Malachi's Cove is a 1974 British-Canadian coming-of-age period drama film directed by Henry Herbert and starring Donald Pleasence, Veronica Quilligan and Dai Bradley. It is based on the short story Malachi's Cove by Anthony Trollope and is also known as The Seaweed Children.
Plot
In North Cornwall, 1880, Mally Trenglos is a tough young girl aged sixteen who collects seaweed and sells it as fertilizer for the local farmers. She lives with her grandfather Malachi in a little hut above the cove where she collects seaweed. Her parents died two years before from drowning. When Mally's mother discovered her father's body, she wanted him to be buried and stayed with his body in a dangerous storm. Mally went in the village to get help but no one came. The Gunliffes, a local farming family, answered but didn't believe her. By the time she was back at the sea, Mally's mother was dead.
The film focuses on the life of Mally, her grandfather and Barty Gunliffe, a local boy (son of the family who didn't believe Mally when she claimed of her mum's drowning) who keeps taking weed from their cove. Barty and Mally remain enemies until one day when Barty comes to prove to Mally that he's not afraid. As a result, he hits his head on a rock. He is unconscious but Mally manages to pull him from the sea. Luckily though Barty survives. However, Mrs. Gunliffe, who despises Mally, has a suspicion that Mally did it to kill him. In the end, Barty and Mally become friends and the film ends with Barty helping Mally collect the seaweed.
Cast
Donald Pleasence as Malachi Trenglos
Dai Bradley as Barty Gunliffe
Veronica Quilligan as Mally Trenglos
Peter Vaughan as Mr. Gunliffe
Lillias Walker as Mrs. Gunliffe
Arthur English as Jack Combes
David Howe as Jake Combes
Kennaley Hoyle as Matt Combes
John Barrett as Reverend Polwarth
Alan Hockey as Dr. Peverick
George Malpas as Mr. Eliot
Meg Wynn Owen as Mally's mother
Peter Wyatt as Mr. Carew
David Foxxe as Mr. Carew's Clerk
Derek Carpenter as Dr. Peverick's Assistant
Claire Davenport as Lady in Store
Linda Robson and Pauline Quirke as Girls in Store
Production
Jacquemine Charrott Lodwidge was the film's art director and was also brought in for Herbert's next film, Emily (1976).
Filming
The film was made at Bray Studios and the location filming was carried out in Trebarwith Strand but most was in Clovelly.