Displaying items by tag: John Paddy Carstairs

SANDS OF THE DESERT

UK, 1960, 92 minutes, Colour.

Charlie Drake, Peter Arne, Sarah Branch, Raymond Huntley, Rebecca Dignam, Peter Illing, Marne Maitland, Martin Benson, Eric Pohlmann, Judith Furse.

Directed by John Paddy Carstairs.

There is no major reason to see this film. Perhaps a special study of British comedy of the 1950s and 1960s means that it would have some kind of research value.

While the film was written and directed by John Paddy Carstairs, filming from the 1930s, many comedies including a number by Norman Wisdom, and Tommy the Toreador with Tommy Steele, it is certainly not one of his best. And, it is a star vehicle for the diminutive Charlie Drake, popular on television and the star of a few films.

Perhaps it was very popular at the time that he is very hard to take and, since it is at the centre of the film, the film is rather hard to take. He has one of those exotic scenarios, dithering employee of a travel firm sent to an exotic location where there has been sabotaged in order to set up a summer camp.

Number of British character actors appear in the supporting cast, most surprisingly the very serious always Raymond Huntley who must have been wondering what he was doing in this film. There is more than a touch of glamour with Sarah Branch. There are various agents, double agents, intrigue, possible dangers for Charlie Drake that is managing to escape them all with various pratfalls and plot complications which strain for laughs.

But, a good word for the young girl played by Rebecca Dignam, a mute, but very expressive and a relief to have someone sensible in the film.

TOMMY THE TOREADOR

UK, 1959, 90 minutes, Colour.

Tommy Steele, Janet Munro, Sidney James, Bernard Cribbins, Noel Purcell, Ferdy Maine, Kenneth Williams, Eric Sykes, Francis De Wolff, Warren Mitchell.

Directed by John Paddy Carstairs.

A piece of light, very light, entertainment from the UK in the spirit of the late 1950s. It was a star vehicle for Tommy Steele, emerging in the UK as a rock ‘n’ roll star, to rival Elvis Presley. However, he moved into light music entertainment, more a rival to Cliff Richard. This is his second film. In the later 1960s he was have success in The Happiest Millionaire, unions Rainbow, Where’s Charlie and, particularly, Half a Sixpence.

This is a colourful story of a sailor stranded in Spain, all kinds of problems, mistaken identity, accidentally saving a bullfighter, commandeered into being a toreador. There are all kinds of Mac nations about fighters and bulls, the main bullfighter arrested and imprisoned, his agent, Ferdy Maine, trying to get him out. And, rather unbelievable with Spanish accented English, Sid James and Bernard Cribbins as to entrepreneurs missing the bullfighter in jail, build up Tommy to take his place. And this is enhanced by Tommy’s accidental saving mother bullfighter, the son of the proprietor of the hotel where he and the senior, Janet Munro, who is got to know Peter being and are unable to pay! And there is a policeman on his trail.

It is in this film that Tommy Steele sings the very popular song, The Little White bull, joining with children in the performance.

In fact, the film was also very much a musical, quite a number of numbers, and, this film coming just before the Carry on series, it is a surprise to see Sid James and Bernard Cribbins combining with Tommy Steele in a song and dance routine! Definitely a sequence for Sid James fans. And, the singer has a manager, played by Eric Sykes who is said to have fame and popularity on television. And, in the role of a waiter, bewildered at the hotel, there is Warren Mitchell before his television and film career took off.

Then, all the atmosphere of the bullfight, the arena, the crowds, and Tommy going into all kinds of action, thinking he was with the kindly bull that he encountered, at the fiercest substitute confronting him, heroism, and running away, the various reactions of the crowd – and, of course, a happy ending and wedding bells.