A Cry from the Streets ** (1958, Max Bygraves, Barbara Murray, Colin Petersen, Dana Wilson) – Classic Movie Review 9658

Director Lewis Gilbert’s 1957 A Cry from the Streets stars amiable singer-star (and briefly film actor) Max Bygraves, who ignores the best advice and works with children in this simple tale about a child welfare officer caring for orphans, played by a nice bunch of kids including winsome Colin Petersen from Smiley (1956) and Dana Wilson from The Shiralee (1957).

The good-hearted story is sweetly performed, with Bygraves giving an appealing performance. But A Cry from the Streets is sticky as drama, with some shaky scenes and bumpy dialogue dragging it down. It helps that it co-stars a clutch of favourite formidable actresses – Barbara Murray, Kathleen Harrison, Eleanor Summerfield, Mona Washbourne, Dandy Nichols, Avice Landone, and Vi Stevens. It also helps that there is music by Larry Adler.

Vernon Harris’s screenplay is based on Elizabeth Coxhead’s novel The Friend in Need.

Also in the cast are Sean Barrett, Toke Townley, Charles McShane, David Bushell and Tony Baker (as The King’s Cross Kids), Glyn Houston, Basil Dignam, Alastair Hunter, John Moulder-Brown, Marianne Stone, Pauline Challoner and Fred Griffiths.

‘You Got To Have Rain’, written, composed and sung by Max Bygraves, appeared in the British record charts and was a big US hit for Eydie Gormé.

Max Bygraves, crooner, comedian, film actor and variety performer, died at 89 on August 31, 2012.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9658

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