The small world of Sammy Lee

[wideboy]

This very rarely seen 1962 Soho crime film starring Anthony Newley and a host of stalwart supporting players - including the wonderful Toni Palmer - is being shown at the NFT/BFI Southbank on Thursday 24 April AT 20.00, NFT 1.

There are also a couple of interesting Soho-themed shorts, and co-star Julia Foster is promised for a post-screening Q&A.

[billy bentley]

I'm siting here all crinkly mouthed in NYC, been wanting to see this one for ages. Not released on DVD or video, I understand. Hopefullyn someone will post a review.

[billy bentley]

Just learned a couple of things. The cinematographer for "The Small World OF Sammy Lee" and "Get Carter"were the same man - Wolfgang (AKA Wolf) Suschitzky. Also according to a chap on IMDB there was a new print of "Sammy Lee" (with German subtitles) shown in Austria late 2006/ early 2007 as part of a Suschitzky retrospective. Anyone know anything ?

[kelp]

Anthony Newley was quite a big name at the time having just come off a good run on Tv with "The World Of Gurney Slade" Remember that quirky theme anyone????

[CLAMBAKE]

Yes I remember the theme ' Gurney Slade' by Max Harris it was released as a single at the time and entered the charts. I'm also keeping my fingers crossed for a DVD release of 'The Small World Of Sammy Lee'

[billy bentley]

Did anyone get to see this ? My excuse is that the New York City Transit System doesn't stop at the Southbank.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by billy bentley Did anyone get to see this ? My excuse is that the New York City Transit System doesn't stop at the Southbank.

The main subway doesn't go as far as the South Bank, you have to take the Staten Island Railway. I hear they've extended it a bit

Steve

[wideboy]

Opens with a long tracking shot up a deserted early morning Berwick Street, seemingly unchanged since 1962. A tour of Soho streets presents all too brief views of the legendary 3 I’s and Heaven and Hell coffee bars, and then small-time entertainer and currently strip club compere Sammy Lee (Anthony Newley) emerges into the cold light of day – and the surely symbolic early morning rubbish collection. He’s lost at poker to a Soho big shot and has till evening to find the £300 he owes him, pursued by sixties cinema’s favourite heavy, Kenneth J. Warren, and his hot headed young sidekick Johnny (Clive Colin Bowler).

Lee’s efforts are hampered by the necessity of turning up on the hour, every hour, to host the historical tableaux of (nearly) naked girls at Robert Stephens’s authentically seedy strip club. The punters only want to see the girls, not hear his jokes, provoking increasing contempt from Sammy as his life disintegrates (a viewer at the BFI screening pointed out the similarity between Lee’s cynicism and Archie Rice in The Entertainer).

Trying anything he can think of to make a buck – whisky, watches, or in almost the only excursion out of Soho, a quick cab to Whitechapel to try to borrow the money from his grocer brother, (Warren Mitchell), but thwarted by the unexpected arrival of his sister-in-law, Milly (Miriam Karlin, for once allowed to look attractive). A powerful scene of disappointment and unfulfilled desires, given extra depth by strong playing and the authentic Jewishness of the actors, and for me the best scene in the film, though oddly also one which could have easily been excised in what is a long (107 minutes) and sometimes slowly paced film.

The main attraction here is the Soho atmosphere provided by director Ken Hughes, a long-time habitué of London’s den of vice. Sammy Lee’s small world is effectively conveyed by regular scenes of Lee dashing ever more desperately through the Soho streets from club to apartment to any possible source of money as time runs out. His only comfort is the unexpected appearance at the club of Patsy (Julia Foster) , a young runaway he’d previously met while on tour in the north. Now in London looking for a job and a friend, Patsy is unaware of the true reality of Sammy’s existence. Foster, a most touching actress, brings her customary warmth and emotional depth to the part, as well as an unaccustomed sensuality – to say more would spoil the plot.

Memorable supporting players include Wilfred Brambell as Sammy’s much put-upon gofer; the wonderful Toni Palmer as the tart with the heart of gold, and aficionados of Alfred Burke will not be disappointed…

But this is Newley’s film – as Julia Foster commented after the screening, this part fits him like a glove – the desperation, the obsessive perfectionism, the need for love from an audience. He’s never been a favourite of mine, but no one could have played this part better.

A plaintive jazz score by Kenny Graham, and wonderful b&w photography by Wolfgang Suschitzky complete the credits. All this – and a love scene in Victoria coach station! What more could fans of 60s Soho films want? Which makes it a shame it isn’t available – and no-one at the BFI screening knew why.

[billy bentley]

Wideboy,
"Public Domain" copies do come up on Ebay and some mebers here have copies to trade. But mine is of only "so so" quality. How was the print at the BFI ?

[trelawnee]

The bit that I never understood was the ending.

As I recall he decided to make a run for it and ended up being caught at the railway station, where the heavies gave him a kicking.

How did they know which station to watch?

[wideboy]

Originally Posted by billy bentley "Public Domain" copies do come up on Ebay and some members here have copies to trade. But mine is of only "so so" quality. How was the print at the BFI ?

The programme was presented by two curators from Britain's National Film Archive, so I assume that's where the excellent print came from.

[CLAMBAKE]

I love this film but only own a bad copy bought on ebay, did anybody at the screening mention if this was up for a DVD release ?

[billy bentley]

As mentioned on this thread in February, there was a new print made for a German retrospective, so lets hope that can be used for a DVD release. Is there anyone we can lobby ?