I hate to admit this but my mother took me to see this as the cinema back in the day because I liked Freddie and the Dreamers (Well I was only 11 at the time, that's my excuse anyway). I still have the EP of all his songs in the film.
I saw it again just recently on Talking Pictures and loved it just as much as I did then. Marty Wilde and Joe Brown whilst not Oscar winning actors put in above average performances for pop stars, Joe is in fact a seriously good musician who could out play Eric Clapton before there was an Eric Clapton. Then there is the sexy Susan Maughan, she of Bobby's Girl fame, doesn't matter she can't act just watching her is enough. Then there is the many faces of Michael Ripper seen playing a multitude of parts. Harry H. (Harold Steptoe) Corbett playing much the same character and Bill (Snudge) Fraser. All my childhood stars in one film.
What's not to like? well not much really, OK it's a bit dated but then so are a lot of films of that period, this one was originally a stage musical. Some of the songs are a bit cringe-worthy i.e 'My First Romance' but then we have the title song, Oh What a Family, and 'Layabouts Lament' sung in probably the most UN-PC scene ever. All written by Alan Klein (Not the Beatles manager) who plays one of Mary Wilde's gang.
Fab to see London of the sixties, especially the wonderful Denmark Street, soon to be demolished for a yuppie paradise with no traffic or yellow lines.
Seeing again brought the sixties back to me, those were the days. I saved it on my hard disc and will watch it again.
