Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1963
The Small World of Sammy Lee
Buy The Small World of Sammy Lee now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'The Small World of Sammy Lee' is a 1963 British crime film written and directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Julia Foster and Robert Stephens.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090116092142/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/51151 BFI.org] A striptease-show compere is hunted across the seedy London underworld of Soho by debt collectors.SMALL WORLD OF SAMMY LEE, The
Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 30, Iss. 348, (Jan 1, 1963): 80.
Synopsis and outline
Sammy Lee has five hours to pay off a gambling debt.
The film was based on a 1958 television play written and directed by Ken Hughes which also featured Anthony Newley in the lead.
Cast
* Anthony Newley as Sammy 'Lee' Leeman
* Julia Foster as Patsy
* Robert Stephens as Gerry Sullivan
* Wilfrid Brambell as Harry
* Warren Mitchell as Lou Leeman
* Miriam Karlin as Milly
* Kenneth J. Warren as Fred
* Clive Colin-Bowler as Johnny
* Toni Palmer as Joan
* Harry Locke as Stage Manager
* Al Mulock as Dealer
* Cyril Shaps as Maurice 'Morrie' Bellman
* Roy Kinnear as Lucky Dave
* Derek Nimmo as Rembrandt
* Harry Baird as Buddy Shine
* Alfred Burke as Big Eddie
* June Cunningham as Rita
* Elmer as Lofty
* Lynda Baron as Yvette
* Ken Wayne as Barman
* Kevin Brennan as Poker Player
* Billy Milton as Hardware Store Manager
* Ronald Radd as Big Alf
Original TV Version
The story was originally filmed for BBC TV by Hughes as 'Sammy' in 1958. This version was a one person show and starred Newley.
'Variety' called it "a masterful piece of work."[https://archive.org/details/variety210-1958-04/page/n46/mode/1up?q=%22ken+hughes%22 Review of TV play Sammy] at Variety
'Eddie'
This in turn was adapted for American TV in 1958 as 'Eddie' on 'Alcoa Theatre'. It starred Mickey Rooney and was directed by Jack Smight.THE TV SCENE---: Du Pont Goes In for Safety FirstSmith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 17 Nov 1958: A8. The production was censored at the last minute - during the final scene Rooney's character is beaten up, but the sponsors worried this was too violent. So instead the screen went dark for twenty seconds.THE TV SCENE---: Industry Leaning Heavily on Tapes
Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 19 Nov 1958: A10.
'Variety' called it "interesting, at times exciting."[https://archive.org/details/variety212-1958-11/page/n199/mode/1up?q=%22ken+hughes%22 Review of Eddie] at Variety
Both Rooney and Smight won Emmies for the show.8 PLAYS FACE TEST AT BUSY WESTPORT: Tryouts in Summer Theatre Called Less Expensive -- Smight to Stage Show
By, LOUIS CALTA. New York Times 21 July 1960: 16.
Production
The original TV play was very successful and Hughes had requests to turn it into a feature, but he was reluctant, considering that the one-person aspect of the story was crucial. Eventually he decided to adapt it, but disliked the job he did. "I did everything wrong," he said. "I opened the story out in all the obvious ways. I showed what was happening at the other end of the telephone calls for instance when Sammy's end was all that was really needed." He then did another version which he liked.LONDON SCREEN SCENE: Edward G. Robinson Returns To Work --Second 'Sammy'--Sequel Plans
By STEPHEN WATTS. New York Times 23 Sep 1962: 135.
In June 1962 it was announced Anthony Newley would star in the film version. Newley had just achieved a London stage success in 'Stop the World I Want to Get Off' and would shortly repeat this success on Broadway. The film of 'Sammy' was co produced by Kenneth Hyman of Seven Arts.Claire Bloom, Julie Harris in 'Haunting': 'Blithe Spirit' for Zsa Zsa; TV's Schaefer Plots Pair
Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 25 June 1962: C11. It was one of Seven Arts' first distribution efforts.SEVEN ARTS ENTERS MOVIE DISTRIBUTION
New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]23 May 1963: 31. Newley called it "the drama of the perennial loser."THE LOCAL MOTION PICTURE FRONT
By HOWARD THOMPSON. New York Times 11 Aug 1963: 95.
Julia Foster played the female lead. She says Ken Hughes was "scary... and he frightened me slightly". Foster said later when she confronted him about this, the director said he did that deliberately to make her feel more vulnerable. She appeared nude in the film which was rare at the time.VANESSA FACES UP TO THE STARK FACTS ... OF ART FOR ART'S SAKE...
London Life; London (Oct 15, 1966): 6-7
Music
Music for the film was composed by Kenny Graham; a soundtrack album did not appear at the time of the film's release, but one was later released by Trunk Records in 2013.
Reception
Critical
The 'New York Times' called it "monotonous".Screen: A Look at Sammy's World: By BOSLEY CROWTHER. New York Times 14 Aug 1963: 28.'Filmink' later said "The film contains much to admire, including superb photography and acting... and a glimpse of Soho of the time. It is repetitive (Sammy tries to get money, almost gets it, doesnt) and how much you like it will very much depend on your opinion of Anthony Newley."
Box Office
The film was a box office disaster and caused Bryanston to lose 80,000. Hughes said "nobody came near me" after the film came out.MOVIES: Hughes' 'Cromwell' Was Made With Malice AforethoughtSHIVAS, MARK. Los Angeles Times 20 Dec 1970: m30.
Reputation today
Andrew Pulver wrote in November 2016 for 'The Guardian', at the time of the film's re-release: "Its a genuine curiosity: the last knockings of black-and-white, beat-influenced hipster cinema before a tide of gaudily-coloured, new wave-inspired, pop art films. Ken Hughes, its director, reached back to the pre-war working-class bohemianism so perfectly captured by Graham Greene and Gerald Kersh".
References
Buy The Small World of Sammy Lee now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1963