BEAT GIRL (released in the U.S. under the title WILD FOR KICKS) is a 1960 British film concerning teenage rebellion and rock and roll music. It is of interest to fans of English fantastic films due to the cast, which includes Christopher Lee, Oliver Reed, Gillian Hills (DEMONS OF THE MIND), Claire Gordon (KONGA), Shirley Anne Field (THESE ARE THE DAMNED), Nigel Green (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS), and Delphi Lawrence (THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH).
Gillian Hills plays Jennifer, the sullen and pouty teenage daughter of a successful architect (David Farrar). Jennifer's father returns from a long trip away with a new, young attractive French wife (Noelle Adam), which makes the girl's attitude even worse. Jennifer spends most of her time at a cafe with her beatnik friends. Across the street from this cafe is a strip club, and Jennifer, by happenstance, finds out that one of the dancers who works there (Delphi Lawrence) knew her stepmother. Jennifer goes to the club, hoping to get more information on her stepmother's past, and she attracts the attention of the club's owner (Christopher Lee). Jennifer's machinations cause problems for plenty of folks.
BEAT GIRL isn't a social study about angry youth--it's a exploitation movie all the way, with teenagers acting up and performances by exotic dancers. (There's even a few flashes of nudity.) The musical aspects are supplied by a score from John Barry (his first complete score for a film, featuring his jazz band), and a couple songs by British pop star Adam Faith, who plays one of Jennifer's friends. (As an actor, Faith isn't the most expressive guy in the world.)
Most of the "teenagers" look older than they are supposed to be (Gillian Hills actually was in her mid-teens), and the beatnik dialogue they are given to recite is rather stilted. A lot of the acting in this film is stilted as well. The script tries to suggest that the attitudes of Jennifer and her friends are due to a national postwar malaise, but the kids come off as whiny and lazy instead of dangerous. Oliver Reed has only a small role as one of the teenagers at the cafe, but whenever he is in a scene he always goes out of his way to draw attention to himself. Shirley Anne Field, as another member of the cafe group, gets to sing a song called "It's Legal"....which is ironic, because her dialogue is dubbed by another actress. Noelle Adam, as Jennifer's glamorous stepmother, has such a thick French accent that for the most part it's hard to understand what she is saying.
The scenes at the strip club are far more interesting than Jennifer's problems at home. Christopher Lee could have easily made the strip club owner an obvious slimeball, but instead he underplays the role, giving the man a quiet menace. (When Lee is informed that Jennifer is underage, his interest in the girl is increased.) We get to see the busty Claire Gordon in a French maid outfit, and Delphi Lawrence gets attention as the bitter dancer who is jealous of Lee's attentions toward Jennifer. Nigel Green provides some humor into the role of Lee's smarmy associate at the club.
BEAT GIRL was directed by French director Edmond T. Greville, who would work with Lee soon again in a remake of THE HANDS OF ORLAC. One wonders how realistic the movie looked even back in 1960. Much of the melodramatics seem silly today, but the cast is worth watching, and John Barry's score is quite good.
I picked up the Sinister Cinema release about a year ago, and the quality isn't terrific. It looks like some things were cut, so I would like to find a better, more complete version. I enjoyed the film. But then, I love these teen angst classics. Christopher Lee was impressive. Is this on Blu-ray?
ReplyDeleteI don't think so, maybe there's a Region B version.....the print I watched on Tubi was very sharp and in widescreen, and with the nudity I assume it was uncut.
Delete