Soho Conspiracy

Soho Conspiracy
Directed by	Cecil H. Williamson
Written by	Ralph Dawson Cecil H. Williamson Mario Monicelli Stefano Vanzina
Produced by	Edwin J. Fancey
Starring	Zena Marshall Jacques Labrecque Peter Gawthorne John Witty
Cinematography	Ray Densham
Music by	Felice Montagnini
Production company	E.J. Fancey Productions
Distributed by	DUK
Release date	October 1950 (1950-10)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Soho Conspiracy is a 1950 British 'B' ^[1] musical drama film directed by Cecil H. Williamson and starring Jacques Labrecque, Zena Marshall and Peter Gawthorne. ^[2] It was written by Ralph Dawson, Williamson, Mario Monicelli and Stefano Vanzina.

Premise

A young man attempts to stage a charity concert in order to raise funds to refurbish a Soho church.

Production

The film incorporates footage from the 1948 Italian film Mad About Opera (Follie per l'opera) for the climactic concert performance. ^[1]

Cast

• Zena Marshall as Dora
• Jacques Labrecque as Carlo Scala
• Peter Gawthorne as Father Shaney
• John Witty as Guy
• Max Harrison as Gondotti brother
• Syd Harrison as Gondotti brother
• Gino Bechi as himself
• Beniamino Gigli as himself
• Tito Gobbi as himself
• Tito Schipa as himself

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Gay but amateurish film, whose main virtue is the singing by the Italian stars; this, however, appears to have been contrived by the wholesale lifting of excerpts from other (unnamed) films." ^[3]

The Daily Film Renter wrote: "A curious mixture, lavishly produced, of melodrama and slapstick, in which the comedy is more easily followed than the story itself." ^[4]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Cut-price film 'borrows' wholesale from earlier movies for its distinguished 'guest stars'" ^[5]

References

1. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 118. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
2. "Soho Conspiracy". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
3. "Soho Conspiracy". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 17 (193): 174. 1 January 1950. ProQuest   1305818858.
4. "Soho Conspiracy". The Daily Film Renter (6070): 6. 20 September 1950. ProQuest   2600943902.
5. Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 375. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.

External links

• Soho Conspiracy at IMDb