NOTE: This is the full and original 1959 theatrical version, which includes a number of songs that were cut out of the later and more commonly available 1962 version that was released at the time to capitalize on the popularity of Cliff Richard. A beautifully constructed piece of cynical entertainment that will have those adventurous enough to take the time converts to its brand of musical. Expresso Bongo has no problems with alternating between actual Musical flights of fancy that would make Vincent Minelli proud to Behind-the-Scenes Musical industry expose showing how the “sausage” is made. With a pop-jazz soundtrack driving it every second, the film is breathlessly paced at 110-minutes. Val Guest’s film is a slippery quick-witted shot of bitter vermouth that never stays cynical for too long to become overpoweringly oppressive. The work by Wilcox and Guest with composing the frame for great emotional and artful effect. The image and camerawork is artfully composed in a way that no modern film is. When they do appear they are done in the most unexpected of ways.Įverything is elevated even further because of Expresso Bongo’s gorgeous Black & White photography by John Wilcox. There is still a special kick one gets from those troupes/clichés in the movie. Expresso Bongo luckily was done before these had become troupes had been ironed of all its eccentricities.

There are moments, yes, that has become the standard of this sort of behind-the-scenes film. Renamed Bongo Herbert by Jackson the Singer and Manager begin their ascent the Show Business ladder with a mutual bit of manipulation and deceit. Jackson finds it in Bert (Cliff Richard) a young singer with a bit of a voice.

He circles the cafés of London’s Soho district like a shark looking for blood (e.g.

Johnny Jackson (Laurence Harvey) is the kind of fast-talking con man that’s fashioned himself into a “Talent Manager”.

Director Val Guest’s strong direction, a whip-smart adaptation by Wolf Mankowitz of the Julian More play gives us the musical companion piece to The Big Knife and The Sweet Smell of Success we never knew we wanted … but needed. A film as bitter pill as the free coffee in the cafes in Soho in the late 1950s is depicted. Expresso Bongo is the kind of film that shocks and delights cineastes.

Expresso Bongo by Wolf Mankowitz