Gathering up DVD's of films that my dad could enjoy watching during the Easter holiday,I decided to dust down some old issues of a UK movie magazine called Empire,and to take a look at a column by genre film reviewer Kim Newman.Along with the re-released Horror titles,I was pleased to stumble upon a review by Newman about a very intriguing sounding 'Teen Rebel' title,which led to me getting set to pay a visit to 'swinging Bristol' for the first time.

The plot:

Getting fined £40 for street racing on motorbikes,a young gang of friends decide to instead pass the time by messing around in all the shops in Bristol.As they start to walk back home (after being bored to death at a youth centre),one of them notices the door to a church open.

Being curious about what's taking place inside,the gang enter the church and are met by the churchwarden Mr.Smith.Thinking that they can mess him around,one of the gang mention that they would like to perform some Rock music in the venue,which to everyone's surprise,Mr.Smith agrees to.As their music ability starts to progress,tensions begin to build in the gang,over fears that they are conforming.

View on the film:

Keeping the movie away from 'swinging London',the screenplay by John Eldridge reveals a very real down to earth quality about it,thanks to Eldidge keeping away from making the gang mindless rebels,by showing each of them to be confused,but well meaning,in their desires to find a good direction in life.Whilst some of the individual gang members sub- plots do feel over stretched,Eldridge smartly places the band dynamics right at the centre,which help to give the title a lively,jazzy edge.

Filmed on location,director Clive Donner gives the film an eye catching,raw Docu-Drama appearance,with Donner keeping away from sets and extras by using real locations and real people,which along with giving the title a non- fantasied location,also allows Donner to show real peoples reactions,as the band begin to kick out the jams.

Whilst each of the gang/band members give terrific performance,David Hemmings stands out in the group thanks to him showing an extremely charismatic energy in Bert's excitement of playing in a band,which along with strong performances from 'old guards' Keith Moore, (play an ahead of its time role of a single dad)and Harry H.Corbett show that there are some people/bands that should be seen live.

The first thing to note is that nearly all the actors playing teenagers are well into their twenties.This film obviously appealed to Bristolians but otherwise it is going to leave you cold.It is boring and runs out of plot very quickly.Kenneth More,on his way down,appears only occasionally.Was he that desperate?Some scenes are badly recorded you can't hear the dialogue over the ambient sound.

This was the film in which Clive Donner marked himself as a director to watch having worked his way up from second features, and fulfilled the promise he showed here with 'The Caretaker' and the forgotten classic 'Nothing But the Best'; before like most British directors of his era coming a cropper with Hollywood and ending his days in television.

Shot by John Wilcox in gleaming Eastmancolor on location in Bristol (although only Ray Brooks seems to be making a serious attempt at the local accent),it wears it's message lightly but was dismissed eleven years later by the Allans as "too firmly set in 1962 for much contemporary interest". But like Anneke Wills' jeans it looks cool again (while the driving of our young trio of delinquents' benefactor The Duke of Edinburgh has only recently caused a brush with the law of his own).