The Damned *solved*

[macca07]

Hi, wonder if anyone can help. I recall seeing a b/w british motorcycle movie in the 70's on TV, with a gang of ton-up boys (and girls!) who

sing some kind of chant (don't quote me on this!) 'Black leather, black leather, crack, crack, crack!?' There is a scene where a man is beaten up and an Indian doctor rushes to his aid explaining that "he was beaten up by Teddy Boys!!' I always thought that this was the 'Leather Boys (1962) seeing it recently, i realised that this must have been a completely different film. Anyone out there who can help pse????

[Bobj]

I'm pretty sure the film you're thinking of is 'The Damned'(1962). A young Oliver Reed was the leader of the biker gang.

[macca07]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bobj:

[QB] I'm pretty sure the film you're thinking of is 'The Damned'(1962). A young Oliver Reed was the leader of the biker gang.

Thanks for the reply. Will check this film out.

[fossie]

it could be Psychomania.

i love this film but it was in clolour

[smudge]

Not Psychomania -as you say Fossie, it's in colour and there's nothing like the chants described in Macca's original post.



I LIKE Psychomania - it's totally silly, has one of George Sanders' very last performances and now is an on film record of the 60s centre of Walton On Thames which is just now being ripped out and replaced



SMUDGE

[Bobj]

Can anyone back me up on my earlier post so we can solve this thread.

I'm 99% sure its The Damned.

[Chas Devlin]

Hi Bobj,

You are 100% correct, it is definitely Joseph Losey's "The Damned" (1961). The scene mentioned by macca07 in the opening post happens in the first 5 minutes of the film accompanied by the ' Black Leather, Black Leather, Rock, Rock, Rock ' song.

Cheers,

Chas.

[David Challinor]

Yup, it's the Damned alright...I went to College in Weymouth during 1983-85, where this film was shot. The college had a thriving film club - I saw many classics for the first time there such as Excalibur, The Deerhunter and Apolcalyse Now there - and tried to get hold of a copy of The Damned as it was filmed around the time we students were born, and I guessed my fellows would be fascinated to see 1963-ish Weymouth. It's certainly looks better then than when I last visited the resort in 1997. Still, the magnificent sweep of the bay will never be spoilt.

[Torquemada]

The film I'm thinking of had Reed in black leather and the leader of a gang of similarly clad bikers I think. And as I remember he was acting very intimidatingly towards people in a cafe and I seem to recall flicking fingers a lot. I always thought it was The Leather Boys, but apparently not and for some reason I thought that the song 'Long Legged Woman Dressed in Black' was also in the film I'm thinking of.

[Ade Miller]

Nothing to do with 'The Shuttered Room' was it. I know Oliie was a bit cheeky in that one - horror film with something locked in the attic or basement! TTFN

[Cheeky Bob]

Joseph Losey's The Damned?

[smudge]

It is indeed THE DAMNED and this one will be getting a very rare screening on BBC2 in forthcoming weeks as part of the Summer of British Film.



Smudge

[Torquemada]

Cheers, thanks for the info everybody.