May 12, 1963 - In London, two American productions started filming today. At MGM’s British studios, cameras rolled on “Children of the Damned,” a science-fiction sequel to “Village of the Damned,” released in 1960. At the Shepperton Studios, shooting began on “Becket,” the adaptation of Jean Anouilh’s London and Broadway theatrical success, starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole. In “Children,” six extraordinarily intelligent children (pictured) with dangerous psychic powers hide in a church in England after the military tries to experiment on them. Besieged, they warn the military to back off before carnage ensues. In “Becket,” King Henry II (O’Toole) of England comes to terms with his affection for his close friend and confidant Thomas Becket (Burton), who finds his true honor by observing God's divine will rather than the King’s. John Gielgud portrays King Louis VII.
