Without a doubt, Anthony Newley's best later film performance, he plays a character that is well drawn out and in spite of what he does for a living, Newley makes him likeable. Like the character in the famous book "What Makes Sammy Run", Newley's character is the host of a girlie show, fortunately not singing in his shrill booming voice as he parades around girls wearing castles as they sing, probably a lot more talented than women in this profession ever were. They have a gimmick, and unlike the strippers in "Gypsy", they disprove the statement of "All you need to have is no talent". The ruthlessness of his character covers his disgust with what he does, and he has to deal with the sleazy owners, filthy minded customers and the young women who hate the clientele with every breath in their body. All it takes is love for him to open up to see the light.
"I've never looked down on a group of such pathetic looking characters in my life", Newley says in a confrontation in the London Soho District which gets a great travelogue in the opening scene as the camera with its black and white photography scans down much of the area. This truly provides a great historical view of the changing neighborhood, and the film truly shows the depravity of what goes on after dark. A great ensemble includes something familiar character actors, known more by face than by name. This truly could have been a fun piece of filthy trash, but the script is so realistic and raw that it rises above the atmosphere it is set in. So while it has a definite exploitation theme to it, this is nothing like "Valley of the Dolls", those Russ Meyer skin flicks or modern American sleazefests like "Showgirls" or "Burlesque". As a result, Newley could easily refer to this as the world of art that he wanted to step on rather than get off.
"I've never looked down on a group of such pathetic looking characters in my life", Newley says in a confrontation in the London Soho District which gets a great travelogue in the opening scene as the camera with its black and white photography scans down much of the area. This truly provides a great historical view of the changing neighborhood, and the film truly shows the depravity of what goes on after dark. A great ensemble includes something familiar character actors, known more by face than by name. This truly could have been a fun piece of filthy trash, but the script is so realistic and raw that it rises above the atmosphere it is set in. So while it has a definite exploitation theme to it, this is nothing like "Valley of the Dolls", those Russ Meyer skin flicks or modern American sleazefests like "Showgirls" or "Burlesque". As a result, Newley could easily refer to this as the world of art that he wanted to step on rather than get off.