The Young Ones

A feel-good British blockbuster musical upon its original theatrical release, THE YOUNG ONES (1961) still charms 65 years later thanks to its unforgettable musical numbers and a star-making performance from Cliff Richard (who performs the title song).

Is it really 65 years ago since this timeless celluloid evergreen delighted young and old? Almost too scary to think about! Right from the opening number, we’re transported back in time. A time and a London in which, by the looks of it, multi-cultural Britain didn’t exist at all, which must feel odd to modern viewers and of course, it is. It’s not the only thing odd to modern viewers, because the city’s teenagers all look clean-cut, seem incredibly well behaved and are ever so polite. Are we talking about an alternate universe here?
Back to the opening ditty, during which we get acquainted with some of the main characters when Chris (Teddy Green) leaves his job at a building site to get ready for Friday night, together with mates Jimmy (Melvyn Hayes), Ernest (Richard O’Sullivan), Beatnik-like Barbara (Annette Robertson), Nicky (Cliff Richard) and Nicky’s love interest Toni (Carole Gray).

Cue for a jolly get-together in the local youth club with teenagers eager to show off their various dance skills when bespectacled and nerdy looking Ernest spoils the fun when he reveals that the club is under threat from closure thanks to ruthless property developer Hamilton Black (the ever-excellent Robert Morley) though none of the others have the slightest idea that their mate Nicky is in fact the son of Hamilton Black…and for now at least, Nicky prefers to keep stumm about it. Wise choice!

Not willing to give up their beloved club, our group of friends set out to hatch a plan and save the building but in order to do so, they need to acquire the club’s lease, for which they would need a whopping £1,500 within the space of a month. As impossible as this challenge seems, the friends have the idea to stage a benefit concert which, if things go well, might earn them £50 on the night…not exactly promising. More concerts are needed but as one friend points out, who’s willing to pay money to come watch a group of completely unknown teenagers perform? Moot point of course, but Nicky has the brilliant idea to compose a song named ‘Lessons in Love’ which he and Toni perform together in a beautifully choreographed and and magical scene. It doesn’t take long before an important record producer hears the song and sees potential, but wants to pair Nicky with another vocalist, Dorinda Morell (Sonya Cordeau) instead of Toni. Naturally, Nicky refuses and it’s back to square one.

Until Jimmy has the idea to vamp up an old derelict theatre (whose original owner lives in Glasgow) he knows about, with the intend on staging the fundraiser there. They even get the ok from the theatre’s owner but still have one major hurdle to conquer: how to advertise the fundraiser properly and secure much needed bums on seats? Never short of ideas, they use an ancient RAF wireless transmitter (hidden in a fruit n veg barrow they wheel about town) to interrupt ITV and BBC radio programmes. Instead, radio listeners are enchanted by voice and song of a male ‘mystery singer’ (Nicky) and intent on purchasing tickets. This doesn’t go down well with radio broadcaster Watts (Gerald Harper) and his ilk, who try in vain to find out how and where the illegal ‘Mystery Voice’ interruptions take place.

Hamilton Black, too, tries his best to sabotage the youngsters plan of purchasing the derelict theatre but changes his mind upon realising that the ‘mystery’ singer, whose voice he ridiculed up till now, is in fact his son. Nicky too comes clean with his friends and confesses that property developer Hamilton Black is his dad but not before Chris hires a bunch of teddy boys tasked with kidnapping greedy Hamilton senior, who has since bought the derelict theatre and throws a spanner in the works by demanding more money from the youngsters. Cue for all sorts of mayhem, including a fight in which Nicky demonstrates some impressive judo skills. The stage is set for the grand finale which initially doesn’t quite go according to plan but of course, so much determination deserves a happy ending!

The dance numbers, in particular those performed during the fundraiser show and also during rehearsals, are delightful to watch and to top it all, the legendary Shadows perform their number ‘The Savage’ before the Teenie boppers in the audience go completely wild when Nicky, after a few setbacks, finally enters the stage and sings ‘We say yeah’. You’d swear its the Beatles on stage, with screaming girls going wild. Of course, it’s all so tame by nowadays standards but this was 1961 and Rock ’n’ Roll as we know it was still in its infancy on British shores.

Beautifully shot by cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, the UK Blu-ray premiere of THE YOUNG ONES is fantastic to look at - it’s the film which proved to be a huge success for director Sidney J. Furie.
Bonus material includes: ‘That’s Showbusiness: Melvyn Hayes on The Young Ones / On the set of The Young Ones with commentary by stuntman Rocky Taylor / Behind the scenes gallery / Trailer.