‘You’ve never seen a woman with more shoes! You’ve only got one pair of feet!‘
The ’60s were an incredibly exciting time for British cinema. Kitchen sink realism was in full swing, and 1963 saw the release of Billy Liar, This Sporting Life and The Small World of Sammy Lee. Despite being three very different films, one thing that connects them is that they are all defined by an iconic performance from their respective leading men. Acclaimed British stage actor Anthony Newley, the eponymous Sammy Lee, combines the swagger of Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar with the irresistible magnetism of Richard Harris in This Sporting Life to produce a performance for the ages…
After a series of terrible decisions, Sammy Lee finds himself in debt to the tune of £300 to a local gangster. With violent retribution on the cards, Sammy, with help from his right-hand man, Harry (Wilfred Brambell), attempts to raise the money in a matter of hours whilst also serving as a compere in a sleazy Soho nightclub and trying to juggle his various romantic commitments.
While Ken Hughes’ screenplay has some wonderful dialogue, the narrative itself is frustratingly repetitive and predictable. Luckily, Newley’s performance is so compelling that it doesn’t matter. Brambell, best known as Steptoe from Steptoe and Son, provides much of the comic relief (along with Newley himself), but the rest of the cast brings little to the table, with Julia Foster not helped by the fact that her character is badly underwritten.
Whilst the portrayal of women and the incongruous score date the film somewhat, The Small World of Sammy Lee is worth watching for Newley’s bravura performance alone. We’ve all known a Sammy Lee at some point in our lives – Newley brings the character to life beautifully.
