''Sweet Beat'' (U.S. title: ''The Amorous Sex'') is a 1959
British 'B' black-and-white musical film directed by Ronnie Albert and starring Julie Amber, Sheldon Lawrence and
Irv Bauer
Irv Bauer, also known as Irvin S. Bauer, (died July 24, 2015) was an American playwright, educator and television writer based in New York City, New York. He was most known for his plays ''A Dream Out of Time'', ''A Fine and Private Place'' and ...
.
It includes appearances by several American pop acts including
The Melo-Kings and
The Five Satins
The Five Satins are an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1956 million-selling song, "In the Still of the Night (The Five Satins song), In the Still of the Night." They were formed in 1954 and continued performing until 1994. When it w ...
.
Plot
Bonnie Martyn, winner of a
holiday camp beauty contest, heads to London seeking fame as a singer. She is promised a record deal, and is tricked into going to New York. She is eventually reunited with her boyfriend Bill Lacey.
Cast
* Julie Amber as Bonnie Martyn
* Sheldon Lawrence as Bill "Larry" Lacey
*
Irv Bauer
Irv Bauer, also known as Irvin S. Bauer, (died July 24, 2015) was an American playwright, educator and television writer based in New York City, New York. He was most known for his plays ''A Dream Out of Time'', ''A Fine and Private Place'' and ...
as Dave Lafferts
* Leonie Page as Tina Miller
* David Browning as Gerry Turner
*
Al Burnett as club owner
*
Keith Fordyce
Keith Fordyce (15 October 1928 – 15 March 2011) was an English disc jockey and presenter on British radio and television. He is most famous as the first presenter of ITV's ''Ready Steady Go!'' in 1963, but was a stalwart of both BBC radio ...
as disc jockey (himself)
*
Billy Myles
William Myles Nobles (August 29, 1924 – October 9, 2005), known as Billy Myles, was an American R&B songwriter and singer active in the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for writing "Tonight, Tonight" recorded by The Mello-Kings, "(You Were Mad ...
as himself
* Cindy Man as herself (cut from U.S. version)
*
Fred Parris as himself
*
Lee Allen Lee Allen may refer to:
*Lee Allen (wrestler) (1934–2012), wrestler and coach
* Lee Allen (baseball) (1915–1969), baseball historian
*Lee Allen (musician) (1927–1994), saxophone player
*Lee Allen (artist)
Lee Allen (1910 – May 5, 2006), bor ...
as himself
*
The Mello-Kings
The Mello-Kings were an American doo-wop group, who became popular in the late 1950s with their song, "Tonite, Tonite" (1957).
The group consisted of brothers Jerry and Bob Scholl, Eddie Quinn, Neil Arena and Larry Esposito. The quintet was formed ...
as themselves
*
The Five Satins
The Five Satins are an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1956 million-selling song, "In the Still of the Night (The Five Satins song), In the Still of the Night." They were formed in 1954 and continued performing until 1994. When it w ...
as themselves
Production
Filming locations included
Butlin's holiday camps at
Clacton-on-Sea and
Cliftonville, and London's The Stork Room, run by Al Burnett.
Soundtrack
The film featured the following songs:
* "Thanks" (Peter Warren, Adrienne Birkhard,
Jeff Kruger)
* "Just for the Asking" (
Buddy Kaye
Jules Leonard "Buddy" Kaye (January 3, 1918 – November 21, 2002) was an American songwriter, lyricist, arranger, producer, and author. His songs were recorded by top performers, including Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washingto ...
,
Leon Carr
Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to:
Places
Europe
* León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León
* Province of León, Spain
* Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...
)
* "Recently" (
Tommie Connor
Thomas Patrick Connor (16 November 1904 – 28 November 1993) was a British lyricist and songwriter, credited with several hit songs over his long career. He wrote several of the most popular non-religious Christmas songs, including " The Litt ...
)
* "Careless Caresses" (Billy Myles)
* "The Joker" (Billy Myles)
* "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?" (
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
)
* "Boppin' at the Hop" (Lee Allen, A.Tyler)
* "Sweet Beat" (
Tony Crombie)
* "Luva Luva Love Me" (George Scheck)
* "Tonite Tonite" (Billy Myles)
* "I Remember (in the Still of the Nite)" (Fred Parris)
In 1959 a 7-inch double A/B side EP was released in the UK with "Tonite Tonite", "I Remember", "Boppin' at the Hop" and "Luva Luva Love Me" (
Top Rank Records, JKR 8007).
Critical reception
''
The Monthly Film Bulletin'' wrote: "A mild and artless warning to the stage struck, relying on striptease, "pop" numbers and holiday camp and night club backgrounds for its teen-age appeal. Direction and performance are very uneven."
In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959''
David Quinlan rated the film as "poor", writing: "Bottom-budget pop musical/moral warning has that home-made look."
Home media
The film was released on DVD in 2009 by Pegasus Entertainment.
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 0056542, Sweet Beat
1959 films
British black-and-white films
1950s English-language films
1950s British films