The System [The Girl-Getters] **** (1964, Oliver Reed, Jane Merrow, Barbara Ferris) – Classic Movie Review 7,767

Oliver Reed stars in Michael Winner’s 1964 black and white youth sex drama film The System [The Girl-Getters] about teenage tearaways in an English seaside town, where young men seek out female tourists for sexual conquests.

Oliver Reed was already enjoying a good little career in Hammer horrors when young director Michael Winner picked him as the star of this 1964 black and white youth sex drama film The System [The Girl-Getters] about teenage tearaways at the English seaside, where a group of young men seek out female tourists for sexual conquests.

Reed does well as group leader Tinker, the local photographer and Casanova, while Jane Merrow as Nicola, Barbara Ferris as Suzy, Julia Foster as Lorna and Ann Lynn as Ella are a very fine collection of female co-stars.

The script, though thinly plotted, is convincingly written by Peter Draper, and Winner films in the British realism style of the day, helped no doubt by sharp lensing work in black and white from cinematographer Nicolas Roeg, filming on location in Devon (Torquay, Paignton), as well as at Twickenham Film Studios, Middlesex, England.

It is one of nine films that Reed made with Winner.

Also in the standout cast are Guy Doleman, David Hemmings, Derek Nimmo, Derek Newark, Harry Andrews, Andrew Ray, John Alderton, Jeremy Burnham, Mark Burns, Pauline Munro and Gwendolyn Watts.

In October 2020, Jane Merrow recalled of The System: ‘Another good memory in these bad times, which will pass in time. Bad times…now…pandemic, people fighting, hating. 2020..hmm. 1964 great times.’ She remembers Peter Draper: ‘Nice modest man…so much talent.’

Draper (1925–2004) also wrote the screenplays for Winner’s I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname (1967) and also for Robert Ellis Miller’s The Buttercup Chain (1970).

The System is directed by Michael Winner, runs 93 minutes, is made by Kenneth Shipman Productions, is released by British Lion-Bryanston Films (1964) (UK) and American International Pictures [AIP] (1966) (US), is written by Peter Draper, is shot by Nicolas Roeg, is produced by Kenneth Shipman and George Fowler, and is scored by Stanley Black.

Release date: 11 October 1964.

AIP advertised it as ‘The Girl-Getters is an adult film for teenagers… and a teenage film for adults.’

The cast

The cast are Oliver Reed as Tinker, Jane Merrow as Nicola, Barbara Ferris as Suzy, Julia Foster as Lorna, Harry Andrews as Larsey, Ann Lynn as Ella, Guy Doleman as Philip, Andrew Ray as Willy, John Porter Davison as Grib, Clive Colin Bowler as Sneakers, Iain Gregory as Sammy, David Hemmings as David, John Alderton as Nidge, Jeremy Burnham as Ivor, Mark Burns as Michael, Derek Nimmo as James, Derek Newark as Alfred, Talitha Getty as Helga, Victor Brooks as Club Manager, Pauline Munro as Sylvie, and Gwendolyn Watts as First Class Girl.

Michael Winner appears as Man on Station Platform.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,767

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