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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»1960s Movies»Movies 1963
    Movies 1963 Movies S 3 Mins Read

    Small World of Sammy Lee, The (1963)

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    Samuel Leeman (Anthony Newley) – who goes by the name Sammy Lee – is the comic MC at a seedy Soho strip joint called The Peepshow Club who is constantly struggling to keep one step ahead of the bookies to whom he owes money – all the time digging himself deeper and deeper into trouble.

    The main plot concerns Sammy’s attempt to raise £300 to pay off a debt to a mysterious unseen bookie called “Connor”. But Connor has henchmen, and they are quickly dispatched when Sammy admits he doesn’t have the money.

    Surprisingly, the main henchman, Fred (Kenneth J. Warren) is sympathetic to Sammy’s pleadings and gives him several hours to scrape up the cash and the rest of the film is concerned with Sammy’s machinations.

    The hours pass with Sammy desperately fixing up shady deals between his compere duties at the club and gaining a few pounds here and there towards the formidable £300 total.

    A girl from the North who Sammy met at a holiday camp turns up at The Peepshow. Her name is Patsy (Julia Foster), and she quickly discovers that Sammy is not the big-time showman he cracked himself up to be. Later, she lets the club’s lecherous proprietor Gerry (Robert Stephens) smart-talk her into one of his strip acts because she has heard of Sammy’s plight and pathetically tries to help him.

    Sammy’s situation becomes increasingly desperate, and he tries to get help from his brother Lou (Warren Mitchell), who runs a successful delicatessen. Lou has a deep affection for his brother and would have lent him the money except for the untimely arrival of Lou’s wife, Milly (Miriam Karlin), who won’t permit their hard-earned profits to be poured into bookies’ pockets.

    With the help of his dresser, Harry (Wilfrid Brambell), Sammy feverishly plunges into various rackets, including American whiskey deals and even dope pedalling. The excitement mounts as the hands of the clock move inexorably towards the time when Connor’s thugs will be back to collect – or else . . .

    There is suspense, high drama and heartbreak in this story. Beautifully photographed in black and white, the addition of location filming in Soho, London,  gave the film a murky underworld feel that suits the storyline perfectly.

    Sammy ‘Lee’ Leeman
    Anthony Newley
    Patsy
    Julia Foster
    Gerry Sullivan
    Robert Stephens
    Harry
    Wilfrid Brambell
    Lou Leeman
    Warren Mitchell
    Milly Leeman 
    Miriam Karlin
    Fred
    Kenneth J. Warren
    Johnny
    Clive Colin Bowler
    Joan
    Toni Palmer
    Stage Manager
    Harry Locke
    Dealer
    Al Mulock
    Maurice ‘Morrie’ Bellman
    Cyril Shaps
    Lucky Dave
    Roy Kinnear
    Rembrandt
    Derek Nimmo
    Buddy Shine
    Harry Baird

    Director
    Ken Hughes

    Video

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