A rant added on Fawlty Towers and Tall Poppies which discusses the current argument over withdrawing allegedly offensive comedies, and adds in Little Britain, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, ‘Allo ‘Allo, Benny Hill and Mike Yarwood. And me.
Review added of JUST FOR YOU (1964) (linked) The film that explains the exploitation in budget pop exploitation film. Cheap sets. Dreadful DJ links from Sam Costa (Thank goodness they didn’t engage Jimmy Saville). All mimed stuff. Not an actual performance on there. Its main virtue is to demonstrate just how good A Hard Day’s Night was at the same time. I thought it would be an exercise in early pop video, but it’s woefully unimaginative. The two biggest stars to emerge, Jon Anderson and Mike d’Abo, manage to conceal any sign whatsoever of their future abilities and talent. The best performances were a surprise, Al Saxon and Louise Cordet for me. I’ve done a cynical review with lots of pictures.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Al Saxon, Applejacks, Band of Angels, Doug Sheldon, Freddie & The Dreamers, Jackie & The Raindrops, Jackie Lee, Johnny B. Great, Jon Anderson, Louise Cordet, Mark Wynter, Merseybeats, Mike d'Abo, Millie Small, Peter Gordon, The Bachelors, The Orchids, The Warriors | Leave a Comment »
I’ve updated my rant on CIVIL WARS & STATUES to include the latest controversy over Colston’s statue in Bristol and also added a section on “Bomber” Harris. Then another bit on Baden-Powell and Poole.
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A further 1960s retrospective, SOME PEOPLE from 1962. Directed by Clive Donner, and featuring Kenneth More. The real stars are the five young Bristol kids, played by Ray Brooks, David Hemmings, Angela Douglas, Anneke Wills and David Andrews. It’s unusual for 1962, as it’s full colour, filmed on real Bristol locations and while it revolves around music, it uses actors rather than pop stars (and supplies music from The Eagles … the UK band … and Valerie Mountain, neither of them stars. Yet the soundtrack EP was a major hit. It was sponsored by the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme to show how kids lives could be changed, but the didactic bit is subservient to the main story.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Angela Douglas, Anneke Wills, Clive Donner, David Andrews, David Hemmings, Kenneth More, Ray Brooks, Ron Grainer, The Eagles (UK), Valerie Mountain | Leave a Comment »
Following “In the April Garden” a compendium of photos taken in May of flowers IN THE MAY GARDEN (linked) . It passes the lockdown time!
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This film is 1965 (well, 30 December 1964 premiere!). THE YELLOW ROLLS-ROYCE (linked) is a Terence Rattigan script, with three separate stories all involving the same car, set between England in 1931, Italy a few years later, then Trieste and Yugoslavia in 1941. It’s most noted for its stellar cast … Rex Harrison, Jeanne Moreau, Shirley MacLaine, George C. Scott, Alain Delon, Omar Sharif and Ingrid Bergman.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alain Delon, Anthony Asquith, Art Carney, Georg C. Scott, Ingrid Bergman, Jeanne Moreau, Joyce Grenfell, Lance Percival, Michael Hordern, Omar Sharif, Rex Harrison, Shirley MacLaine, Terence Rattigan | Leave a Comment »
I’m getting into these 1960s pop exploitation films. Next up is PLAY IT COOL from 1962. It was Michael Winner’s first feature film, and stars Billy Fury as a pop singer called Billy Universe. The plot is an excuse to visit a series of clubs and see Helen Shapiro, Bobby Vee, Shane Fenton & The Fentones, Jmmy Crawford and Danny Williams. As ever, bit parts are by British comic actors. It is black and white. In reverse of normal practice, they colourized the lobby cards. In the end, it goes to show what a huge leap forward “A Hard Day’s Night” was, just eighteen months later.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anna Palk, Billy Fury, Danny Williams, Helen Shapiro, Jimmy Crawford, Maurice Kaufmann, Max Bacon, Michael Wattis, Michael Winner, Shane Fenton | 2 Comments »
Review of 1963’s pop exploitation film WHAT A CRAZY WORLD (linked) starring Joe Brown, Susan Maughan, Marty Wilde, Freddie & The Dreamers and Harry H. Corbett (fresh from Steptoe & Son). The interest lies in the strong concept that writer ALAN Klein (NOT the Beatles manager ALLEN Klein) had of “British Music Hall meets Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Rock and Roll gets a lesser share to me, but it has some great time capsule moments. And some really odd ones.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alan Klein, Avis Bunnage, Harry H. Corbett, Joe Brown, Marty Wilde, Michael Carreras, Michael Ripper, Susan Maughan | Leave a Comment »
Review of MEDIUM COOL from 1969. This is probably the most thorough review on the blog, and that’s because this film deserves it. When it came out, Michael Billington’s review said: “I can’t think of any film that tells you more about the texture of American life today.” It’s a film you have yo watch twice too. Even though my review is full of plot spoilers, I hope it gets readers to watch it again … or simply watch it.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Haold Blankenship, Haskell Wexler, Marianna Hill, Marshall McLuhan, Peter Bonerz, Robert Forster, Verna Bloom | Leave a Comment »
A shorter than usual review in the 1960s Retrospective series.LITTLE FAUSS AND BIG HALSY (linked) with Michael J,. Pollard, Robert Redford and Lauren Hutton. Notable for its Johnny Cash soundtrack, it’s the two guys on bikes / motorbikes / cars template from 1970, probably trying to cash in on Easy Rider.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Johnny Cash, Lauren Hutton, Michael J. Pollard, Robert Redford, Sidney J. Furie, Wallace Beery | Leave a Comment »
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