The Duke Wore Jeans

Let's start with a little bit of background. Tommy Steele came from Bermondsey, which was just across the river Thames from where I grew up in London. He was around the same age as my parents and several of my school friends came from Bermondsey. So Tommy Steele was considered a bit of local hero, by many people that I knew. "Local boy dun good" and all that.

So when this film popped up, as a late night movie on TV, I had to give it a chance, despite it's low IMDB rating.

Well it was truly awful in every respect, implausible weak story and poor acting aside, the music was the killer. The songs were absolutely atrocious.

I was surprised to learn that Lionel Bart was partly responsible for writing them, as he later wrote the entire score for the musical Oliver! A string of pop hits and even a Bond theme. He must have knocked off the songs for this debacle over a liquid lunch.

All that said, I could not turn away. I kept watching, I had to see how bad the next song would be, and how unlikely the next situation that presented itself.

Most of the acknowleged world's worst films are horror films and sci-fi's. They even have conventions where people go to watch them. I feel confident that this could be added at one of them and would receive a warm welcome.

Tommy Steele,seen here in the early stages of his career,is unable to raise this film above mediocre.The script is by Norma Hudis,of Carry On fame,but it is a limp effort.Likewise the musical numbers have little to commend a rehearing

This is the second film outing for Tommy Steele, the short lived English rock 'n' roll star, who not only gets the opportunity to sing several forgettable songs, but also enables him to act and dance with June Laverick, his love interest in the film. The film is essentially a showcase for the young pop singer to expand his career by more then just strumming a guitar and singing pop songs copied from American artists. Here, he does his best to keep the interest of the audience in this low budget film, with his toothy grin and cheeky demeanour, but his wooden acting, the absurd storyline, together with the very dull dance sequences, renders this film as simply mediocre and a yawn. Eric Pohlmann and Alan Wheatley are particularly good in supporting roles, but despite their valiant efforts, the film never moves out of second gear.

I watched this movie as it's from the Rogers/Thomas stable that went on to make the Carry On films. Tommy Steele appears in two roles and seems to be able to handle the acting rather well for a pop star, his cheerful personality certainly helps to keep the momentum going in this picture.

The musical numbers get simple production, there are no large dance routines here. Part of the fun with a musical is guessing when songs will appear, so you can bet your bottom dollar that when Tommy is being shown around a guitar factory, well, yes - he gets presented with a guitar and starts to sing.

This is a lighthearted film, but not a comedy. The support cast do a good turn in keeping this moving, but this is not a film to watch for spotting familiar faces of English comedy.

I've given this film a 5 as it's passable entertainment, an interesting outing from the Carry On production team in their early years. The songs, written by Lionel Bart, who would go on to write Oliver!, are not too bad, and there are even one or two hit songs in the film. Interestingly Eric Rogers, who composed for most of the Carry On films had a role in the orchestration for Oliver! (he had nothing to do with this film, the composing honour here went to Bruce Montgomery).

All in all, old fashioned, pleasant, unexciting. Worth a try.