Film based on Malcolm Saville story released on DVD.

The British Film Institute has just released its Children's Film Foundation Bumper Box Vol. 2.

This consists of three DVDS, each containing three British Film Foundation films. And one of the films is Treasure at the Mill from 1957, which is based on a book by this blog's hero Malcolm Saville.

IMDB has a summary of the plot:

Fourteen-year-old John Adams lives alone with his mother, who works as a cleaning lady for a living. It's holiday time now. John shares his free time between two activities, helping Mr. Wilson, an old antique dealer who is also his mother's employer, to put his books in order and strolling along the pond on the banks of which stands a charming old mill. 

Now, Mrs Adams has shown John a casket containing a parchment indicating that a treasure has been buried at the mill. The boy has a dream : finding the treasure and buying his deserving mother a cottage. To this end he will be helped by Merrilyn (16), Hilary (14) and Harry( 10), the children of the new owners of an estate by the pond.

On the other hand his plans will be thwarted by Mr Wilson, who will show his true colours : greed and spitefulness... 

The Bumper Box will set you back £29.99, but you could try offering four sheets of toilet paper or a paracetamol tablet.

I have my own copy of this book, but the illustration above is borrowed from the Malcolm Saville centenary website because I am too lazy to scan the wrapper. Thanks John!