Up The Junction (1968)

Suzy Kendall as Polly in a publicity shot outside Macrindle's Confectionery

Viewed Sunday 3rd August, 2008.

The next film on the programme was Paramount Picture’s remake of the 1965 BBC Television Wednesday Play by Nell Dunn; Up The Junction.

This has long been a favourite of mine, but I have to admit to finding it a little harder to swallow after seeing the 1965 television play from which it was derived. That said, I managed to put aside my personal grudge against the glossy Hollywood finish the film version has, to recapture my initial feelings for the film.

The following is a very short description of the plot and may contain spoilers. Polly (Suzy Kendall) is a Chelsea girl born into a privileged family. One day she takes it upon herself to venture to the other side of the River Thames and explore the working class neighbourhood of Battersea. She finds herself a job at Macrindle’s Confectionery and works alongside working-class Londoners packing sweets and chocolates. Two of the factory girls, Rube (Adrienne Posta) and Slyvie (Maureen Lipman), befriend Polly. After enjoying a typical ‘knees-up’ that night after work, Polly finds herself a Battersea flat the following day. Whilst furnishing the flat at a junk shop, Polly meets a local lad called Peter (Dennis Waterman) and the two start dating. The film twists and turns through the ups and downs of working-class life including Sylvie being physically attacked by her ex-husband and Polly becomes an accessory in Rube’s abortion. The class divide between Peter and Polly becomes an issue whilst the couple take a weekend break in Worthing. As Polly declares that she is in love with Peter, he tells her to stop playing games by pretending to be a working-class girl. He explains that she must be crazy feeling guilty about her wealth and that she should do some good with her money. Although Peter is genuinely in love with Polly; he had been hoping that her life of privilege was his ticket to a better future. There is one final twist to come, but you’ll have to watch the film for that.

The mood of this film is aided by a beautiful soundtrack written by Manfred Mann and Mike Hugg. Songs such as Walking Around, Just For Me and Sing Songs of Love evoke a real summer of love feeling. This has been available on CD for a few years now and is well worth the investment.

Upon doing a little research after screening this film, I discovered that Suzy Kendall was born and raised in Belper in Derbyshire. That came as a surprise, as she was one of the ‘faces’ of Swinging London. My roots are in the East Midlands too, hence the pleasant surprise. On a less than happy note, I also found out that actor Michael Gothard who played Terry sadly committed suicide back in 1992. You can see Gothard chatting up Adrienne Posta in the following pub scene from Up The Junction.

Sylve takes a beating from her estranged husband.

You’re the only beautiful thing round here princess!

Here’s the opening sequence from Up The Junction.

The good news is that Paramount Pictures have finally got round to releasing this great film on DVD in August 2008 and you can buy it here.. This will probably be the first time since its cinematic release that the movie will be seen in its widescreen glory instead of some pretty severe panning and scanning required to fit it into the broadcast 4:3 ratio versions. Let’s hope Paramount don’t let us down!

Buy Up The Junction merchandise here

Up The Junction at IMDB

Suzy Kendall at Wikipedia

Michael Gothard at Wikipedia

Nell Dunn’s Up The Junction

OMBFF Movie Rating 5 out of 5. Maybe it’s Rose tinted spectacles, but I still think that despite its Hollywood type shortcomings, it’s a great film with a lovely soundtrack and Suzy Kendall. Lovely!

Smashing Time (1967)

Viewed on Saturday 2nd August, 2008.

Smashing Time (1967) Lynn Redgrave and Rita Tushingham

The first film to kick off my one man British film festival was Smashing Time starring Lynn Redgrave and Rita Tushingham from 1967. I thought I’d start with something upbeat, throwaway and fun. It was written by George Melly and is about two young girls, Brenda and Yvonne, from the north of England who are drawn to London by the bright lights and the promise of fame. If you like films about swinging London, then this one is a must-see movie. There’s lots of location footage in the King’s Road, Carnaby Street and the usual places that immediately spring to mind by association with this period of pop culture history.

I’m not going to repeat everything that’s been said elsewhere on the internet. That’s not the way this blog works, but I will give you some links to interesting material I found in relation to the film.

But first, a couple of clips to whet your appetite. Yvonne manages to buy herself a pop career with a cash prize she won for the demolition of her house on a Candid Camera style television show. Incidentally, this show is fronted by a presenter called Dominic and played by the much missed actor Peter Jones. Her pop career is launched with a swinging number called ‘While I’m Still Young’ which features those big orchestral scores that were the signature of many a Kathy Kirby and Petula Clark single of the period. The movie parodies the swinging sixties beautifully and this song whilst being a parody is incredibly catchy!

Scenes in Carnaby Street

Here’s some links to sites related to Smashing Time. I especially recommend the Rita Tushingham site as it includes material submitted by Rita herself and is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Smashing Time on IMDB

Smashing Time at the Rita Tushingham site

Buy Smashing Time on DVD

OMBFF Movie Rating 3 out of 5. A bit too much slapstick in places, but a fun, girly romp that probably appealed to a female audience of teenage cinemagoers at the time.