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The Tommy Steele Story

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Wikipedia article




'The Tommy Steele Story' is a 1957 British film directed by Gerard Bryant and starring Tommy Steele, dramatising Steele's own rise to fame.

It was released in the US as 'Rock Around the World', since it was felt no one in America knew who Tommy Steele was.Gary A. Smith, 'American International Pictures: The Golden Years', Bear Manor Media 2014 p 59

Along with 'Rock You Sinners', it was one of the first British films to feature rock and roll.

Plot



Tommy Steele lives with his mother and father in their London home. He works with a bellboy until he injures his spine doing judo. In hospital he is given a guitar to help with his therapy and he starts to play to entertain patients and staff. He works on an ocean liner, performing in his spare time, and gets a job playing in a coffee bar. He is popular with audiences and gets a recording contract.

Cast



*Tommy Steele as himself

*Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group

*Nancy Whiskey

*Humphrey Lyttelton & his Band

*Tommy Eytle's Calypso Band

*Chris O'Brien's Caribbeans ('The Caribbean' Club Band)

*The Steelmen

*Hilda Fenemore as Mrs Steele

*Charles Lamb as Mr Steele

Production



Steele was approached to make the film by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy. He later wrote in his memoirs, "They were quite different from that other British film mogul, J. Arthur Rank. Where Rank was C. Aubrey Smith, Cohen and Levy were Abbott and Costello. They didn't so much as hold a meeting as do an act."Steele p 270 He added "there was a degree of madness about them but you had to be mad to take the chances they took with a little eccentricity for good measure."Steele p 271

Steele agreed to do the film. He met with Mike Pratt and Lionel Bart and they spent a month writing the songs. Two weeks later the film was shot.Steele p 271

He was paid 3,000 for the lead role.David Shipman 'The Great Movie Stars: The International Years', London: Angus & Robertson, 1972 p.494

Steele says director Gerald Bryant "was more like a poet than a showman."Steele p 271

Reception



'The Tommy Steele Story' was the 13th most popular film at the British box office in 1957. Steele was voted the seventh most popular star in Britain for that year.

'The Tommy Steele Story' was one of the few British films screened in Russia.

Soundtrack



Steele helped to write every song on the soundtrack except one.

The soundtrack was released in May 1957. The following songs appear:

*A1 Take Me Back, Baby

*A2 Butterfingers

*A3 I Like

*A4 A Handful Of Songs

*A5 You Gotta Go

*A6 Water, Water

*A7 Cannibal Pot

*B1 Will It Be You

*B2 Two Eyes

*B3 Build Up

*B4 Time To Kill

*B5 Elevator Rock

*B6 Doomsday Rock

*B7 Teenage Party

References



Notes



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