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 directed by Gerard Bryant and 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.[4]
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 helped to write every song on the soundtrack except one.[5] He was paid £3,000 for the lead role.[6]
Reception
The Tommy Steele Story was the 13th most popular film at the British box office in 1957.[7] Steele was voted the seventh most popular star in Britain for that year.[8]
The Tommy Steele Story was one of the few British films screened in Russia.[9]
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
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Tommy Steele Story, The (1957)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
- ^ "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.