Saturday Night Out *** (1964, Heather Sears, John Bonney, Bernard Lee, Erika Remberg, Francesca Annis, Margaret Nolan, David Lodge) – Classic Movie Review 11,831

Director Robert Hartford-Davis’s 1964 comedy-drama film Saturday Night Out is a British early-Swinging Sixties episodic picture about three sailors on overnight leave in London. Two find hookers and one, Jamey (Colin Campbell), actually finds someone worthwhile, Jean (Francesca Annis).

In the simple but effective overall framework, the trio of merchant seamen and ship’s passengers disembark when their ship arrives at the Pool of London and set off for Saturday night entertainment in London.

The yarns are not particularly fascinating, and Hartford-Davis brings little flair to the direction, but the acting of Heather Sears as art student Penny, Bernard Lee as blackmail victim George Hudson and Nigel Green and Patricia Hayes as lushes Paddy and Edie’s Mother and many other memorable cast members saves the day.

Saturday Night Out is an atmospheric time capsule, celebrated for its portrait of early Swinging London, and there is a nice flavour of the era, too.

The top Brit pop hits of the day, The Searchers, appear as themselves. Their song ‘Saturday Night Out’, written by Tony Hatch (as Mark Anthony) and Robert Richards, is on the B-side of their hit ‘Needles and Pins’.

It is shot in black and white by Peter Newbrook.

Heather Sears next appeared in the same production team’s The Black Torment (1964).

It is an independent production by Michael Klinger and Tony Tenser, shot at Shepperton Studios on sets designed by Peter Proud and on location around London.

The cast Heather Sears as Penny, John Bonney as Lee, Bernard Lee as George Hudson, Erika Remberg as Wanda, Colin Campbell as Jamey, Francesca Annis as Jean, Inigo Jackson as Harry, Vera Day as Arlene, Caroline Mortimer as Marline, Margaret Nolan as Julie, David Lodge as Arthur, Nigel Green as Paddy, Toni Gilpin as Margaret, Barbara Roscoe as Miss Bingo, Martine Beswick as barmaid, Patricia Hayes as Edie’s mother, Derek Bond as Paul, Freddie Mills as Joe, The Searchers as themselves, David Burke as manager,  Shirley Cameron as Edie, Patsy Fagan as barmaid, Gerry Gibson as doorman, Barry Langford as barman, Janet Milner as waitress, Wendy Newton as Kathy, and Jack Taylor as landlord.

The films of Robert Hartford-Davis: Crosstrap (1962), The Yellow Teddy Bears (1963), The Black Torment (1964), Saturday Night Out (1964), Gonks Go Beat (1965), The Sandwich Man (1966), Corruption (1967), The Smashing Bird I Used to Know (1969), Incense for the Damned (1970), Nobody Ordered Love (1972), The Fiend (1972), Black Gunn (1972) and The Take (1974).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,831

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