The Yellow Balloon (1953)

Interesting facts

The Yellow Balloon is a 1953 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Andrew Ray, William Sylvester, Kathleen Ryan, Kenneth More and Hy Hazell. It was Thompson's second feature as director. It was distributed by Associated British and produced by the company's Marble Arch Productions. It was made at Elstree Studios with sets designed by the art director Robert Jones. Location shooting took place around Bayswater and Chelsea including Queensway tube station.

Production

The film was financed by the Elstree Group a financing scheme that operated for British films made by Associated British Pictures Corporation in the early 1950s. Associated British would make movies with part of the fiance being provided by the National Film Finance Corporation.

The film was based on an idea of Anne Burnaby. She originally wanted the character of Mary to be a prostitute but was not allowed for censorship reasons. Star Andrew Ray had just appeared in The Mudlark. William Sylvester was an American who settled in Britain after the war.

Filming began on location in Chelsea on 21 April 1952. As filming continued, Andrew Ray's 13th birthday on 31 May gave rise to a photo opportunity at Elstree Studios, showing him blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, surrounded by his parents and other children from the film.

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