Jazz Boat
Jazz Boat | |
---|---|
![]() British quad poster | |
Directed by | Ken Hughes |
Written by | John Antrobus Ken Hughes |
Based on | novel by Rex Rienits |
Produced by | Albert R. Broccoli Harold Huth |
Starring | Anthony Newley Anne Aubrey Bernie Winters James Booth |
Cinematography | Ted Moore Nicolas Roeg |
Edited by | Geoffrey Foot |
Music by | Kenneth V. Jones |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures (UK) Columbia Pictures (US) |
Release date | February 1960 |
Running time | 96 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Jazz Boat is a 1960 British musical comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries and big band leader Ted Heath and his orchestra.
Many of the cast and the same director then made In the Nick (1960).
Plot[]
Electrician Bert Harris (Anthony Newley) boasts that he's a successful cat burglar, which leads to him getting mixed up with real thieves who need those special skills for a big jewellery heist. However, Bert was only giving them a "song and dance" about being a cat burglar, but now discovers it's too late to back out.
Cast[]
- Anthony Newley as Bert Harris
- Anne Aubrey as The Doll
- Bernie Winters as The Jinx
- James Booth as Spider Kelly
- Leo McKern as Inspector
- Lionel Jeffries as Sergeant Thompson
- David Lodge as Holy Mike
- Al Mulock as The Dancer
- Joyce Blair as Rene
- Jean Philippe as Jean
- Liam Gaffney as Spider's Father
- as Barman
- Ted Heath as himself
- Frank Williams as Man whose bowler hat is knocked off in the market
Production[]
It was based on a novel by Rex Rienits. Rienits later admitted he disliked writing novels but was in a career slump so decided to write a novel to sell to the movies.[1]
Filming started 15 June, 1959.[2] A scene involving more than 200 extras was shot at Chiselhurst Caves, Kent; on that night the payroll was stolen meaning they could not be paid.[3]
Critical reception[]
Variety called it "an odd assoilment of romance, jazz, musical comedy and youthful crimeas What comes out is largely chaos although some of it is infectiously amusing. Mostly it s vague, disjointed and purposeless. Director Ken Hughes may have been making some sort of an attempt at parodv of American crime pix."[4]
The MFB called it "a lively, muddle headed British musical."[5] TV Guide wrote, "While imitating American gangster films, this simple picture also provides a look at the British "Teddy Boy" subcultureassome amusing situations, though none is particularly memorable";[6] while Leonard Maltin called it an "Energetic caper."[7]
Filmink said it "starts out as a crime drama then weirdly turns into a musical (complete with dance numbers) then back into a crime drama again/"[8]
References[]
- ^ Clark, Russell (14 September 1961). "The Bush Boy Who Wrote Outcasts". TV Times. p. 8-9.
- ^ "Decca Gets Jazz Boat". Cash Box. 20 June 1959. p. 49.
- ^ "No roll for rock n rollers". The Age. 2 July 1959. p. 4.
- ^ Review of film at Variety
- ^ JAZZ BOAT Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 27, Iss. 312, (Jan 1, 1960): 32.
- ^ "Jazz Boat".
- ^ "Jazz Boat (1960) - Overview - TCM.com".
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (14 November 2020). "Ken Hughes Forgotten Auteur". Filmink.
External links[]
- Jazz Boat at IMDb
- Jazz Boat at Letterbox DVD
- Jazz Boat at Rotten Tomatoes
- English-language films
- 1960 films
- British films
- British musical comedy films
- 1960s English-language films
- Films directed by Ken Hughes
- Films produced by Albert R. Broccoli
- Columbia Pictures films
- Films set in London
- 1960 musical comedy films
- 1960s British film stubs
- Musical comedy film stubs