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 at the Rita Tushingham site
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.
