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David Bradley (on the right), (aged 14) playing the part of Billy Casper
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David Bradley (on the right), (aged 14) playing the part of Billy Casper
David Bradley (on the right), (aged 14) playing the part of Billy Casper, pictured with his Kestral, on the film set of the film Kes. Here Billy Casper is talking to the film crew on the school playing film, during the famous football scene.
Kes is a 1969 release drama film directed by Ken Loach and produced by Tony Garnett. The film is based on the 1968 novel A Kestrel for a Knave, written by the Barnsley-born author Barry Hines. The film is ranked seventh in the British Film Institutes Top Ten (British) Films and among the top ten in its list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14.
The film was shot on location around Barnsley, Yorkshire, including St. Helens School, Athersley South, later renamed Edward Sheerien School (demolished in 2011); and in and around the streets of Hoyland and Hoyland Common.
Fifteen-year-old Billy Casper has little hope in life. He is picked on, both at home by his physically and verbally abusive older half-brother, Jud, and at school, by his schoolmates and by abusive teachers.
One day, Billy takes a kestrel from a nest on a farm. His interest in learning falconry prompts him to steal a book on the subject from a secondhand book shop. As the relationship between Billy and " Kes", the kestrel, improves during the training, so does Billys outlook and horizons. For the first time in the film, Billy receives praise, from his English teacher after delivering an impromptu talk about training Kes.
Jud leaves money and instructions for Billy to place a bet on two horses, but, after consulting a bettor who tells him the horses are unlikely to win, Billy spends the money on fish and chips and intends to purchase meat for his bird (instead the butcher gives him scrap meat free of charge). However, the horses do win. Outraged at losing a payout of more than 10, Jud takes revenge by killing Billys kestrel. Grief-stricken, Billy retrieves the birds broken body from the waste bin and, after showing it to Jud and his mother, buries the bird on the hillside overlooking the field where he d flown.
Picture taken 15th July 1968
Sheppard
Daily Mirror
Mirrorpix
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
England
Y6868 - 1
Media ID 21808045
© Mirrorpix
A Kestrel For A Knave Ball Barnsley Child Actor Child Star David Bradley Drama Filming Film Set Football Pitch Fourteen Goal Mouth Goal Post Goal Posts Learning Post School Sports Field Sports Field Teenager Yorkshire 1968
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this photo print, we see a young David Bradley, aged 14, immersed in his role as Billy Casper on the film set of "Kes". The iconic image captures the moment when Billy is engrossed in conversation with the film crew during the famous football scene at school. "Kes" directed by Ken Loach and produced by Tony Garnett, is a powerful drama released in 1969. Based on Barry Hines' novel "A Kestrel for a Knave" it tells the story of fifteen-year-old Billy Casper's challenging life. Bullied at home and school, he finds solace and purpose through his bond with Kes, a kestrel he takes from a farm. Filmed on location around Barnsley, Yorkshire, including St. Helens School (later renamed Edward Sheerien School) and the streets of Hoyland Common, "Kes" beautifully portrays Billy's transformation as his relationship with Kes flourishes. However, tragedy strikes when Jud kills Kes out of spite after losing money on a bet placed by Billy. Heartbroken but determined to honor their connection, Billy retrieves Kes' broken body from the waste bin and buries her overlooking their favorite field. This poignant photograph taken on July 15th, 1968 by Sheppard transports us back to that pivotal moment in cinematic history when David Bradley brought Billy Casper to life alongside his beloved Kestral. It serves as an enduring reminder of both the timeless impact of "Kes" and Bradley's remarkable portrayal that has left an indelible mark on British cinema.
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