Band of Thieves (1962 film)

Last updated
Band of Thieves
Band of Thieves (1962 film).jpg
Directed by Peter Bezencenet
Written byLyn Fairhurst
Harold Shampan
Produced by Lance Comfort
Starring Acker Bilk
Geoffrey Sumner
Jennifer Jayne
Cinematography Nicolas Roeg
Edited byTristam Cones
Music by Norrie Paramor
Production
company
Filmvale Productions
Distributed by Rank Film Distributors
Release date
  • 30 August 1962 (1962-08-30)
Running time
69 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Band of Thieves is a 1962 British musical film directed by Peter Bezencenet and starring Acker Bilk, Geoffrey Sumner and Jennifer Jayne. [1] It was produced as a second feature in an attempt to cash in on the Trad jazz craze. [2] It was shot at Pinewood Studios, with cinematography by Nicolas Roeg.

Contents

Plot

Acker Bilk and his trad-jazz band are in prison. On their release they are persuaded by their promoter to burgle local stately homes while on tour. His girlfriend, a policewoman, finds out, and Bilk and his band go back to prison, as does the promoter.

Cast

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "It's the exuberance that matters. Like a seaside summer show, the film knows its place and its public and isn't ashamed of either. The plot is as zestfully slapdash as the production and the acting. But some cooler jokes suggest a knowing mind at work on the script, and Acker Bilk – both musically and personally – is a welcome addition to the screen ranks." [3]

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "Nicolas Roeg received his third credit as a cinematographer on this caper comedy. But jazz fans will be more interested in seeing Acker Bilk starring in the second of his three 1960s pictures. Ostensibly, the clarinettist plays himself. But the real Acker presumably didn't use his gigs as a front for stately home robberies! ... Slight, but fun." [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acker Bilk</span> English clarinetist and vocalist (1929–2014)

Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk, was an English clarinetist and vocalist known for his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register style, and distinctive appearance – of goatee, bowler hat and striped waistcoat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trad jazz</span> Form of jazz in the United States and Britain in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s

Trad jazz, short for "traditional jazz", is a form of jazz in the United States and Britain that flourished from the 1930s to 1960s, based on the earlier New Orleans Dixieland jazz style. Prominent trad jazz musicians such as Chris Barber, Freddy Randall, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Ken Colyer and Monty Sunshine performed a populist repertoire which also included jazz versions of pop songs and nursery rhymes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Ball</span> English jazz musician (1930–2013)

Kenneth Daniel Ball was an English jazz musician, best known as the bandleader, lead trumpet player and vocalist in Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen.

<i>Its Trad, Dad!</i> 1962 British film by Richard Lester

It's Trad, Dad! is a 1962 British musical comedy film directed by Richard Lester in his feature directorial debut. It stars singer and actress Helen Shapiro alongside Craig Douglas, John Leyton, the Brook Brothers, and Chubby Checker, among other rock-and-roll singers, as well as several Dixieland jazz bands. The film was one of the first produced by Amicus Productions, a company known predominantly for horror films.

<i>Touch of Death</i> (1961 film) 1961 British film by Lance Comfort

Touch of Death is a 1961 black and white British second feature crime film directed by Lance Comfort and starring William Lucas, David Sumner, Ray Barrett and Jan Waters. It was written by Lyn Fairhurst from a story by Aubrey Cash and Wilfred Josephs.

<i>Poets Pub</i> 1949 British film by Frederick Wilson

Poet's Pub is a 1949 British second feature ('B') comedy film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Derek Bond, Rona Anderson and James Robertson Justice. It is based on the 1929 novel of the same title by Eric Linklater. The film was one of four of David Rawnsley's Aquila Films that used his proposed "independent frame" technique.

<i>The End of the Line</i> (1957 film) 1957 British film by Charles Saunders

The End of the Line is a 1957 British second feature crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Alan Baxter, Barbara Shelley, Ferdy Mayne and Jennifer Jayne. The screenplay was by Paul Erickson. It was released in the USA in 1959.

<i>Information Received</i> 1961 British film by Robert Lynn

Information Received is a 1961 second feature ('B') British crime film directed by Robert Lynn and starring Sabine Sesselmann, William Sylvester and Hermione Baddeley. The screenplay was by Paul Ryder from an original story by Berkeley Mather. The cinematography was by Nicolas Roeg.

<i>Jazz Boat</i> 1960 British film by Ken Hughes

Jazz Boat is a 1960 British black-and-white musical comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries and big band leader Ted Heath and his orchestra. It was written by John Antrobus and Hughes based on the 1960 novel Jazz Boat by Rex Rienits. The cinematographer was Nicolas Roeg.

<i>Mark of the Phoenix</i> 1958 British film by Maclean Rogers

Mark of the Phoenix is a 1958 British second feature ('B') drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Julia Arnall, Sheldon Lawrence and Anton Diffring. It was written by Norman Hudis. An American jewel thief comes into possession of a newly developed metal.

<i>Recoil</i> (1953 film) 1953 British film by John Gilling

Recoil is a 1953 British 'B' crime film directed by John Gilling and starring Kieron Moore, Elizabeth Sellars and Edward Underdown.

<i>Clash by Night</i> (1963 film) 1963 British film by Montgomery Tully

For the 1952 Fritz Lang film of the same name see Clash by Night.

Five Days is a 1954 British second feature ('B') film noir directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Dane Clark, Paul Carpenter and Thea Gregory. It was written by Paul Tabori and produced by Anthony Hinds for Hammer Film Productions. It was released in the United States by Lippert Pictures.

<i>Compelled</i> 1960 British film by Ramsey Herrington

Compelled is a 1960 British second feature ('B') neo noir black and white crime film directed by Ramsey Herrington and starring Ronald Howard and Beth Rogan. It was written by Mark Grantham and produced by the Danziger Brothers.

<i>The Great Van Robbery</i> 1959 British film by Max Varnel

The Great Van Robbery is a 1959 black-and-white British crime film starring Denis Shaw and Kay Callard, directed by Max Varnel. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzigers.

<i>Climb Up the Wall</i> 1960 British film by Michael Winner

Climb Up the Wall is a 1960 British second feature comedy and musical film directed by Michael Winner and starring Jack Jackson, Glen Mason and Russ Conway. It was written by Winner and Jackson, and features uncredited appearances by Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine.

The Armchair Detective is a 1952 British mystery film directed by Brendan J. Stafford and starring Ernest Dudley, Hartley Power, and Sally Newton. It was made at Viking Studios. According to Stephen Chibnall "critics thought it better heard than seen."

<i>Its All Over Town</i> 1964 British film by Douglas Hickox

It's All Over Town is a 1964 British musical film directed by Douglas Hickox and starring Frankie Vaughan. 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.

<i>Gaolbreak</i> 1962 British film by Francis Searle

Gaolbreak is a 1962 British second feature crime film directed by Francis Searle and starring Peter Reynolds, Avice Landone and Carol White. The film was released as a supporting feature to Tiara Tahiti (1962).

<i>Attempt to Kill</i> 1961 British film by Royston Morley

Attempt to Kill is a 1961 British second feature ('B') film directed by Royston Morley and starring Derek Farr and Tony Wright. The screenplay was by Richard Harris, based on the 1929 Edgar Wallace novel The Lone House Mystery. It is part of the series of Edgar Wallace Mysteries films made at Merton Park Studios from 1960 to 1965.

References

  1. ↑ "Band of Thieves". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  2. ↑ Chibnall & McFarlane p.59
  3. ↑ "Band of Thieves". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 29 (336): 139. 1 January 1962. ProQuest   1305823117 – via ProQuest.
  4. ↑ Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 68. ISBN   9780992936440.

Bibliography


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.