It's All Over Town

1964 British film by Douglas Hickox

It's All Over Town
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Douglas Hickox
Written by	Stewart Farrar
Produced by	Jacques de Lane Lea
Starring	Frankie Vaughan Lance Percival Willie Rushton
Cinematography	Martin Curtis
Edited by	Maria Moruzzi
Music by	Ivor Raymonde

It's All Over Town is a 1964 British musical film directed by Douglas Hickox and starring Frankie Vaughan.^[1]^[2] The film features Lance Percival as a daydreaming stage technician and Willie Rushton as his friend, and includes songs performed by the Springfields, Clodagh Rodgers, the Bachelors, Acker Bilk and the Hollies, as well as Vaughan.^[3]

Cast

Frankie Vaughan as himself
Lance Percival as Richard Abel
Willie Rushton as fat friend
Acker Bilk as himself
The Springfields as themselves
The Hollies as themselves
The Bachelors as themselves
Clodagh Rogers as herself (billed as Cloda Rogers)
Wayne Gibson as himself
Jan and Kelly as themselves
Ivor Cutler as salvationist
Ingrid Anthofer as herself
April Olrich as Russian dancer
Stephen Jack as narrator

Production

Hickox said they shot it in 15 days without sound and the "script consisted of two tiny typewritten pages, badly typewritten at that."^[4]

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Variety is aimed at – and achieved – by the various singers and vocal groups, taking in straight ballads, comedy numbers, guitar-twanging rhythmic numbers with close-harmony singing and an almost falsetto delivery ... and the quasi-jazz contributions of Mr. Acker Bilk, including an arrangement of "The Volga Boatmen" complete with Russian dancer (April Olrich) and tame bear. Old-style chorus girl routines are Out, replaced by "The Bunnies" – twisting hostesses from the Raymond Revuebar Club, which also supplies the naughty-but-nice striptease act of Ingrid Anthofer. .... The naughty note is echoed elsewhere, notably in Mr. Acker Bilk's rendition of the lyrics of "Sippin' cider beside 'er" – most enjoyable, this – and in the swift education of squares, prophets of doom and eccentric Salvation Army-ists, who are quickly and easily introduced to the joys of imbibing and ogling. All good fun. Or is it? Perhaps the psychologist might read a wealth of meaning in the extrovert antics of this superficial musical charade. Certainly it has an "A" certificate, extraordinary for a pop film."^[5]

References

^ "It's All Over Town". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
^ IT'S ALL OVER TOWN Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 31, Iss. 360, (Jan 1, 1964): 26.
^ Soundtrack listing, IMDB.
^ Schhh, high camp, and Mr Sloane, The Guardian 25 Feb 1970: 8.
^ "It's All Over Town". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 31 (360): 26. 1 January 1964 – via ProQuest.