The Tommy Steele Story
| The Tommy Steele Story | |
|---|---|
.jpg) UK poster by Tom Chantrell | |
| Directed by | Gerard Bryant |
| Written by | Norman Hudis |
| Produced by | Herbert Smith executive Stuart Levy Nat Cohen Peter Rogers |
| Starring | Tommy Steele |
| Cinematography | Peter Hennessy |
| Edited by | Ann Chegwidden |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Anglo-Amalgamated (UK) AIP (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Tommy Steele Story is a 1957 British film starring Tommy Steele, dramatising Steele's own rise to fame.[1]
It was released in the US as Rock Around the World, since it was felt no one in America knew who Tommy Steele was.[2][3]
Along with Rock You Sinners it was one of the first British rock and roll movies.
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 Lyttleton & 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 had a hand in writing every song on the soundtrack except one.[4] He was paid £3,000 for the lead role.[5]
Reception
The film was the 13th most popular movie at the British box office in 1957.[6] Steele was voted the seventh most popular star in Britain for that year.[7]
The film was one of the few British movies screened in Russia.[8]
Soundtrack
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
- ^ ""THE TOMMY STEELE STORY"". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 27 November 1957. p. 42. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- ^ Gary A. Smith, American International Pictures: The Golden Years, Bear Manor Media 2014 p 59
- ^ The Story of Tommy Steele The Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file) [Boston, Mass] 10 Oct 1957: 7
- ^ "DISC DIGEST". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 19 February 1958. p. 34. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- ^ David Shipman The Great Movie Stars: The International Years, London: Angus & Robertson, 1972 p.494
- ^ LINDSAY ANDERSON, and DAVID DENT. "Time For New Ideas." Times [London, England] 8 January 1958: 9. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.
- ^ Most Popular Film of the Year. The Times (London, England), Thursday, 12 December 1957; pg. 3; Issue 54022
- ^ The Tommy Steele (in Moscow) Story Gale, John. The Observer [London (UK)] 9 August 1959: 1.