The underrated director Philip Leacock made several sensitive films about children and social problems that deserve a major reevaluation, such as The Little Kidnappers (1953) and Hand in Hand (1961). From a novel by Elisabeth Ogilvie, his 1957 drama High Tide at Noon is a mini-epic about romance on a tiny island in Nova Scotia. As in Michael Powell's famed The Edge of the World (1937), social changes and progress are forcing a gradual abandonment of the island and its way of life. Told in flashback, the romantic story also resembles Far from the Madding Crowd in that a naïve island girl must deal with three demanding suitors. Seventeen year-old Joanna Mackenzie (Betta St. John) turns down the proposal of honest lobster fisherman Nils (Michael Craig) and fends off the uncouth advances of Simon (Patrick McGoohan). Joan eventually marries the poetic Alec (William Sylvester), only to discover that he's also a reckless gambler. Alec's attempts to atone do not go well. Patrick McGoohan stands out as the violent Simon, but most of the critical praise was reserved for actors Alexander Knox and Flora Robson as Joanna's parents, the owners of much of the island. Some reviewers faulted Betta St. John's performance, probably because the inexperienced Joanna is not the hearty type that prevails over every setback. Director Leacock favored naturalistic stories over sensationalism.

By Glenn Erickson