2, 2020

Subject: ----





Just SHHHHHHH...



This movie isn't a laughing matter, dated as it may be, any parent's blood will boil at viewing this. Quiet, Kromdar. Your college feminism isn't impressing anyone. Go to YouTube. This is Archive.org Just SHHHHHHH...This movie isn't a laughing matter, dated as it may be, any parent's blood will boil at viewing this. - February 2, 2020----

Reviewer: Kromdar - - January 14, 2020

Subject: god you are pathetic dude My goal in life is to become so frail in my own masculinity that I find myself asserting how brave I am in comparison to random folks on the internet. How sad I must be to find this as a good & fun use of my time.



Guy below me isn't phased because he is literally a child molester, and this is an instructional video...lol. - January 14, 2020god you are pathetic dude

Reviewer: PoopyPantzzz - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 27, 2019

Subject: Soft People When did we become huge whimps? Reading all the comments embarrasses me. We saw the movie in school as well but it didnt twist me or destroy my childhood....lol. if anything it taught everyone what to watch for and what could happen if you dont pay attn. Some of you people are really soft it sounds like...lol. grow up and stop being a sissy. Be tough and stop crying for God sake! I'm embarrassed for you...lol. Geeeezzzzuuuusss!!! 🤣 - December 27, 2019Soft People

Reviewer: tomk42 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 17, 2019

Subject: I never thought I'd see that again for some reason, they showed this to my class in around 1972/73. It was 2nd or 3rd grade.



I remember the ending vividly, scared the crap out of me back then, the stuff kids nightmares are made of. I've remembered it clearly since - I knew what the ending would be. I don't remember anything else as clear as I did that ending.



I still can't believe they showed it to us. - December 17, 2019I never thought I'd see that again

Reviewer: esp10000 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 22, 2019

Subject: This real in 2019 as it was in 1964 Apparently, the vast majority of people who have viewed this see t as a problem-Back in the day. 100% WERE SHOCKED BY THE GRAPHIC SCENES AT THE END. Have any of you watched prime time tv OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS?/ What about movies and video games. This was very innocent. It didn't show what police and those in law enforcement every day. dON'T WORRY THIS WAS PRODUCED TO TRAIN POLICE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATING PARENTS. mY SON SEEN THIS WHEN HE ATTENDED THEIR POLICE ACADEMY A FEW YEARS BACK. tELLING US THIS KIND OF STUFF IS ALWAYS RELEVANT. iT HAPPENS MORE NOW THAN EVER BUT THE MOLESTER IS MORE OFTEN A CLOSE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY. - May 22, 2019This real in 2019 as it was in 1964

Reviewer: Studio7art - favorite favorite - April 11, 2019

Subject: Not for the faint of heart Being in the UK I've never heard of this or seen it before, it popped up under the movies section of this site and I like watching old public information films, I like the sounds and the accents, I was NOT prepared for those photos at the end!! I'm 47 and it's made me feel weird, god knows what it did to kids back in the day! - April 11, 2019Not for the faint of heart

Reviewer: Bella1963 - favorite favorite favorite - December 19, 2018

Subject: Very Disturbing My mother taught me safety from going with strangers. A young boy, who walked with several of us in a group after school, almost got into a strangers car, a man, one afternoon, and thankfully many of us kids stopped him. This film is really steep for kids to see, and I’m glad I never saw it until now (and I’m 55). The rules of not accepting things from strangers, or talking to them, or going with them still need to be taught to children. - December 19, 2018Very Disturbing

Reviewer: Anonymous - favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 8, 2018

Subject: Intense! The closing scenes were disturbing even for me, a grown adult. I can only imagine a young child seeing bludgeoned dead bodies of their peers!

I don't agree with victim-blaming the mother either. - August 8, 2018Intense!

Reviewer: Anonymous - - April 24, 2018

Subject: Me Too # Showed us this movie in the school auditorium when a little girl went missing. Lost a part of my innocence and opened world hitherto unknown of visceral terror into mind and heart of little boy. the shoe...washed out color, floating......The shoe.....arrrgh! - April 24, 2018Me Too #

Reviewer: LYNN PATERSON - - March 12, 2018

Subject: CSE films and trauma

I recently found a blog by a woman who is doing great work to stop this practise - it may be helpful to read what she has to say, or to share your story.

Her name is Jessica Eaton, her site is I've read many reviews on this film here from those who experienced trauma as a result from watching it as a child. Unfortunately this practise of showing such films to children continues today - it's dreadful.I recently found a blog by a woman who is doing great work to stop this practise - it may be helpful to read what she has to say, or to share your story.Her name is Jessica Eaton, her site is victimfocus.wordpress - March 12, 2018CSE films and trauma

Reviewer: TboneSTL - - February 1, 2018

Subject: Nooooo! This movie messed me up bad as a kid. Now finding it hanging out online after more than 50 years...



I thought I grew up to be a nihilistic cynical internally tough guy but now I might have to seek out therapy because of how this movie twisted me and made me feel like everyone was out to kill me. Not good to be doing to a 7 year old. - February 1, 2018Nooooo!

Reviewer: chookknight - favorite - January 24, 2018

Subject: still can't watch this film This movie has haunted me for such a long time. I saw it in 1970 while in Year 1 at infants school in Sydney, Australia. It caused night terrors for many years. I remember its effect so clearly that I've gone in search of it 48 years later and found it here. I also admit that I found an article with a link to this film last year and still couldn't bring myself to watch it. But here I am again, still thinking about that film and wondering if it will help to watch it again. It actually makes me feel ill to think of watching it again. I vividly remember the bloodied pink jumpsuit. I wonder why they ever thought it was a good idea to show such graphic images to small children. - January 24, 2018still can't watch this film

Reviewer: jonfrum - favorite favorite favorite - December 26, 2017

Subject: Pedobear! Ah, the old days. I don't remember seeing this in my school. - December 26, 2017Pedobear!

Reviewer: Hieronymus Illinensis - - October 25, 2017

Subject: 50 years on



One technical point is that this is an old print in which most of the cyan and yellow have faded, leaving mostly magenta. I remember that when I first saw it, the bodies were lying on green grass (or, it now seems, in water in which the surrounding greenery was reflected), and their skin looked yellowish, contrasting vividly with the crimson blood. Nor do I remember the stream being particularly red. The color shift in this print led one reviewer below, eight years ago or so, to conclude incorrectly that the shoe was floating on a river of blood.



The research into the underlying events at



The message is still timely, as shown by Revisiting this, 50 years and about a month after I saw it in 5th grade (and I was already developing a morbid imagination about that time), and after reading most of the comments. What the earlier commenters said, for the most part.One technical point is that this is an old print in which most of the cyan and yellow have faded, leaving mostly magenta. I remember that when I first saw it, the bodies were lying on green grass (or, it now seems, in water in which the surrounding greenery was reflected), and their skin looked yellowish, contrasting vividly with the crimson blood. Nor do I remember the stream being particularly red. The color shift in this print led one reviewer below, eight years ago or so, to conclude incorrectly that the shoe was floating on a river of blood.The research into the underlying events at https://filmbunnies.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/the-child-molester-1964-the-highway-safety-foundation-beyond-the-road/ is helpful. At least it appears that the girls were not raped.The message is still timely, as shown by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGIDHrYKJ2s - October 25, 201750 years on

Reviewer: film_guy_011 - - August 15, 2017

Subject: what planet was this on? where are there that many child molesters running the streets?... every kid went outside and one was waiting for them. I'd hate to live in that world - August 15, 2017what planet was this on?

Reviewer: ra.shi - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 27, 2017

Subject: traumatized after reading comments i knew that most of people watched this movie in their childhood and most of them are traumatized , the innocence of children is the weapon of these satans :( we should teach our children to say "NO"



and these kind of movies never should show to children because this kind of movies for parents and teachers then why should feed it to our children,



about movie , really great there is one scene about teaching child 'the scene there the father showing red signal an green signal to children' i love that scene - July 27, 2017traumatized

Reviewer: Aggie95 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 6, 2017

Subject: The Shoe!!! My elementary school showed this video yearly. I attended 1979-1983. I can't really say that it traumatized me, but it did stick with me! I certainly never forgot it. The highlights for me when I began looking for this video online after describing it to a friend were the hopscotch and the song at the beginning, the girls getting into the car, the one girl wearing a romper, the girls running in the woods, and of course, the shoe floating in the creek at the very end with the song being sung! Omg! I never realized it was based on a true story until I read these reviews. Fortunately, I had forgotten the graphic photos of the girls at the end, but I never forgot that damn shoe! I have a daughter in elementary school now and I wonder what the reaction would be like if a video like this were to be shown in school these days? Can you imagine? I'm glad this video is out there and that I found it because otherwise, I don't think anyone would've ever believed me! I started a thread where a lot of my friends from elementary school commented and validated seeing this video every year and how it affected them. One of my former teachers commented as well and said that she never thought it was appropriate. All I know is that I sure as hell never went with a stranger after seeing this and it was one time when a strange car pulled up next to me when I was about 11 and the man reached over to roll his window down, probably to ask me something (inappropriate), and I took off running like a bat out of hell! I like watching true crime stories to this day and I get this is why! - May 6, 2017The Shoe!!!

Reviewer: scroobydoobydoo1 - - May 1, 2017

Subject: Truamatized!!! I watched this as a child at my school! I have never forgotten it and probably never will! I was not prepared for the brutality at the end of the film, you must remember this was Camelot era and we lived in a perfect world! I am 60 now and still feel this is way too inappropriate to show young children! there are too many other ways!!!! - May 1, 2017Truamatized!!!

Reviewer: Nonamenobody - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 12, 2017

Subject: Etched in my mind I saw this film in 5th grade in early 1965. We all went to the movie room, the teacher gave a short talk and we watched. I remember that the teacher shut the projector off near the end, now I know why, I have never seen the ending and I'm glad I didn't in 65. I vividly remember the scene in the woods with the girl hiding in the shrubs and he finds her. That scene terrified me even now, it has always been a part of my deepest memories and lessons learned. If I learned nothing else that year I learned in a graphic way to avoid strangers. This surviving former 5 grader has this film to thank . Sometimes fear is the best teacher ,etching an image deep within the mind.

I am stunned to have actually seene this film today,

Thank you . - March 12, 2017Etched in my mind

Reviewer: SherCat64 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2016

Subject: This film kept me from being abducted I can't believe I got to see this film again. Decades later the images of the shoe floating down the stream has never left my head. This is a powerful tool that should be used in schools today. It's not pretty but it's real. A huge thank you to the film makers and the Archives. - October 12, 2016This film kept me from being abducted

Reviewer: Sallybaer - favorite - August 6, 2016

Subject: unreal I was shocked to find this film. I just Googled "film 1960's shown about abduction to school age children" I too like many of the posts I have read, saw this film in my Ohio elementary school at the age of 8 years old. I am now 60 and still have nightmares about the film. I could not watch it again. I can begin to tell how disturbing the footage was and how sickened it has made me. - August 6, 2016unreal

Reviewer: timebomb7 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 26, 2016

Subject: Good And Important These video's were an important way to educate children

Although it may have shocked them, it may have also saved their lives! - July 26, 2016Good And Important

Reviewer: Vb56560 - - February 22, 2016

Subject: Unbelievable. I have been plagued my entire life by nightmares ending with a shoe floating in the water. Now I know why. I was shown this film in the 1st or 2nd grade. I just watched it again......for the first time since, and all of my nightmares flashed before my eyes. At least now I know where they came from. *sigh* - February 22, 2016Unbelievable.

Reviewer: GrandmaBooBoo - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 8, 2015

Subject: Classmate I'd like to offer an FYI for those of you who seem appalled that our school showed this film to students. The murdered girls went to my school but were 1 grade behind me. When this film was released, our school sent home a permission slip and not only did parents have to sign the slip for us to be allowed to watch it, the parents were invited, and in fact, encouraged to come and view the clip with their child. My Grandmother came with me and if I'm not totally mistaken, it was shown in the evening, not during the school day. I vaguely remember Mr. Butler (that's what I called him) but he was at that time a Captain, later the Chief of Police, talking to us kids in the neighborhood. (My grandparents rented the upstairs apartment in his house so I knew him pretty well).



I just thought that you all should know that this was a shock to the entire community...and I'm pretty sure we'd never heard the word "psychologist" before so there was no "counseling" at school....this was it. And parents WERE included. Any trauma that we suffered wasn't because of the film....but rather because our playgrounds were no longer carefree places for us to just be children.



One more thing strikes me as I watched this movie. WOW! We really traveled didn't we? From Rowland Ave to Mulberry St (along 4th St) That's a LOT of blocks for 8 and 9 yr olds to cover! Thinking about it....at any given time, we could have been anywhere in about a 2.5/ 3 mile radius. They weren't worried because the girls might have gone to the library...a good 10, 11 blocks away! The thought of THAT sends chills down my spine when I think of my grandchildren. - October 8, 2015Classmate

Reviewer: sharlotte1961 - favorite favorite favorite - July 22, 2015

Subject: The real Molester is deceased I had never seen this film, but after I viewed it, I had to find out the details, and I was happy to learn them. The molester was sentenced to two life sentences from the killings in 1962, he died in August 1977.

Jerrell Ray Howell, 33, died from a bowel obstruction on July 8 It the Correctional Medical and Reception Center, formerly the Ohio Penitentiary. The Columbus center is where OSR inmates with diag- nosed health problems are transferred for more-intensive medical care. Howell was serving a life sentence at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility near Lucasville for the 1962 murders of two Mansfield girls near North Lake Park. He was transferred to the Columbus center July 5. Published reports after the Howell death indicated he spent his last two days trying to convince hospital personnel that he was critically ill- - July 22, 2015The real Molester is deceased

Reviewer: Nmangamer1 - favorite favorite favorite - June 13, 2015

Subject: Damn terrifying if you're a kid in the 60s....but I want to start off this review by saying this is in no way a good safety video or and entertaining film. This short child safety program was released in 1964 and does not do it's objective well. It less educates children and more terrifies them, the ending scene shows what could happen, even though it is rare. Most molestations are done by relatives or people the child knows, not strangers. Also every molester is shown to be a middle aged man, even though women, teenagers and even children have molested. This film was made primarily to sell based on fear of parents and schools, and it succeeded on that level, but not on an educational level. This film however should not be shown to children, it works more on fear and it's better just to educate children yourself. Ultimately this film is interesting for the controversial and "historical" context it has, one watch should suffice, but don't take it seriously. - June 13, 2015Damn terrifying if you're a kid in the 60s....but

Reviewer: jillyg1213 - favorite favorite favorite - March 17, 2015

Subject: Shame On Hillsborough County Schools I saw this film as an 8 year old and it truly scarred me for life. I was always a "nervous" kid....this triggered a level of anxiety that I've struggled with most of my life. Watching it as an adult I can see it differently but those images at the end we're viewed with the same shock as when I was 8. - March 17, 2015Shame On Hillsborough County Schools

Reviewer: LyricGiant - - February 10, 2015

Subject: Horrifying I cannot even explain what I am feeling right now. I've never been sickened by any film I have ever seen in my entire life. This one did this. I failed to read the reviews before viewing. I was expecting stranger danger in all his campy glory but this was just beyond anything anyone in their right mind should see. And they showed this to children for how many years?! As I wash the taste of vomit from my mouth, all I have to say to anyone that screened this for children is "How dare you?!" - February 10, 2015Horrifying

Reviewer: mkaykMansfield - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 24, 2014

Subject: I am a Mansfielder I lived in this town when these girls died in a park that lies just a block or two behind my house. My sister and I cut through this park on our way home from school in 1st and 2nd grade, even though we were told not too. Several days after a news photographer photographed us in this park, causing a riot at home when the photo was published - these two girls were murdered right where we were at. This film may seem disturbing to you but as a child of that area at that time, I am glad that someone tried to warn parents. It could have been me. - September 24, 2014I am a Mansfielder

Reviewer: Sonuvamolester - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 13, 2014

Subject: My Father, the Child Molester



Out of curiosity and boredom, my dad did a Google search for the film last year and was surprised when he found it on this website. I guess he was friends with somebody associated with the Highway Safety Foundation, and the person asked him if he wanted to be in the film. He did a couple of other films, as well. He was 21 years old at the time. He's now 70 and still living in the Mansfield, OH area, where the filming took place and the real-life murders portrayed in the movie happened.



What's impressive is that this ridiculously inappropriate film really had some legs and was apparently permitted to petrify kids for a couple generations. When I told my wife about my dad's starring role in the movie, she told me that she saw it in Safety Town in Mansfield when she was five years old, and she's only 34 years old now. So that's 20 years of psychological trauma it inflicted.



For his part, my dad's sorry for the nightmares he caused. Also, in case it comes up in a trivia game sometime, my dad is also the guy walking out of the house at



TS Imagine the surprise I got last year when I received an email from my dad telling me that, when he was a young man, he was a child molester . . . in a movie for the Highway Safety Foundation. That's right - my dad played the part of the child molester in this creepy piece of shock-ucational cinematography.Out of curiosity and boredom, my dad did a Google search for the film last year and was surprised when he found it on this website. I guess he was friends with somebody associated with the Highway Safety Foundation, and the person asked him if he wanted to be in the film. He did a couple of other films, as well. He was 21 years old at the time. He's now 70 and still living in the Mansfield, OH area, where the filming took place and the real-life murders portrayed in the movie happened.What's impressive is that this ridiculously inappropriate film really had some legs and was apparently permitted to petrify kids for a couple generations. When I told my wife about my dad's starring role in the movie, she told me that she saw it in Safety Town in Mansfield when she was five years old, and she's only 34 years old now. So that's 20 years of psychological trauma it inflicted.For his part, my dad's sorry for the nightmares he caused. Also, in case it comes up in a trivia game sometime, my dad is also the guy walking out of the house at 13:45 in the film. Maybe seeing the child molester's real face will allow some psychological healing for all of you who were subjected to this disturbing film when you were kids.TS - June 13, 2014My Father, the Child Molester

Reviewer: Angie_L - - March 24, 2014

Subject: Did "The Child Molester" Harm or Help Children? Traumatizedsince1968, I'm right there with you.

I can't believe this filmstrip was actually shown to children in schools back in the 1960's. I remember seeing this film when I was in second grade, during the 1967-68 school year. The graphic images of the dead girls were emblazoned into my psyche. For years, this filmstrip terrorized/haunted me. As a grownup and an educator, it's clear the film was intended as an educational tool for parents...not children! I suppose administrators felt the benefit outweighed any emotional damage. Well, let's face it, emotional damage was probably a non-consideration back then. I remember several classmates dissolving into uncontrollable sobs when the graphic images at the end were shown. The message was so indelible, I have carried it with me for forty-three years, and when the thought crossed my mind the other evening, I decided to try and Google the topic. Much to my surprise, here the video is. As I began watching, the whole experience came back to me...I could feel my heart rate increasing and the same fear response I had had so many years ago, especially once the creepy music began. I don't know...harmful or helpful? The message kept me from ever going anywhere with a stranger.﻿ In 1969, my family moved from the city of St. Louis to the suburbs. There was a mailbox on the corner a block away from my house. One day while on my way home from school, a man pulled over to the curb and began getting out of his car. He was probably just getting out to mail a letter, and scared witless, I took off running like a bat out of Hell. Pretty traumatizing if I still get a fear response at 52. - March 24, 2014Did "The Child Molester" Harm or Help Children?

Reviewer: traumatizedsince1968 - - March 13, 2014

Subject: another boomer traumatized by this film After I saw this movie in elementary school (I'm now 55) I was so terrified I can remember trembling with fear. I was probably fairly immature for my age and I couldn't think about anything except this movie at least for that entire school year. The song stuck with me, that's how I Googled it, but I thought it started out, "Hop like a bunny, hop like a hen."

I'm extremely angry to have been shown this at such an impressionable age. I hadn't thought about the fact that there would be others who were also scared. If I hadn't seen this film, I would have been a much happier child. - March 13, 2014another boomer traumatized by this film

Reviewer: jshook - favorite - February 12, 2014

Subject: I'm surprised this actually exists. I saw this when I was 5 (1969). The scenes from the end were rather traumatizing at the time and are indelibly burned into my memory. Never forgot it, but looking back, it was so disturbing that I convinced myself I must have dreamed it. Only found it because I was watching some old duck & cover footage on Jon Stewart tonight and thought... hmmm I wonder. I mean really... who would show this to 5&6 year old children?

Imagine being 5 and watching this on a large screen, in vivid color, in a small classroom.



This is seriously messed up. - February 12, 2014I'm surprised this actually exists.

Reviewer: ichabod82 - favorite - January 23, 2014

Subject: Not Realistic People who are obsessed with crime shows may enjoy this scare-mongering. But for people who know the real world, it's a let down. This short tries to convince you that just about anyone is child molester, including pulp magazine distributors. What a joke!

I'm sure the producers of this dreck profited by it handsomely too.

Real molesters are usually people the victim already knows, not strangers. The media wants you to believe otherwise because obviously fear sells. ichabod82 -- January 23, 2014Not Realistic

Reviewer: CatholicSchoolSurvivor - - September 3, 2013

Subject: Horrific This God-Awful film was shown to me when I was eight, while I was in school. I'm 54 years old now and STILL don't have the courage to watch it again...I have never gotten over it. I didn't sleep for weeks after it was shown. My father called the school and ranted to them about how it shouldn't have been shown to children because of its graphic nature (my brother who was in the first grade saw it too)...I have always blamed the nuns (I went to Catholic school) and the people who made this horrible film for scaring the shit out of me. To this day, I hate them for it. There was no need for any kid to see this film. - September 3, 2013Horrific

Reviewer: JJM58 - - August 12, 2013

Subject: One More Who Saw This Film I saw this film in Norfolk, Virginia in the spring of 1968 when I was in 4th grade. It definitely affected me, especially the crime scene at the end of the film. I never forgot that scene and I was troubled and fearful for many months, with a heightened sense of awareness whenever I was outside. In my opinion, the film should not have been shown to children, or at least it should have been stopped just before the gruesome scenes. Instead, a few moments of teacher-led discussion would have helped us to process the good teaching presented in the first eighteen minutes or so. - August 12, 2013One More Who Saw This Film

Reviewer: Emily marlene - - July 19, 2013

Subject: Life long trauma comes to a head I have dissociative identity disorder, aka multiple personalities. Although we had trauma prior to seeing this movie in 1964, In kindergarten, this movie created me, Emily. For 49 years I have thought about this movie without much emotion. For years I struggled with the thought that they would not show such a movie to a5 year old to thinking I must have witnessed the crime. See I didn't learn anything from this movie. Just the opposite. I was sexually abused for years because I was told I would be killed if I told anyone. For some reason I had to find out if I really saw the movie. I looked for it over the years. I found it and had to watch it. I am devastated. I am feeling everything I should have felt as a child but dissociated away. Not only did it bring up these feelings but it is bringing up all of the abuse memories I had already processed. I am coming to terms with the fact that all of the abuse I experienced really happened the way I remember it because of how much of this movie I remembered. The only thing I didn't remember while watching it was the purpose of the movie and all of the narration. It did its job. It scared me into remaining silent about the years I was abused. - July 19, 2013Life long trauma comes to a head

Reviewer: ghostmadl - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 16, 2013

Subject: Jesus H! The warning wasn't enough I am probably the only person on this board who grew up in the 70s who didn't see the movie. Instead got to see an abortion movie made by the Catholic Church.



This movie is dated and overacted, but damn! It is chilling. I went and looked up info about this case. Absolutely horrific. - July 16, 2013Jesus H! The warning wasn't enough

Reviewer: ShakesFear - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 1, 2013

Subject: Nightmares I am 50 years old, saw this in elementary school in either 1st or 2nd grade; had nightmares because of it for quite awhile. What I remembered the most from this film were the shoe floating down the creek at the end, and the bodies - I was totally shocked. For all of these years I have wondered if those were real images they showed at the end; when I was a child I thought that they were, and it scared the crap out of me, so now after finding this and viewing it at least I know the truth and don't have to wonder any more - they were real bodies. I have to say this was very inappropriate material to show to elementary school age children. No wonder I had bad dreams for years. But I'm glad I found it so I know I'm not crazy and didn't imagine the whole thing. If this were shown in elementary schools now, someone would probably sue the administration for showing it and causing emotional distress to children. It definitely made me afraid to talk to strangers. - May 1, 2013Nightmares

Reviewer: Smokr0 - favorite favorite favorite - March 31, 2013

Subject: One Thing Forgotten They didn't mention that parents shouldn't dress their children in revealing/sexy clothing. The girl in the pink sundress was inexcusable.

Children shouldn't be dressed in a manner that reveals their legs or buttocks, or that has a revealing neckline or other adult and sexual overtones. - March 31, 2013One Thing Forgotten

Reviewer: ikq - - June 26, 2012

Subject: bad Saw this film in 1977 in the lunch room of my elementary school. It scared the shit out of me and actually influenced me to be silent rather than speak up about some trauma I had experienced, out of fear of being killed. I had nightmares on and off for years as a child because of this film. I thought to look it up on youtube because of the Sandusky case to see if what I had remembered about it was true. I always remember the girl running and scenes of her being chased through the woods and this voice talking about what happens when she tries to tell or get away and then her body being turned over in the water. I was afraid of all men, as a child, after seeing this film. It was presented without parents knowledge and without any feedback. I would never allow my child to watch something of this nature. Glad to read the feedback of others who saw this as a child and had similar reactions. - June 26, 2012bad

Reviewer: Mystetyday1@aol.com - - June 22, 2012

Subject: Horrifying I saw this movie when I was 6 years old and had never even had to deal with the death of a pet! I was totally traumatized. I remember this was the time of The Zodiak Killer in California! I went from being the most innocent little girl to barely being able to go next door to play. My sister and I were so scared of being murdered that we would practice screaming because honestly sometimes we were so frightened we would open our mouths to scream and nothing would come out! I am now approaching 50 and for some reason today that image of the bloody shoe floating down the river popped into my head as it has periodically during my life. I had to look it up to make sure it was for real! Do any of you remember those hands we made in school that people would put in their windows? If you had anybody try to get you it was understood that you could just run into any house displaying the hand and they would help you. I think there are better ways to educate your kids about molestation. - June 22, 2012Horrifying

Reviewer: barristerwolf - favorite - February 5, 2012

Subject: the most damaging film ever! This relates to only about 10% if all Child molesters. The fact they neglect is that over 80% of child molesters either live in the home or are know personally by the child or the children's family because they are a part of the family or friend of the family. About 5% of child molesters are preditors, and the child dies in the molestation, the other 5% are strangers who would not intentionally hurt the child and the child survives. The last 10% are children themselves. this film never warns about these other dangers, and gives the impression that it only happens to girls. Boy out rank girls as victims of molesting by about 5%.

This is why it was recalled and why this film should not be shown as a teaching tool.

it never touches on the child who cries him/herself to sleep because Daddy wakes them up and does unspeakable things!

The ending scene is actually the rarity to all molestation cases! - February 5, 2012the most damaging film ever!

Reviewer: Jilly9 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 3, 2012

Subject: 1977 Our school showed this in 1977, when a serial killer was in the area killing kids my age. ("Oakland County Child Killer" - never caught.)



Like others have mentioned, the final crime scenes of this film are seared into my memory.



Man, that was a terrifying time to be a kid. Jilly9 -- January 3, 20121977

Reviewer: Kashmir Page - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 20, 2011

Subject: What Disturbs Me The Most I give this film four stars because I'm taking into consideration that it was made in the 1960s. However, there were things that bothered me about it. No, I'm not talking about the police footage at the end; I think its important for parents and children alike to see this and realize that it can happen if precautions aren't taken. What disturbs me is the way some of the information was presented.



When I was growing up in the 1970s, I was not allowed to play in the street or walk to a playground or a friends house after school, or go anyplace that was lacking in adult supervision. At the time, other kids thought my parents were over protective. Now more and more parents are reluctant to let a child walk to the corner convenience store, even in the company of a friend, and rightly so.



I was never told to "be polite to the man when they asked for directions, but never get into the car with them, and just say no thank you if they offer you candy." I was told never to talk to them! Period! I was ordered to turn and run if approached by anybody I didn't know, and to scream bloody murder if they tried to follow me! Also (and when I was growing up in the 1970s it was considered prudent to leave children nine years or older at home alone fifteen or twenty minutes at a time), I was told to lock the house up like a tomb when left alone, and if anybody rang the doorbell, never, ever to answer it, or even let the person know I was in the house! Being polite to anybody wasn't even a consideration, unless the person identified themself, and it had to be a relative before I could even talk to them.



The film assumes that the child molester is male, and somebody the child doesn't know. I think most people realize now that the molester can be either male or female, anywhere from 14 to 99 years old. True, they can be a stranger, but it can also be somebody the child knows and has grown to trust. They can be anybody really: a clergyman, a policeman, a family friend, an uncle, an aunt, or even a parent. It's sad, but it's true.



The subject of playing with stray animals is another safety issue in itself. However, a section on how these vile predators may use an animal to try to lure a child into a compromising position would be extremely relevant!



The film also assumes that 99% of the responsibility of warning children about predators lies with the parents. I'll agree that they should hear it first from the parents, but schools have a moral obligation to step in where parents fail. Protecting children isn't just a parent's job. Its everybody's job! - December 20, 2011What Disturbs Me The Most

Reviewer: Ebudea - favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 6, 2011

Subject: Drives it home! I saw this film in probably 1980, at safety town. I was 4. It was dramatic but not traumatizing. I'm 34 now and decided to watch it because I it came up on a discussion board on our town, Mansfield, Ohio. Thus is where these girls were raped and murdered. The bloody shoe in the creek, and her trying to hide in the woods were the images I remember most. I'd asked several people if they had seen this, and was beginning to think I was the only one who remembered it! Even a few years back when my kids went to safety town, all the young volunteers thought I was crazy! Lol. I didn't have nightmares, and I definitely was aware of strangers and my surroundings in general. I showed my girls this video. They are 11&9. And I don't think they realized that they were seeing actual footage, but were taken aback because it happened in our community. I think it should still be shown to children because unfortunately there are many parents that do not warn their kids of the worlds dangers. - August 6, 2011Drives it home!

Reviewer: proudmom2 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 6, 2011

Subject: Prudent info at the time I live in the community where these two little girls were abducted and murdered. I think at the time parents and society did not see child molestation as common. The subject was not discussed as it should have been. I applaud the filmmakers for making this movie and trying to help save children from the fate these two little girls endured. Yes, it is graphic. I am sure the children that saw this movie in school in the sixties were scared and that's fine because at least they were aware of the danger that is lurking around every corner for children. Whether those of you that said it scarred you and gave you nightmares realize it or not you remembered to stay away from strangers and strange places. I think the parents should have watched it with their children. These crimes depicted in this film were above horrible and children in this community are still told about the little girls at North Lake Park to teach them to stay away from strangers and danger. God Bless the families of these little girls and may we all learn something from this movie. - August 6, 2011Prudent info at the time

Reviewer: Kelly Long - - July 29, 2011

Subject: OMG.... That was ME !!! ... LOL! Talk about a BLAST FROM THE PAST... I was the young girl in this movie who was "lost" at a street corner, got spooked by the man who approached me, and ran across the street to tell the motorcycle police officer (time-lapsed reading while watching the film was 15:51). I was born in 1951 and was 13 the Summer this film was made. I'd been active in Mansfield, Ohio Little Theatre and apparently was "discovered" by the Highway Safety Foundation during a performance in the play, "The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker". Two adult brothers, Stan and Stu, (I'll not disclose their last name here) who were family friends, fellow churchgoers, and affiliated with Mansfield Little Theatre as well, were also recruited to play roles in the movie. I'm now 60 years old... and as I sit here, all these years past, I can still vividly recall the actual experience of participating in the film. Mostly, I think, because I was aware of the deaths and surrounding circumstances of the two little murdered girls at North Lake Park, where my mother had many times taken we three children to feed the swans and go to the old wood-framed roller skating rink before it burned. It was also was the first Summer following President Kennedy's assassination and even though only 13, I had a vague, uneasy sense that the world had forever changed ~ the prevailing, comfortable societal mindset of innocence and naivete we'd shared as a nation up until that point simply was no more... and never more would be.



I never saw the film after it was made... until, 14 years later, I became the first female Mansfield Police Patrol Officer and was sent to take Basic Training at the Ohio State Patrol Academy in Columbus, Ohio. Much to my dismay, I saw that "The Child Molester" was scheduled to be shown at a class assembly, and clearly remember cowering in the darkened room as the film was shown, praying I would not be recognized. Then, from somewhere behind me, I heard a fellow Cadet utter the dreaded words, "Oh, my gawd... that's Long! I'd know those skinny legs anywhere!" Sheesh....



ANYWAY... this is the second time I've now stumbled into viewing this film... I'm AMAZED it is still out there! Thanks for the Blast from the Past... AND a head-ups to keep my skinny legs covered if I've to this day any hope of maintaining my real-time anonymity! < grin! > - July 29, 2011OMG.... That was ME !!! ... LOL!

Reviewer: charlie666 - favorite favorite favorite - April 30, 2011

Subject: wow jesus...i was born in 1964 and this may sound naive but i didnt think you had to worry about sickening pedophiles back then (at any rate not like now know the sick bastards have always been around). I didnt see this in school easy to see why they pulled it. Found it very frank considering the time it came out and the scenes at the are pretty unsettling so i really cant imagine them showing this to kids. - April 30, 2011wow

Reviewer: Midwest Boomer - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 28, 2011

Subject: Hauted by this since I was a kid.... I was amazed to find this online. I remember being shown this in maybe the thrid grade? I like the bad sound on this renditition because it evokes the experience of stiing in the classroom with those noisy projectors running.



It made me recall everytime we had a movie or a film strip, it meant the lights would be lowered and being a great opportunity for horseplay. This movie is classic for its bad acting, creepy tone, and ham-fisted approach. We goofed on all of that until the over-the-top actual footage was shown, which about made us all sick. And the ending with the little blood stained shoe floating down the creek!



Say what you want, but this sure as heck got our attention. Sometime after this was shown, there was an attemped abduction of two younger boys at our small-town school --and they managed to get away.



As a parent, its hard to imagine this clip being shown to grade school kids today, especially in the "Oh boy, a movie!" environment we had going on.



What a great piece of history to be preserved - my compliments on having this availalble. - March 28, 2011Hauted by this since I was a kid....

Reviewer: Toshist - - March 11, 2011

Subject: Meant for the parents! This film certainly can be disturbing for anyone, let alone young children. It goes way overboard if it's meant to be shown to kids (as it apparently was), but it sems to me the target audience were the parents. The narrator's warnings were addressed to the adults. He didn't just instruct kids what to do and not to do, he instructed parents how to instruct their own. So, for an ault audience this movie isn't too harsh, but I think it's inappropriate for children, especially such young ones as the other reviewers have written they were when they saw it, which is probably why it was eventually pulled. Scare tactics are never the answer. Even the goddamn movie's message is that kids need to be well prepared and warned by their own parents! The narrator says something to the effect that parents should not trust all aspects of their children's eductation to other people, such as teachers, so that would definitely exclude a gruesome film meant for adults such as this one. - March 11, 2011Meant for the parents!

Reviewer: Pleonic - favorite favorite favorite - January 31, 2011

Subject: Never Saw It -- And Glad of It In the mid '60's when this film was out I was in the lower grades in the midwest -- Indiana & Kansas. I never ran into this and am rather glad I didn't. Warnings and less graphic movies are fine but stuff that graphic probably still isn't appropriate for kids in the range of 5 to 10 years old. It certainly wasn't appropriate back then, as a lot of these comments attest. Personally, I had plenty of other problems without these nightmare scenes haunting me.



In and of itself it's a fairly well-executed film, but the use it was put to was wrongheaded or at least not well thought out. Taking all that into consideration I'll give it 3 stars. - January 31, 2011Never Saw It -- And Glad of It

Reviewer: alexanadu - - January 31, 2011

Subject: The Bodies at the End If anyone is interested in the story surrounding the two bodies shown at the end of this film, I have published a section of my research on this film and the Highway Safety Foundation here: http://bit.ly/eJkYxn - January 31, 2011The Bodies at the End

Reviewer: JRM1961 - - December 12, 2010

Subject: Can't decide I was assaulted with this movie when I was a child. I don't think I had any idea what a child molester was, and the sexual aspect didn't register with me at all. I acutely remembered the imagery, especially the little girl's white shoe and sock being clearly visible against the foliage as she tried to hide, and, of course the floating shoe, and it banging to a stop as it hits the water's edge. Either they didn't show us the real dead children in the movie I saw, or I blocked it completely from my mind. It was a surprise to see that shocking footage when I sat through the movie again after ~40 years. At the time, the movie did make me think a lot about death, and terrified my dreams - I woke up many a night in a cold sweat for some time afterward. And it did get its message across about not talking to strangers. One weird thing: I must have heard the song "Let's go fly a kite" just before or after this movie was shown to me. To this day, whenever I hear that song, those images, and especially the stomach-churning, chilling fear of death come right up to the surface and punch me right in the face (and gut). I heard that damn song again last night by chance, so I googled this web site today. I can't decide if the fact that this movie serves a useful purpose (it certainly made me wary of adult strangers) makes it worth scaring the hell out of children and causing unpleasant memories throughout life. I do know that for forty years I've been asking myself why that little girl didn't hide more deeply in that bush to better hide herself. I still want to call out to her a warning... - December 12, 2010Can't decide

Reviewer: Dr Feel Rotten - favorite - November 1, 2010

Subject: Horrible movie Yet more scare tactics so our kids will be terrified of every man walking anywhere, even those who would never dream of harming a kid.

I know one girl who was so scared when a man in the neighborhood stopped to help her cross a busy street she ran directly into traffic and was run over all because she was told to not trust "strangers"..EVER. Not trusting that stranger cost her her life.

Nice job...huh?

Ban these irresponsible scare tactic movies. - November 1, 2010Horrible movie

Reviewer: fender12 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 31, 2010

Subject: Amazing I remember watching this in the first grade in Abilene Texas and I was terrified for years. I still think about, obvisously enough to google it. I am 45 now and it still scares me. - October 31, 2010Amazing

Reviewer: marysbest - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 22, 2010

Subject: THe child molester I think that everyone should have their children watch this film. It is an excellant film on what could happen to our children. - September 22, 2010THe child molester

Reviewer: piquant00 - favorite favorite - July 19, 2010

Subject: Worth a Look-See The audio in this film badly needs to be cleaned up.



I also was in elementary school in the 60s, and I don't recall seeing this film. I'm glad I didn't see it at the time, because I'm sure I would've been traumatized as others were (as a kid, I could hardly watch film-strips with crude hand-drawn human anatomy stills, let alone actual corpses of children!)



It's interesting that warning children about child molesters is tied to sex education (see the blackboard drawing of what I assume is a fetus in utero), and also to general safety guidelines; the latter seems far more appropriate now.



Nonetheless this is an interesting film with definite shock value towards the end. I'm giving it just two stars because of the terrible audio. - July 19, 2010Worth a Look-See

Reviewer: dcmuniz3 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 17, 2010

Subject: Wow!!! Like most of the posted reviews, I too saw this film while in the 1st grade in Houston, Texas and it had a major impact on me as a child. The area I lived in was surrounded by heavily wooded area's and I could walk out my back door into woods that stretched for miles. I along with the neighborhood kids would frequent them as our playground. Needless to say, after this film it took months for me to even venture into the woods with friends, even longer for me to enter them myself. The two images that stood (still do) out were of the beaten and deceased girls and the shoe floating down the creek. While it did keep me from talking to strangers, it really did do a number on me. As I grew older I would mention the film and found NO ONE had ever watched or even heard of it. It got to the point that I started thinking it was all just nightmare or something concocted in my head. Then for me to stumble upon it after 40 some odd years!? Wow!!! I watched it and wasn't sure it was the same film UNTIL I saw the broken bloodied nose of the child, and the clincher, the SHOE FLOATING DOWN THE CREEK!!! Again, all I can say is WOW. In retrospect I'm glad I had the opportunity to watch it as a child, as I'm absolutely certain it kept me from EVER talking to strangers, much less taking candy or anything from them.



I'm just happy it was real and I didn't imagine this horrific film. I think it should STILL be shown, trauma notwithstanding. - July 17, 2010Wow!!!

Reviewer: pheret - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 17, 2010

Subject: the child molester this film is very relevant today; except for the clothing, i don't think they mentioned anything hysterical or incorrect. the only thing i always feel should be told to children is an adult should NEVER ask for help from a child. there is nothing an adult needs to know that another adult would be unable to supply and if another adult is hesitant, there is NO reason to be asking it of a child.



i was ill-prepared for the very end which i think makes the warnings of this film stick in your head. pheret -- January 17, 2010the child molester

Reviewer: SweetSmoke - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 3, 2009

Subject: Not for CHILDREN! I saw this in 1969 as a first grader. After school, I went home and laid on the sofa the rest of the afternoon with a stomach ache. I told my mother about the movie, and she totally didn't believe me. It scared the crap out of me, and I can't belive that I've now seen it 40 years later, and it is still very very disturbing. I searched for this film for years, thinking that the name was "Strangers" or something with Stranger in the title. My younger brother never had to watch it, as they pulled kiddie showings in 1970 so he was spared the nightmares. I remember the shoe floating down the creek-the image (other than the "crime scene" photos) that disturbed me the most, because we had a creek in our neighborhood where all the kids played, all the time. This film is definitely not for kids. - December 3, 2009Not for CHILDREN!

Reviewer: jewjewfruit - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 11, 2009

Subject: This Film is a Necessity! I have read all of the reviews thus far, and I am sorry that some of you object to this film. I saw it when I was in first grade in the 70's (I live in Iowa). I, too, remember it like it was yesterday, mainly because of the haunting images at the end. But I tell you what--I GOT IT and NEVER tried my luck with strangers. I remember in my teenage years I was offered a ride by some guy when I was out for a walk; he was a good-looking "older guy" (well, maybe too old to be exciting to a teenager), but anyway, thanks to that film I was terrified of creeps and declined his offer. That guy was up to no good, and maybe I would have known that without having seen "The Child Molester." I now have three young children. I had watch this film several times and use it as a reference when reminding them how serious stranger danger is. BTW, I also had them watch the red light green light meeting strangers film (which we saw at the same assembly back in elementary). Folks, this film is a keeper and needs to be repaired and reproduced. I have put a link to it on Facebook. Whoever is responsible for posting it on the Internet--thank you and God Bless you! - November 11, 2009This Film is a Necessity!

Reviewer: AJnobles - favorite - September 16, 2009

Subject: The Child Molester (1964) I am glad to know I was not the only child who experienced extreme fear, nausea, and weeks of being afraid to go outside from watching this horrific movie. I was more afraid of something happening to my little sister and brother, this movie should have never been shown to young kids.

And most parents were not even aware of the ghastly crime scene photos. I am all for educating kids about danger etc., but there has got to be a better way than this movie! thanks for the chance to vent, I have remembered this movie for 30+ years! - September 16, 2009The Child Molester (1964)

Reviewer: angelhands.us - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 7, 2009

Subject: captured in horror this film leaves me in awh!! This film tells things how they are and the pictures and the end bring me to tears...please view my site www.angelhands.us regarding child molestation. I was approached once at the age of 11 walking to school but luckily it didn't feel right to get in the car and i ignored the person and he left. Unfortunately i did not escape that from home being molested by my older brother...I am so glad this film has surfaced again I really wish this awarness was spoken out today..Tabboo that's what is calledn why because people will hope that this type of thing would just go away if not talked about or that childeren will just somehow know what to do when there mentality is to trust. I will defenitly share this with my blog viewers and post on "My Space" so like myself not take this type of education to childeren is followed along with 'crossing the street, ect.' "Survival Skills for Your Child" is what this needs to be called. Make childeren aware of the dangers from strangers and family... - September 7, 2009captured in horror

Reviewer: erinserb - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 22, 2009

Subject: shock and awe The film was hideous to me at the time - 3rd grade circa 1966.



It is anachronistic and severely dated, but the theme and the terror of the ending transcend space and time, and the message is all too familiar and frightening.



This film changed my life around (perhaps forever) because of the neighborhood that I lived in and the fact that my parents used to send me on "errands" to stores at the nearest "street corner".



I would be very careful about really young children viewing this film - shock and awe are not necessarily the sole province of war. Shock and awe can be at our very doorstep. - June 22, 2009shock and awe

Reviewer: mjesfo - - December 16, 2008

Subject: Unbelievable I can't believe I finally came across this film that traumatized me for most of my 3rd grade year. It was 1977 and after the PTA viewed this film they decided the student body should see this film! I don't remember if 1st or 2nd graders were there but the 3rd graders sure were. We had already been subjected to a year or two of Patch the Pony, a cartoon character from a filmstrip who cautioned us, "Nay, nay from strangers stay away!" I guess they were afraid some of us still weren't getting it and they decided to drive the point home with "The Child Molester". I was absolutely terrorized by this movie. Already at the beginning of the film I am worried for the girls and recall I couldn't believe they fell for the oldest trick in the book:Candy from a stranger! I was mad at the old lady who witnessed the kidnapping and the girl who knew not to accept the candy from the stranger for not warning the girls and then spending her afternoon window shopping and daydreaming before she reports what she saw happen.

The thing about the crime scene that struck me the most after seeing it again is that I remembered the street being FILLED with blood-literally, TO THE CURB. Also, that the shoe floating down the stream at the end was actually floating in the girls' BLOOD. As a 9-year old I obviously could not properly process what I was seeing because I was totally TRAUMATIZED!

Our school was already doing a good job warning us to stay away from strangers but showing us this film was like taking care of a termite infestation with dynamite. I feigned illness for weeks so I wouldn't have to go outside at lunchtime. When they finally got me to go outside to the playground my eyes were constantly scanning the area for potential stranger infiltration. I didn't want to play outside at home, either and my Mom finally asked me what was the problem and I told her. That stupid film, "The Child Molester"! (She complained to the school and it was never shown to the students again.)

So, I am fascinated by this film because of the profound impact it had on my childhood and glad I finally got to see it again as an adult so I could put it in the proper perspective. Yes, the acting is terrible but the subject matter is serious and disturbing and it still impacts me as an adult. - December 16, 2008Unbelievable

Reviewer: 2muchtv - favorite favorite favorite - October 24, 2008

Subject: Passion, misunderstanding and misinformation



The tragic misinformation here is that while molestation by strangers is certainly a very real danger, the US Department of Justice reports that strangers were the offender in just 3% of sexual assaults against victims under age 6 and 5% of the sexual assault of victimizations of youth ages 6 through 11.



In the vast majority of molestation cases, the victim knew or was related to the attacker. Learn more at the California Department of justice web page entitled While this item has certainly stirred the passions of reviewers, there is a fundamental misunderstanding that really should be addressed. This film was never intended to be viewed by children and, of course, should never have been shown to children. This film was produced as a cautionary tale for parents to be exhibited at PTA meetings, neighborhood safety groups (like today's block watches) and similar audiences.The tragic misinformation here is that while molestation by strangers is certainly a very real danger, the US Department of Justice reports that strangers were the offender in just 3% of sexual assaults against victims under age 6 and 5% of the sexual assault of victimizations of youth ages 6 through 11.In the vast majority of molestation cases, the victim knew or was related to the attacker. Learn more at the California Department of justice web page entitled www.meganslaw.ca.gov/facts.htm, Facts about Sex Offenders - October 24, 2008Passion, misunderstanding and misinformation

Reviewer: kyrasdad - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 27, 2008

Subject: amazing film I find this film so amazing I hardly know where to begin. One thing I might say right off is: the ending is not the only place that can be potentially triggering. I found I could stomach the crime scene pretty well, but the part where the bad guy actually catches up with the girl and she screams her head off had me screaming, crying and retching.



My wife and I have taught our kids all these concepts emphatically, from an early age. While this film does harshly what I feel we did a little more gently, it is nonetheless one of the few examples of this correct and important principle: children can handle the truth and need to know enough to protect themselves. If 100 children feel traumatized by the film but one life is saved, that might not be such a bad deal.



I gave a high rating not so much for the quality of the film itself, but for its uniqueness, the importance of the topic and this historic film's miraculous availability. - September 27, 2008amazing film

Reviewer: ArchivesHistoryGenealogy - favorite favorite favorite - September 24, 2008

Subject: Okaaaay... Seen worse. Feel sorry for the victim, poor girl. - September 24, 2008Okaaaay...

Reviewer: Bronx Boy - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 11, 2008

Subject: That's kind of the point.... This film is a clear example of what ephemeral films were in the 60's. I didn't see it then, but watching now for the first time was quite shocking and disturbing. However there have been a lot of comments about the films message and dialog. IMHO if people are questioning the validity of the dialog - and it is homophobic - then they are missing the point as why this film is on this site. That is the whole reason why it's here - if it were well made and virtuous it would have been preserved for future generations of kids. This film is a great artifact of the time and reflects the arcane (and frankly distorted) views of the film's producers. Its a great piece of scare film history. IMHO if people are questioning the validity of the dialog - and it is homophobic - then they are missing the point as why this film is on this site. I guess I just love campy films like this one. - July 11, 2008That's kind of the point....

Reviewer: Campfire - - June 24, 2008

Subject: Stranger danger? There's another side of this business of drilling it into our kids to be terrified of strangers. A couple of years ago in California three kids wandered off from a family campground and got lost in the woods. A massive search went on to no avail. It seems the kids had all been carefully taught to run in terror whenever a stranger spoke to them and that the whole world was evil and they needed to protect themselves from it at any cost. So whenever the searchers came near them, they did what they were trained to do around strangers--they ran and hid. They successfully managed to avoid their rescuers for a week, until they were so near death that they couldn't hide any more. Luckily they were found. A couple of hours later they would have died rather than talk to a stranger. - June 24, 2008Stranger danger?

Reviewer: mycroft61 - favorite - June 24, 2008

Subject: 3rd grade nightmare I've had very disturbing is dreams about this movie for 40 years. It was also the first time I remember seeing adults outside my family cry. Everyone from the janitor to the lunch lady stood for over an hour after the end sobbing and staring that 1000 yard stare.





really bad idea to show that to 10 yr. olds with no warning or at least cut it short. - June 24, 20083rd grade nightmare

Reviewer: missyzu - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 24, 2008

Subject: Stranger Danger I remember seeing this fascinating video clip in around third or fourth grade, but I thought it was entitled "Stranger Danger." I can't believe this movie is still out there!! It always impacted me, especially at the end with the clips of the dead little girls eerily floating in the swamp, and the striking black and white footage. That's just something in my mind that I will never forget. I remember telling my mom about it but she didn't believe me and said "they wouldn't have ever let you kids watch something like that at school." (yeah, right mom). I let my daughter (9) watch it and explained to her that some people just like to hurt, touch, and even kill little kids--she's pretty tough, but I also think that it truly made her realize that not all people are truly nice in this world, no matter how "nice" they may seem, and will do or say anything to get you into their car. Yes, it was low grade and cheesy, but it definitely got the point across. Sometimes we need a memory like at the end of that video to sear an impression onto our souls to increase our awareness that child molestation/rape is serious business and there are definitely weirdos out there that actually get off on hurting our precious children (I personally think that people that can harm a child for kicks are demon possessed). - June 24, 2008Stranger Danger

Reviewer: Cineramic - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 5, 2008

Subject: POORLY MADE TRAUMATIZING EXPLOITATION CRIME FILM FOR KIDDIES Stumbling upon this nightmarish little film on the internet sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't believe I was about to watch the movie that not only scared the hell out of me as a child, but altered my sleepy habits for years and changed the way I viewed the world up to that time. I was 7 years old when I first saw this film and I've never forgotten it. Strangely enough, even as an adult and 40 years later, I am still hesitant to watch it. Many people have a film that scared the wits out of them when they were young, whether it was the Wicked Witch in THE WIZARD OF OZ or the Child Catcher in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG. For me, this 16mm flick WAS THE FILM!



I actually saw this poorly made exploitation "educational" kiddy instructional film on two occasions in elementary school. One time with the crime scene footage included and one time without. I was in the second grade in 1967 when CHILD MOLESTER was shown in the school cafeteria for grades 2 through 7. The lunchroom was packed. Like alot of films that where shown in the school auditorium (Disney's POLLYANNA being one), students had to get permission from their parents by way of a signed permission slip in order to see the film. Back in 1967, I'm sure my mother (like alot of parents) had no idea what they were signing when allowing their children to view this horrifically misguided cheap and irresponsible little film. In 1964, when this film was originally made, all public films were generally safe to view, certainly instructional and educational ones. Even the MPAA rating system for theatrical films didn't exist. Educational films were shown frequently in school, but none with the content that this one had. Up to that time, as a 7 year old, I believed the world to be a wondrous safe place and the adults in it to be generally good and kind. THIS FILM CHANGED ALL OF THAT FOREVER!



At the end of the school day and in the lunchroom auditorium, a Police Officer introduced the film prior to it being shown and set us up for what we were about to see. The movie started out harmless enough. As a 7 year old I could easily identify with the little brown haired girl that the film focuses on. I didn't however, understand why we in the audience could "hear" the strangers voice, but were never allowed to actually see him, except from the waist down. The juxtaposition back and forth between worried adults at home and the scene of the little girls being lead and stalked through the woods were unsettling. I remember the giggles from other kids in the auditorium at the moment when the busybody noisy neighbor runs out of her front door and her boobs are bopping up and down. That scene was laughed and talked about for days. If the film seemed boring in spots, the scene when the film fades to black after the little girl screams in the pipe woke me up real fast. That scene was unsettling to this 7 year old, but NOTHING could have prepared me for the crime scene footage that came afterwards. Odd, because I remember those images coming on the screen and not knowing exactly what I was looking at? It was like I had to piece that image together. Suddenly an older boy behind me said, "those are the girls". Quickly, but like in slow motion, the reality of what I was looking at set in and I became very frightened and very DISTURBED. The film ended and the Police Officer followed up with a reminder. I ran home from school as fast as I could and told my mother what I had seen. I talked and thought about nothing else for weeks. Those crime scene images would NOT LEAVE MY HEAD. I slept on the edge of my parents bed for months. I was unable to sleep alone or be in a room by myself. My mother continually reminded me the importance of "thinking nice thoughts" but to no avail.



As the months wore on I gradually got over the experience. The following year when CHILD MOLESTER was shown yet again in school, I felt prepared and was ready to see what had been lodged in my memory for over a year. After all, I was a year older now, feeling more mature and ready to to see this freak show again. "Could it have really been as horrible as I remembered" ? However, this time, unbeknown to me, my mother had given strict instructions that I was not allowed to see the crime scene footage at the end. Sitting there in anticipation of what was coming next, suddenly a teacher ushered a group of children, to which I was among, out of the auditorium. I felt cheated. That would be the last time the 16mm CHILD MOLESTER was shown in school. Too many parents protested that it was giving their children nightmares and the school quit their yearly run of it.



Over 40 years have passed since I've seen this crummy little film. For years I thought I would never see it again and now here IT IS in all it's campy and irresponsible glory. A film as bad as any film ever made, maybe even worse coming from the paranoid fear of adult filmmakers. Poorly made with narration that is both prejudice and homophobic. To a child, this film gives the impression that EVERY grown up in the world is a potential murderer and child molester. The message of this film is that NO CHILD IS SAFE and that NO ADULT can be trusted. Walk outside of your house, there will be a molester. Go to the movies, there will be a molester. Play in the school yard and there will be a molester. Your next door neighbor or anyone on the street could be a molester and THEY ARE EVERYWHERE in record numbers and parents, teachers and policemen are helpless to do anything. The burden is on the child to protect himself. CHILD MOLESTER is probably the cruelest and most irresponsible instructional film ever made. It is one thing for the producers of HIGHWAY SAFETY FILMS to show teenagers the images of mangled dismembered bodies in auto accidents and quite another to show second graders images of murdered children. It was wrong and a cruel thing to instill fear into children by this means. Shame on all of them for their so called "good intentions". They took a part of wonder that is apart of childhood and instead replaced it with fear at too early of an age. There are other ways of convening the information without scaring and traumatizing children. If I were to ever confront the producer of this film, I'd punch him right in the nose.



My rating is based on the Internet Archive giving viewers the opportunity to see this curiosity mishmash and not for the film itself, which wouldn't grant even half a star. - May 5, 2008POORLY MADE TRAUMATIZING EXPLOITATION CRIME FILM FOR KIDDIES

Reviewer: JoeyFiero - - March 6, 2008

Subject: MY VIDEO OF CHILD MOLESTER CAUGHT I can't believe this video at the end. It breaks my heart in so many ways, I always fear from my children all the time and especially when i'm in hollywood at night with my wife there are real bad weirdos out there that just stare at children. I found this video when I was on google trying to see how far my video has gone. I have a video in which we caught a child molester on tape and reported it to the police in which they did nothing. Watch it to completely understand what i'm talking about. It's really creepy. "life as a struggling actor, episode 51".



All this makes me want to become a police officer to make a difference. I couldn't Imagen a world without my children and my family being a victim of this kind of horror, I would go crazy. I could only feel for the families who have gone through this. May god help us all... - March 6, 2008MY VIDEO OF CHILD MOLESTER CAUGHT

Reviewer: larryboy27 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 31, 2007

Subject: About the movie I downloaded this movie because my mother was born in 1950. She told me when she came home from school she said law enforcement and the FBI was in her backyard and all around her house. The murders happened on the other side of her backyard. The murders of the 2 little girls happened the previous year. This movie was filmed in Mansfield, Ohio at North Lake Park (Luna Park). From what I can see it was all filmed in Mansfield. The killer was captured that much I know but I do not know what happened to him. His name was Gerald Ray Howell. Any questions or comments feel free to email me and I will try to answer them as best as possible. Larryboy27@ gmail.com - December 31, 2007About the movie

Reviewer: janedoe8 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 14, 2007

Subject: I also saw this film in first grade This is the first time I've seen this film again since 1966 when I was a first grader. A policeman came to our school and the film was shown in the auditorium--in the morning for first through third graders, and later to fourth through sixth graders. I remember I didn't understand the word on the screen; I thought it was "monster" instead of "molester." Our group wasn't shown the crime photos; the policeman held his hand over the projector lens and I remember everyone turning around to see why we were hearing sound and not seeing anything. When my brother and I got off our school bus, he told me why the officer did that and what had been shown. Of course, I knew the girls had been killed, but I didn't connect the film with actual people; everyone knew these things happened, but this was well before made-for-TV movies and the ABC After-School Specials of the 1970s. There were books (with no graphic images), one's parents and the school systems for safety education. To this day, all those safety films (school bus, drinking and driving, etc.) have an eerie feel to me because of this one film. 1966-1967 was the only year this film was shown in our school system. As for the acting? Most of the people in 1960s and 1970s safety films were volunteers chosen from local communities. I was asked to be in one , but another state was chosen for the production. - September 14, 2007I also saw this film in first grade

Reviewer: du2vye - favorite favorite - July 12, 2007

Subject: Snuff film teaching I imagine this film was dramatic for it's day. Shorten the film and it would still be pretty dramatic. There's no doubt that who put this film together considered the problem extremly serious and this would have been more effective than the cartoons about 'stranger danger'.



It's amazing they came right out and said parents were negligent if they didn't teach this to thier child. Pointing fingers at parents was even more taboo then. Still, this film misses the fact that most kids know their molesters (90%). - July 12, 2007Snuff film teaching

Reviewer: DOGCOW501 - favorite - September 6, 2006

Subject: Issues with file Will some one put a mpeg1 file up? the mpeg 4 version wont work for me unless streaming.... - September 6, 2006Issues with file

Reviewer: GoneTheWayOfTheDodo - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 16, 2006

Subject: I saw this in first grade What a trip. I remember the local police department showing this to us in elementary school - I was six. They even had a policeman introduce it. I could understand most of it and it was fairly intense but not too bad . . . until the end. The photos of those two dead girls scared me unlike anything I had ever seen. I couldn't understand exactly what I was seeing. Those images stayed with me though - until I understood. I've always felt that the school could have educated us a little more tactfully. Then again, what is the appropriate age to let kids know the real truth about life? Should things be sugar coated or explained clinically or maybe some combination of the two? Is the fact that I was never abducted proof that the films message helped me? Did the graphic nature of the last scenes affect me negatively? Who knows? I do credit my school for at least trying to keep us safe I just feel there could have been a kinder way of doing it. - July 16, 2006I saw this in first grade

Reviewer: MediaWhore - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 8, 2005

Subject: The Real Deal This would have been just another "Stranger Danger" run of the mill type of films if it were not for the extremly graphic footage at the end of a REAL crime scene in which the bludgened bodies of 2 young girls are shown lying dead on the floor. I can't believe they use to show this film to children. Even with todays current children being exposed to so much extreme violence and sex on TV and in the movies than kids were 50 years ago when this film was made I doubt many of their parents would allow them to be exposed to the real deal as portrayed here (even though they might not think twice about allowing them to watch an R rated shoot em up movie). In my opinion alot of us have been desensitized to violence with all of it we see on a daily basis in the media. Even CNN coverage of the current War in Iraq seems like just another outlet of entertainment for most of us who are so far removed from it. I'll even admit to being one of those people. But I'll tell you, one of the most effective things I saw that really struck a nerve in me and made me take notice of the war again as being a REAL deal was downloading and watching the beheading of an american soilder (Nick Berg I believe his name was) by the Taliban. Sorry to get a little of track there but where I am going with this is that by showing people the REAL DEAL they will stand up and take notice of something they might otherwise brush off as being something far off and removed from them. - September 8, 2005The Real Deal

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 22, 2005

Subject: Campy and Disturbing This early 60s scare film about child molesters starts out pretty campy. It features a guy in the park handing out jelly beans to two little girls, and then inviting them into his car for more, then driving away with them. Now I was a kid back then, and even during those times we were all taught never to take candy from strangers, so you gotta wonder about these kidsÃÂÃÂ parents. An older woman sitting on a park bench eyes the man suspiciously as he drives away with the little girls, but just when you think sheÃÂÃÂs going to write down the carÃÂÃÂs license number, she shakes her head, makes a ÃÂÃÂNaaaaahhhh!!ÃÂÃÂ face, and walks away. I mean come on people!! After that, though, it gets pretty disturbing, as we see the girls being chased through a forest by the man and eventually being caught, while back at home the police are agonizingly slow in their investigations. The eventual point is that parents should teach kids about stranger danger, which is a reasonable point to make (though because of its time, it fails to even mention the fact that most child molesters are known to their victims, rather than strangers). However, the film goes too far to my mind when it shows actual gory footage of the bodies of two little girls who were murdered by a serial killer, a hallmark of the Highway Safety Foundation, the makers of this film. ItÃÂÃÂs one thing to show gory accident victims to cocky teens who are likely to drink and drive, and another to show the bodies of children who were brutally raped and murdered to parents, who probably already have nightmares about such things. I will say, though, that the film does have an impact despite its shoddy production values and horrible acting.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****. - May 22, 2005Campy and Disturbing

Reviewer: bunner - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 6, 2004

Subject: Dated? Perhaps. Chilling? Yes. Having just viewed this film, it's easy to look at it - the beginning, at any rate - and find that campy, dated educational film vibe to be somewhat amusing, but this still hits home.



The clothing is dated, the scenarios are badly acted, sure, but not much less professionaly than some of the televised dramas of that era.



The ending... Well. It's graphic, ugly and factual. It's damn difficult to look at, and that, I think, is as it should be. There's a little ball of ice in the pit of my stomach that's going to take a while to warm back up to body temperature.



It may be somewhat of a period piece, but in the present day when almost all families are either fragmented, or when both parents work and children are slapped silly with the glamourisation of sexuality on a daily basis, this probably would still have merit as tool to educate kids about how to deal with creeps.



I think that it's merits as a present day educational movie may well lie in it's non-glossy, lagged pace and ghost story-like unfolding. - December 6, 2004Dated? Perhaps. Chilling? Yes.

Reviewer: Ouisch - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 24, 2004

Subject: Still creepy after all these years I saw this film in school when I was in the third grade, which would've made it circa 1966/67. I recall that before it was shown to the students, it was shown at a special parents' meeting and they voted on whether or not it should be viewed by the kids.



The movie so impressed me back then that I remembered the "hop like a rooster" hopscotch song as soon as the title flashed on the screen when viewing it today. Watching it now, though, I see how stilted the acting is. The producers must've spent their whole budget on the police film footage at the end - the folks they hired to play the parents are beyond awful. As a kid, I didn't understand what a "molester" was from this movie; I thought it was simply someone who murdered children. Watching it as an adult, I see that the sexual predator angle is hinted at, but apparently not expressed clearly enough since it took me 30-odd years to grasp. Of course, this folm was made in 1964, so they could only say so much and still get past the censors.



The final scene, of course, showing the battered bodies of the actual victims, scared the beejeezus out of me in the third grade, and still made me flinch today. Considering they don't even show such graphic portrayals even on "America's Most Wanted" or "American Justice", this is pretty arresting (no pun intended) stuff.



Despite the corny dialogue and wooden performances, I'd bet that this would still be a powerful and useful film to show to kids today to warn them against getting in cars with strangers. - September 24, 2004Still creepy after all these years

Reviewer: tambora - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 30, 2004

Subject: Strangers with candy This is a powerful and direct film, unforgettable for its eerieness, honesty, and simplicity. The acting and the technique may seem campy occasionally, but it works. The tape hiss screams for Dolby attention, and this film may actually deserve that kind of care in restoration.



It is told in two parts, the first being an unsettling story of child abduction and parental and neighborhood complacency that was only corrected after it was too late. The second part serves as a coda and explication for the first, giving direct advice to parents and making examples of the characters in the story.



Obviously, the filmmakers don't want you to take any of the this lightly. As such, the second part depicts a seedy suburb that seems to be crawling with predators on every corner. Its view is excessive, but chilling and hopefully mobilizing. It hides little when it comes to telling parents that it's their responsibility to tell their kids the sickening facts.



The ending of this film is probably why it got pulled. In a word, it's horrifying. The story of the first half seemed open-ended enough to put it out of your mind, but the filmmakers unforgettably implant the story into your mind when they tell you it was true.



And they have pictures. - April 30, 2004Strangers with candy