Where's Jack?

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Where's Jack?
Where's Jack? FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed byJames Clavell
Written byRafe Newhouse
David Newhouse
Produced byStanley Baker
James Clavell
StarringStanley Baker
Tommy Steele
CinematographyJohn Wilcox
Edited byPeter Thornton
Music byElmer Bernstein
Production
company
Distributed byParamount British Pictures
Release date
1 April 1969
Running time
120 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million[1]

Where's Jack? is a 1969 British adventure film recounting the exploits of notorious 18th-century criminal Jack Sheppard and London "Thief-Taker General" Jonathan Wild.

The film was produced by Stanley Baker through his company Oakhurst Productions, and starred Baker himself as Jonathan Wild. Tommy Steele played Jack Sheppard. The film was directed by novelist James Clavell. Mary Hopkin sings the title song.

Plot[]

The film depicts the adventures and the exploits of notorious English thief and prison-breaker Jack Sheppard in 1720s London.

The ending of the film is ambiguous, and suggests that Sheppard may have survived his execution and escaped to the Americas.

Cast[]

Production[]

Financing was provided by Paramount. According to producer Michael Deeley, this was obtained after a pitch Martin Baum, Stanley Baker's agent did to Charles Bludhorn, owner of Paramount. Baum described the film was being written by the writers of Point Blank (1967), produced by the maker of Zulu (1963) and directed by the man who made To Sir, with Love (1967) which made a combined profit of $45 million. Divided by four that meant a profit of over $10 million after $3 million cost was deducted. The pitch was successful and Deeley says it remains one of his happiest memories in getting a film funded.[2]

Peter Bart was an executive at Paramount at the time said Stanley Baker did the presentation with Deeley and Baum. Bart says Bludhorn believed that expensive films made the most money and was attracted to Where's Jack? in part by its cost, agreeing to finance without reading a script. He also claims Deeley presented him with the relatively inexpensive The Italian Job and Bart arranged for it to be financed without telling Bludhorn; Italian Job would go on to be a far more successful film.[3]

Peter Yates said at the time that Staney Baker was "rescuing" Tommy Steele from Hollywood musicals "to do some acting again".[4] The film was announced in February 1968.[5]

Filming took place in Ireland in June 1968. It finished by September.[6]

Reception[]

Where's Jack? turned out to be a box office flop.[2] The film was not even released in the USA after performing poorly in Europe.[1]

The Los Angeles Times wrote it was "astonishingly similar, markedly better" to another film about a highwayman which came out around the same time, Sinful Davey.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Hollywood Skeletons Haunt Studio Vaults GELMIS, JOSEPH. Los Angeles Times 21 Nov 1971: i11.
  2. ^ a b Michael Deeley, Blade Runners, Deer Hunters and Blowing the Bloody Doors Off: My Life in Cult Movies, Pegasus Books, 2009 p 43-44
  3. ^ Bart, Peter (2011). Infamous players : a tale of movies, the mob (and sex). Weinstein Books. p. 46-47.
  4. ^ British Director to Film U.S. Dilemma Lesner, Sam. Los Angeles Times 9 Feb 1968: c14.
  5. ^ They Only Die Twice By A. H. WEILER. New York Times 25 Feb 1968: D17
  6. ^ Liza Minnelli Signs Pact Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 4 June 1968: f15.
  7. ^ MOVIE REVIEW: 'Sinful Davey' Opens Run at Royal Theater Champlin, Charles. Los Angeles Times 29 May 1969: d1.

External links[]

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