Sweet Beat

1959 British film by Ronnie Albert

  • 1959 (1959)
Running time
57 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglish

Sweet Beat (U.S. title: The Amorous Sex) is a 1959 British 'B'[1] black-and-white musical film directed by Ronnie Albert and starring Julie Amber, Sheldon Lawrence and Irv Bauer.[2] It includes appearances by several American pop acts including The Melo-Kings and The Five Satins.

Plot

Bonnie Martyn, winner of a holiday camp beauty contest, heads to London seeking fame as a singer. She is promised a record deal, and is tricked into going to New York. She is eventually reunited with her boyfriend Bill Lacey.

Cast

  • Julie Amber as Bonnie Martyn
  • Sheldon Lawrence as Bill "Larry" Lacey
  • Irv Bauer as Dave Lafferts
  • Leonie Page as Tina Miller
  • David Browning as Gerry Turner
  • Al Burnett as club owner
  • Keith Fordyce as disc jockey (himself)
  • Billy Myles as himself
  • Cindy Man as herself (cut from U.S. version)
  • Fred Parris as himself
  • Lee Allen as himself
  • The Mello-Kings as themselves
  • The Five Satins as themselves

Production

Filming locations included Butlin's holiday camps at Clacton-on-Sea and Cliftonville, and London's The Stork Room, run by Al Burnett.

Soundtrack

The film featured the following songs:

  • "Thanks" (Peter Warren, Adrienne Birkhard, Jeff Kruger)
  • "Just for the Asking" (Buddy Kaye, Leon Carr)
  • "Recently" (Tommie Connor)
  • "Careless Caresses" (Billy Myles)
  • "The Joker" (Billy Myles)
  • "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?" (Winfield Scott)
  • "Boppin' at the Hop" (Lee Allen, A.Tyler)
  • "Sweet Beat" (Tony Crombie)
  • "Luva Luva Love Me" (George Scheck)
  • "Tonite Tonite" (Billy Myles)
  • "I Remember (in the Still of the Nite)" (Fred Parris)

In 1959 a 7-inch double A/B side EP was released in the UK with "Tonite Tonite", "I Remember", "Boppin' at the Hop" and "Luva Luva Love Me" (Top Rank Records, JKR 8007).[3]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A mild and artless warning to the stage struck, relying on striptease, "pop" numbers and holiday camp and night club backgrounds for its teen-age appeal. Direction and performance are very uneven."[4]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "poor", writing: "Bottom-budget pop musical/moral warning has that home-made look."[5]

Home media

The film was released on DVD in 2009 by Pegasus Entertainment.

References

  1. ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 205. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
  2. ^ "Sweet Beat". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Various – Music From The Film Sweet Beat". Discogs. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Sweet Beat". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 26 (300): 160. 1 January 1959 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 383. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.
  • Sweet Beat at IMDb