Drama

The Small World of Sammy Lee

- Soho... Where Love Comes Cheap... Money Comes Hard...And Life is a Girl With a Suitcase a Thousand Miles From Home.

The compère of a seedy strip club struggles to keep one step ahead of the bookies to whom he owes money.

Release Date : 1963-04-20

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Elgin Films

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Sammy 'Lee' Leeman

Original Name : Anthony Newley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Patsy

Original Name : Julia Foster

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gerry Sullivan

Original Name : Robert Stephens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harry

Original Name : Wilfrid Brambell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lou Leeman

Original Name : Warren Mitchell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Milly

Original Name : Miriam Karlin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Fred

Original Name : Kenneth J. Warren

Gender : Male

Character Name : Johnny

Original Name : Clive Colin Bowler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lucky Dave

Original Name : Roy Kinnear

Gender : Male

Character Name : Morrie

Original Name : Cyril Shaps

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eddie

Original Name : Alfred Burke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Buddy Shine

Original Name : Harry Baird

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stage Manager

Original Name : Harry Locke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Big Alf

Original Name : Ronald Radd

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Dealer

Original Name : Al Mulock

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joan

Original Name : Toni Palmer

Gender : Female

Character Name : Rita

Original Name : June Cunningham

Gender : Female

Character Name : Yvette

Original Name : Lynda Baron

Gender : Female

Character Name : Girl

Original Name : Patti Dalton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barman

Original Name : Ken Wayne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lucky Dave's Clumsy Barman

Original Name : Harry Landis

Gender : Male

Character Name : ‘Rembrandt’

Original Name : Derek Nimmo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cleaner

Original Name : Rita Webb

Gender : Female

Character Name : Poker Player

Original Name : Kevin Brennan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Poker Player

Original Name : George Tovey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sydney

Original Name : Louis Mansi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Café Owner

Original Name : Tommy Godfrey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Café Patron

Original Name : Thomas Baptiste

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bistro Owner

Original Name : Steve Plytas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Store Manager

Original Name : Billy Milton

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-02-02

Anthony Newley is at the top of his game here as the eponymous nightclub host who is way past his best. His lame one-liners have long since stopped engaging his dwindling number of punters who now only show up for a cheap drink and a eyeful. His on stage failures are not his only worries. He couldn't pick a winner in an one-horse race and is in hock to his bookie for money he can never hope to raise, and they are not about to let him off. He is also in love - but even that's complicated with "Patsy" (Julia Foster) being embroiled in the business he shares with the odious and sleazy "Gerry" (Robert Stephens). There's a who's who of solid supporting British characters here that help depict a Soho, now long gone, that did deserve it's nickname as a square mile of vice and depravity. Wilfred Brambles, Warren Mitchell and Roy Kinnear all add a gritty richness to the poignant adaptation of his BBC play by auteur Ken Hughes and it's clear from early on that an happy ending - for anyone - is most unlikely. Hughes conveys the seediness and the ghastliness cleverly. There's virtually nothing graphic, or even especially violent - here. That's all left to our imagination and to the gradually increasing sense that "Sammy Lee" has seen his finest hour. He just has to hope it's not soon to be his last. I didn't always like the Newley brand of Londoner, but in this he delivers engagingly and I almost felt sorry for him at times!