''It's All Over Town'' is a 1964 British musical film directed by Douglas Hickox and starring

Frankie Vaughan Frankie Vaughan (born Frank Fruim Abelson; 3 February 1928 – 17 September 1999) was an English singer and actor who recorded more than 80 easy listening and traditional pop singles in his lifetime. He was known as "Mr. Moonlight" after his ...

. The film features

Lance Percival John Lancelot Blades Percival (26 July 1933 – 6 January 2015), known as Lance Percival, was an English actor, comedian and singer, best known for his appearances in satirical comedy television shows of the early 1960s and his ability to impr ...

as a daydreaming stage technician and

Willie Rushton William George Rushton (18 August 1937 – 11 December 1996) was an English cartoonist, comedian actor and satirist who co-founded the satirical magazine ''Private Eye''. Early life Rushton was born 18 August 1937 at 3 Wilbraham Place, Chelsea, ...

as his friend, and includes songs performed by

the Springfields The Springfields were a British folk-pop vocal trio who had success in the early 1960s in the UK, Australia, US and Ireland. They included singer Dusty Springfield and her brother, songwriter Tom Springfield, along with Tim Feild, who was ...

Clodagh Rodgers Clodagh Rodgers (5 March 1947 – 18 April 2025) was a Northern Irish singer, best known for her hit singles including " Come Back and Shake Me", "Goodnight Midnight" and "Jack in the Box" and albums including '' You Are My Music'', ''It's Diff ...

the Bachelors The Bachelors were a popular music group from Dublin, Ireland, but based primarily in the United Kingdom. They had several international hits during the 1960s, including eight top-ten singles in the UK between 1963 and 1966. The Bachelors spli ...

Acker Bilk Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk, (28 January 1929 – 2 November 2014) was an English clarinetist and vocalist known for his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register style, and distinctive appearance – of goatee, bowler hat and striped waistco ...

and

the Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

, as well as Vaughan.

Cast

as himself *

as Richard Abel *

as fat friend *

as himself *

The Springfields The Springfields were a British folk-pop vocal trio who had success in the early 1960s in the UK, Australia, US and Ireland. They included singer Dusty Springfield and her brother, songwriter Tom Springfield, along with Tim Feild, who was ...

as themselves *

The Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

as themselves *

The Bachelors The Bachelors were a popular music group from Dublin, Ireland, but based primarily in the United Kingdom. They had several international hits during the 1960s, including eight top-ten singles in the UK between 1963 and 1966. The Bachelors spli ...

as themselves * Clodagh Rogers as herself (billed as Cloda Rogers) *

Wayne Gibson Wayne Gibson was the stage name of Edward William "Bill" Allen (15 December 1942 – 1 April 2004). He was an English pop singer who had two hits on the UK Singles Chart, "Kelly" in 1964 and " Under My Thumb" in 1974. Career In the early 196 ...

as himself * Jan and Kelly as themselves *

Ivor Cutler Ivor Cutler (born Isadore Cutler, 15 January 1923 – 3 March 2006) was a Scottish poet, singer, musician, songwriter, artist and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recor ...

as salvationist * Ingrid Anthofer as herself *

April Olrich April Olrich (17 July 1931 – 15 April 2014), born Edith April Oelrichs, was an English ballerina and actress, born in Zanzibar, now part of Tanzania. Early life Edith April Oelrichs was born in Zanzibar in 1931 (some sources incorrectly give 1 ...

as Russian dancer * Stephen Jack as narrator

Production

Hickox said they shot it in 15 days without sound and the "script consisted of two tiny typewritten pages, badly typewritten at that."Schhh, high camp, and Mr Sloane, The Guardian 25 Feb 1970: 8.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "Variety is aimed at – and achieved – by the various singers and vocal groups, taking in straight ballads, comedy numbers, guitar-twanging rhythmic numbers with close-harmony singing and an almost falsetto delivery ... and the quasi-jazz contributions of Mr. Acker Bilk, including an arrangement of "The Volga Boatmen" complete with Russian dancer (April Olrich) and tame bear. Old-style chorus girl routines are Out, replaced by "The Bunnies" – twisting hostesses from the Raymond Revuebar Club, which also supplies the naughty-but-nice striptease act of Ingrid Anthofer. .... The naughty note is echoed elsewhere, notably in Mr. Acker Bilk's rendition of the lyrics of "Sippin' cider beside 'er" – most enjoyable, this – and in the swift education of squares, prophets of doom and eccentric Salvation Army-ists, who are quickly and easily introduced to the joys of imbibing and ogling. All good fun. Or is it? Perhaps the psychologist might read a wealth of meaning in the extrovert antics of this superficial musical charade. Certainly it has an "A" certificate, extraordinary for a pop film."

References

External links

*
''It's All Over Town''
at BFI 1964 films 1964 musical films British musical films Films shot at MGM-British Studios 1960s British films {{Musical-film-stub