Sweet Beat

Sweet Beat
U.S. theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ronnie Albert
Screenplay by	Ron Ahran
Story by	Sheldon Stark
Produced by	Jeffrey S. Kruger
Starring	Julie Amber Sheldon Lawrence Irv Bauer
Cinematography	S.D Onions
Edited by	Jay Dea
Music by	Malcolm Lockyer
Production company	Flamingo Film Productions
Release date	1959 (1959)
Running time	57 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Sweet Beat (U.S. title: The Amorous Sex) is a 1959 British 'B'^[1] black-and-white musical film directed by Ronnie Albert and starring Julie Amber, Sheldon Lawrence and Irv Bauer.^[2] The screenplay was by Ron Ahran based on a story by Sheldon Stark. It includes appearances by several American pop acts including The Melo-Kings and The Five Satins.

Plot

Bonnie Martyn, winner of a holiday camp beauty contest, heads to London seeking fame as a singer. She is promised a record deal, and is tricked into going to New York. She is eventually reunited with her boyfriend Bill Lacey.

Cast

• Julie Amber as Bonnie Martyn
• Sheldon Lawrence as Bill "Larry" Lacey
• Irv Bauer as Dave Lafferts
• Leonie Page as Tina Miller
• David Browning as Gerry Turner
• Al Burnett as club owner
• Keith Fordyce as disc jockey (himself)
• Billy Myles as himself
• Cindy Man as herself (cut from U.S. version)
• Fred Parris as himself
• Lee Allen as himself
• The Mello-Kings as themselves
• The Five Satins as themselves

Production

Filming locations included Butlin's holiday camps at Clacton-on-Sea and Cliftonville, and London's The Stork Room, run by Al Burnett.

Soundtrack

The film featured the following songs:

• "Thanks" (Peter Warren, Adrienne Birkhard, Jeff Kruger)
• "Just for the Asking" (Buddy Kaye, Leon Carr)
• "Recently" (Tommie Connor)
• "Careless Caresses" (Billy Myles)
• "The Joker" (Billy Myles)
• "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?" (Winfield Scott)
• "Boppin' at the Hop" (Lee Allen, A.Tyler)
• "Sweet Beat" (Tony Crombie)
• "Luva Luva Love Me" (George Scheck)
• "Tonite Tonite" (Billy Myles)
• "I Remember (in the Still of the Nite)" (Fred Parris)

In 1959 a 7-inch double A/B side EP was released in the UK with "Tonite Tonite", "I Remember", "Boppin' at the Hop" and "Luva Luva Love Me" (Top Rank Records, JKR 8007).^[3]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A mild and artless warning to the stage struck, relying on striptease, "pop" numbers and holiday camp and night club backgrounds for its teen-age appeal. Direction and performance are very uneven."^[4]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "poor", writing: "Bottom-budget pop musical/moral warning has that home-made look."^[5]

Home media

The film was released on DVD in 2009 by Pegasus Entertainment.

References

1. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 205. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
2. "Sweet Beat". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
3. "Various – Music From The Film Sweet Beat". Discogs. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
4. "Sweet Beat". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 26 (300): 160. 1 January 1959 – via ProQuest.
5. Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 383. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.

External links

• Sweet Beat at IMDb