Elvis Presley has a lot to answer for, after him every
popstar worth their salt just had to be in a movie and this is one that
completely passed me by… although I was in nappies when it was released. Based
on Alan Klein’s stage play, it’s similar to Cliff Richard’s films of the time,
with a mix of pop and show tunes but at least the latter are rooted in British
vernacular and along with the locations and acting, make for a convincing story
of London youth.
Both Joe Brown and Marty Wilde took their inspiration from American artists like everyone else but both had more of an edge than Harry Webb and they show it on screen too. Marty Wilde is Herbie Shadbolt and is especially impressive in the early sequences as he leads his gang down Whitecross Street market, which runs between Old Street and the Barbican. He’s a big fella – six feet five inches - and with huge plates of meat (size 12??) – who carries a genuine menace as well as cheeky charm and the boy from Blackheath does not look out of place as he unsettles the stall holders and most of the folk around him.
 |
| Don't mess with the big fella on the right! Marty Wilde is tall. |
The lads go to the labour exchange to find it full of
citizens from other commonwealth countries which leads us into Layabouts
Lament, a quite startling song about the impact immigration is having on their
waiting time for dole money; things are so bad, they’re going to have to think
about getting a proper job. It’s done with humour and you have to remember that
the filmmakers anticipated that this would be welcomed by their audience; a
reminder of sensibilities shifter albeit perhaps not as much as we’d thought.
Joe Brown can also act and as the banjo-toting Alf
Hitchens looks just a little like a young David Bowie (or t’other way round!).
He too ain’t working much and this is the cause of constant ranting from his
dad, Sam, played by the brilliant Harry H Corbett who runs off his lines in the
manner of perfectly practiced guitar solos, slamming his son for laziness and
laying about. The long-suffering counter to this is from mother Mary, the
equally superb Avis Bunnage, who tries to keep things on an even keel even when
Alf’s get up and go seems to have gone and his younger brother, Joey, seems to
be taking his lead.
 |
| Harry H Corbett lays down the law |
Their sister Doris (Grazina Frame) not only has a job but
a steady boyfriend, Solly (Monte Landis) who is eminently employed too. Joey
and Alf take the mickey but really Sam’s endless ultimatums about putting up of
shoving off are not too far from the truth. Cue the song Bruvvers as
Doris riffs alongside Joey and Alf about unending sibling grievances.
Alf has a girlfriend, Marylin (Susan Maughan, who had a
hit with Bobby’s Girl in 1962) about whom his ambivalence knows no bounds, he’s
in a fug, and she knows that he needs to get a hold of himself or disappear in
denial. In some ways it’s a well-realised relationship, they’ve run out of
steam and either they stay or they go.
 |
| Susan Maughan |
The youngsters go to concert featuring Freddie and the Dreamers – a band I once saw in Blackpool in 1971 – and showcasing a style of pop music that would soon leave the class of ’58 like Joe and Marty, in the dust. Freddie may have been a loon but his was a Manchester beat group following in the wake of the Liverpudlian style. The Dreamers would have three top three hits in 1963 and a US number one in ’64; Freddie may have been older than Marty and Joe but he was riding the wave.
 |
| Dancing to the Dreamers |
Here we get the full ridiculous routine of the band in their undies for We Wear Short Shorts as well as Sally Ann dressed in Sally Army uniforms…
Anyway, back to the action, there’s a riot going on at the Dreamers’ gig as Herbie says the right thing to the wrong girl or possibly the other way round and it all kicks off… His team includes Lenny (David Nott), Dave (Barry Bethel) and Jervis (Alan Klein our song and scriptwriter). They prevail and along with Alf sing their victory in Wasn't It A Handsome Punchup. Interesting how fisticuffs are always presented as almost harmless fun from Wayne westerns to rock and pop musicals… “rumbles” sure ain’t what they used to be but there’s no denying the role of violence in youth culture.
 |
| The young woman at the heart of the dancefloor dispute... Vivyan Dunbar |
Alf gets a job in a music publisher but he’s only biking
around sheet music deliveries in the hope of getting a break. Marilyn’s not
convinced and just wishes he’d Please Give Me A Chance. But Alf is still
to enamoured by the “independence” of Herbie and the gang and they even sing a
song about it.
Now, if you’re one of those people expecting success in one aspect to trigger an outbreak of responsible adult thinking about the other, then you may not be far off the mark. But I couldn’t possibly say.
 |
| Joe Brown walks down Denmark Street, London's Tin Pan Alley as was... |
Dusty verdict: What A Crazy World has much good
spirit and the songs are worthy efforts that allow the singers to shine as
actors and interpreters.
The supporting cast is very effective, chiefly Avis and
‘arry but there’s also a very interesting device using Michael Ripper to play a
variety of characters from street hawking spivs to labour exchange
administrators and generic old fellas; every time he quotes the line “bleeding
kids” either in condemnation of in affection. It underpins the film’s central concern
of generational conflict but also reconciliation as the lads, mostly, grow up.
Alan Klein was only 23 at the time and a bit of a pop star himself, he went on to sing vocals for the New Vaudeville Band under the title of Tristam, Seventh Earl of Cricklewood… a man of many talents!
The film is now available from Network on Blu-ray as well as DVD, details on their website.
