''Beat Girl'' is a 1960

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

teen Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age o ...

exploitation Exploitation may refer to: *Exploitation of natural resources *Exploitation of Animals *Exploitation of labour **Forced labour *Exploitation colonialism *Slavery **Sexual slavery and other forms *Oppression *Psychological manipulation In arts an ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Edmond T. Gréville Edmond T. Gréville (born Edmond Gréville Thonger; 20 June 1906 – 26 May 1966) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was married to the actress Vanda Gréville. Career Gréville began his career as a film journalist and critic. ...

. The film was released in the United States under the title ''Wild for Kicks''. The title character of ''Beat Girl'' was played by starlet

Gillian Hills Gillian Hills (born 5 June 1944) is a British actress and singer. She first came to notice as a teenager in the 1960s in the British films ''Beat Girl'' (1960) and ''Blowup'' (1966). She also spent several years living in France, where she emb ...

, who later went on to have numerous small roles in 1960s and 1970s films, such as ''

Blowup ''Blowup'' (also styled ''Blow-Up'') is a 1966 Psychological thriller, psychological Mystery film, mystery film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, co-written by Antonioni, Tonino Guerra and Edward Bond and produced by Carlo Ponti. It is Antoni ...

'' (1966) and ''

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

'' (1971), and became a successful ''" ye-ye"'' singer in France. ''Beat Girl'' marked the first film roles of British pop idol

Adam Faith Terence Nelhams Wright (23 June 1940 – 8 March 2003), known as Adam Faith, was an English singer, actor, and financial journalist. As a British rock and roll teen idol, he scored consecutive No. 1 hits on the UK singles chart with " What ...

and actor

Peter McEnery Peter Robert McEnery (born 21 February 1940) is a retired English stage and film actor. Early life McEnery was born in Walsall, Staffordshire, to Charles and Ada Mary (née Brinson) McEnery. He was educated at Ellesmere College, Shropshire. Hi ...

, although it was not released until after other films featuring Faith ('' Never Let Go'' (1960))Glynn, Stephen. ''The British Pop Music Film: The Beatles and Beyond.''
Palgrave MacMillan, 2013, p. 40. . and McEnery (''

Tunes of Glory ''Tunes of Glory'' is a 1960 British drama film directed by Ronald Neame, starring Alec Guinness and John Mills, featuring Dennis Price, Kay Walsh, John Fraser, Duncan MacRae, Gordon Jackson and Susannah York. It is based on the 1956 nove ...

'' (1960)) had already come out. The film also features

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a career spanning more than sixty years, Lee became known as an actor with a deep and commanding voice who often portrayed villains in horr ...

and

Nigel Green Nigel McGown Green (15 October 192415 May 1972) was an English actor. Because of his strapping build, commanding height () and regimental demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic 1960s films as ...

as strip joint operators, and

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor, known for his upper-middle class, macho image and his heavy-drinking, "hellraiser" lifestyle. His screen career spanned over 40 years, between 1955 and 1999. At the ...

in a small role as one of the "beat" youth. The original music was composer John Barry's first film commission, and was performed by the John Barry Seven and Orchestra, Adam Faith, and

Shirley Anne Field Shirley Anne Field (born Shirley Broomfield; 27 June 1936 – 10 December 2023) was an English actress who performed on stage, film and television from 1955 until her death. She was prominent during the British New Wave. Early life Shirley Bro ...

.Fiegel, Eddi. ''John Barry: A Sixties Theme: From James Bond to Midnight Cowboy.''
Faber & Faber, 2012, pp. 71–72. The ''Beat Girl''

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

was the first British soundtrack to be released on a

vinyl LP The LP (from long playing or long play) is an analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specificati ...

. It reached number 11 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, paving the way for the release of other film soundtrack albums.

Plot

Paul Linden, a wealthy, middle-aged

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, returns home to

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

, London. Previously divorced, he brings his new wife: 24-year-old Nichole, whom he just married in Paris. Paul's teenage daughter Jennifer is resentful of his

remarriage Remarriage is a marriage that takes place after a previous marital union has ended, as through divorce or widowhood. Some individuals are more likely to remarry than others; the likelihood can differ based on previous relationship status (e.g. di ...

and rejects Nichole's friendly overtures. After Paul and Nichole go to bed, Jennifer sneaks out to the Off-Beat café in

Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

for an evening of

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

and dancing with her friends. The next day, Nichole plans to meet Jennifer at

Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art school, art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's beca ...

, where the latter studies, so they can have lunch together. At lunchtime, Nichole arrives at St Martin's, but learns that Jennifer has gone to the Off-Beat. There, Nicole confronts Jennifer in front of her friends and reminds her to be home for Paul's important business dinner that night. While leaving, Nichole passes Greta, the star performer at the strip club across the street. Greta recognises Nichole and greets her by name. However, Nichole ignores her. Jennifer suspects that Nichole was also a stripper before meeting Paul. At Paul's business dinner, Jennifer tries to embarrass Nichole in front of the guests by bringing up the encounter with the

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events. Modern forms of stripping m ...

. After the guests leave, Paul questions Nichole, who says that she knew Greta in Paris and that they were in ballet together but Greta pursued a different way of life and Nichole lost track of her. Paul accepts her explanation, but Jennifer goes to the strip club to ask Greta directly. Greta initially claims that she made a mistake and does not know Nichole, but under pressure from her boyfriend, strip club manager Kenny King, she reveals that she and Nichole worked together as strippers and occasional

prostitutes Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-p ...

in Paris. Jennifer, encouraged by Kenny, becomes enamoured with the idea of becoming a stripper herself. Jennifer is caught by Paul and Nichole coming home from the strip club at late at night and a confrontation ensues. Jennifer reveals that she spoke with Greta and threatens to tell Paul what she has learned if Nichole does not stay out of her life. At the strip club, Nicole tells Kenny and Greta to stay away from Jennifer. Kenny says that Jennifer will be welcome there any time and that if Nichole interferes, he will tell Paul about her past. That night, Jennifer and her friends dance at

Chislehurst Caves Chislehurst Caves are a series of intersecting man-made tunnels and caverns covering some 22 miles (35.4 km) in Chislehurst in the London Borough of Bromley. From the mid-13th to early 19th centuries the "caves" were created from the minin ...

, and participate in a car race and a

game of chicken The game of chicken, also known as the hawk-dove game or snowdrift game, is a model of conflict for two players in game theory. The principle of the game is that while the ideal outcome is for one player to yield (to avoid the worst outcome if n ...

on railway tracks where the last person to leave the rails before the train arrives (Jennifer) wins. Jennifer invites everyone to continue the party at her house, as Paul is out of town and Nichole presumably will not interfere. Jennifer accepts a dare to "strip like a Frenchie" and begins a striptease to music, but when she gets down to her underwear Nichole bursts from her bedroom and stops her. Then Paul arrives home and breaks up the party, throwing all of the beatniks out of his house. Jennifer angrily tells Paul about Nichole's activities in Paris. Nichole, crying, admits that it is true and explains that she only did it because she was broke and hungry. Paul and Nichole profess their love for each other and reconcile. Jennifer goes to the café, but now finds it boring. She walks out on her friends and meets Kenny at the strip club. Kenny invites her to go to Paris with him, where he can train her to be a star stripper. Greta later learns that Kenny plans to leave her and go off with Jennifer. As Kenny makes a pass at Jennifer, someone stabs him to death. The club staff, thinking Jennifer killed Kenny, lock her in a room and call the police. Jennifer screams that she did not do it, and the real culprit, Greta, emerges from behind a curtain. Meanwhile,

Teddy Boy The Teddy Boys or Teds were a mainly United Kingdom, British youth subculture originating in the early 1950s to mid-1960s and then revived in the 1970s who were interested in rock and roll and Rhythm and blues, R&B music, wearing clothes part ...

s vandalise the car of Tony (one of Jennifer's friends) and smash the guitar of Dave (another of Jennifer's friends), initiating a confrontation between the two groups. Paul and Nichole arrive searching for Jennifer while the police drag her out of the strip club. The police release Jennifer to Paul and Nicole, and they return home, arms around each other, as Dave throws his broken guitar in the rubbish.

Cast

* David Farrar as Paul Linden *

Noëlle Adam Noelle or Noëlle is the feminine form of the unisex name Noel. It derives from the old French Noël, "Christmas," a variant (and later a replacement) of nael, which itself derives from the Latin natalis, "birthday". Other nicknames and varia ...

as Nichole

inden Inden may refer to: People * Gottfried Inden (1827–1896), American politician * Ronald Inden, American indologist Places * Inden, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany * Inden, Switzerland Inden is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in ...

as Kenny

ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...

as Jennifer

as Dave *

as Dodo *

as Tony *

Claire Gordon Claire Gordon (16 January 1941 – 13 April 2015) was an English film actress and comedian known for leading and cameo roles in many British films from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, and for working with most of the television comedy stars of ...

as Honey *

as Plaid Shirt * Michael Kayne as Duffle Coat * Anthony Singleton as Green Pants *

Robert Raglan Robert Raglan (7 April 1909 – 18 July 1985) was a British actor best known for his semi-regular role in ''Dad's Army'' as Colonel Pritchard. He also starred in a number of other television series and films such as ''Fabian of the Yard'' (1954 ...

as F.O. official * Nade Beall as official's wife *

Margot Bryant Kathleen Mary Margaret Bryant (8 March 1897 – 1 January 1988), known professionally as Margot Bryant, was an English stage and television actress best known for playing Minnie Caldwell in the soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from its in ...

as Martha *

as Simon *

Norman Mitchell Norman Mitchell Driver (27 August 1918 – 19 March 2001), known professionally as Norman Mitchell, was an English television, stage and film actor. Born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, his father was a mining engineer and his mother ...

as club doorman * Pascaline as exotic strip dancer *

Delphi Lawrence Delphi Lawrence (23 March 1932 – 11 April 2002) was an English actress. She was educated at Halidon House School in Slough, Berkshire, whilst living in Colnbrook. Born to Barbara Yvonne ( Enever) and Louis Holzman, who married in 1930, sh ...

(uncredited) as Greta *

Carol White Carole Joan White (1 April 1943 – 16 September 1991) was an English actress. White became famous for her performances in the television play ''Cathy Come Home'' (1966) and the films ''Poor Cow'' (1967) and '' I'll Never Forget What's ' ...

(uncredited) as Off-Beat girl * Diane D'Orsay (uncredited) as strip dancer in white négligée

Production

Filming

George Minter, who ran Renown Pictures, said he wanted to make a picture "for the kids". Gillian Hills had been discovered by

Roger Vadim Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director, and producer, as well as an author, artist, and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, s ...

, who considered casting her in ''

Les liaisons dangereuses ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (; English: ''Dangerous Liaisons'') is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu on March 23, 1782. It is the story of the Marquise Isabelle de Merteu ...

''. He elected not to do so, and Hills made her film debut in this movie instead. Filming started 27 July 1959. The movie was filmed at

MGM-British Studios MGM-British was a subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer initially established (as MGM London Films Denham) at Denham Film Studios in 1936. It was in limbo during the Second World War; however, following the end of hostilities, a facility was acquired ...

Borehamwood Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 36,322, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly know ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

, UK, with exteriors filmed in

and Chislehurst Caves (then in

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

). Pascaline, the Haitian exotic dancer who appears in a sequence performing with a scarf, had performed in real life as an exotic dancer at the

Crazy Horse Saloon Le Crazy Horse Saloon or Le Crazy Horse de Paris is a Parisian cabaret and strip club known for its stage shows performed by nude female dancers and for the diverse range of magic and variety 'turns' between each nude show and the next. Its owne ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Music

After Adam Faith was cast, John Barry was asked to compose the film soundtrack, because he had already been collaborating with Faith as an arranger. Barry was subsequently hired to score Faith's next films, '' Never Let Go'' (1960) and ''

Mix Me a Person ''Mix Me a Person'' is a 1962 British crime drama film directed by Leslie Norman, starring Anne Baxter, Donald Sinden, Adam Faith, Walter Brown and Carole Ann Ford. A young London criminal is faced with being hanged for murdering a policeman ...

'' (1962), leading to Barry's successful career as a composer and arranger of film music. In addition to the ''Beat Girl'' soundtrack LP reaching number 11 in the album charts, the song "Made You," composed by John Barry and

Trevor Peacock Trevor Edward Peacock (19 May 1931 – 8 March 2021) was an English actor and songwriter. He made his name as a theatre actor, including for his roles in Shakespeare. He later became known for playing Jim Trott in the BBC comedy series ''The V ...

and performed in the film by Faith, achieved minor hit status before being banned by the BBC for suggestive lyrics. A sample from the title track is used in "

The Rockafeller Skank "The Rockafeller Skank" is a song by English big beat musician and DJ Fatboy Slim. It was released as the lead single from his second studio album, '' You've Come a Long Way, Baby'' (1998), on 8 June 1998. The single peaked at number six on the ...

," a 1998 single by

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of Sampling (music), samples from eclectic ...

, for which Barry receives a co-writer credit.

Release

Some versions of the released film have cut the original striptease sequences (which included topless nudity), some exposition scenes set in the strip club, the "chicken" game scene, and/or some opening exposition scenes with David Farrar and Noëlle Adam on a train and then with Gillian Hills at their London home.

Censorship

When the original script, entitled "Striptease Girl," was submitted to the

British Board of Film Censors The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films A film, also known as a movie ...

in March 1959, the reviewer termed it "machine-made dirt" and "the worst script I have read for some years". The project was then renamed "Beat Girl" and nudity was reduced, but censors still objected to scenes of strip tease, juvenile delinquency, and teenagers playing "chicken" by lying on railway tracks in front of an oncoming train. Ultimately, the film received an "X" certificate, causing its release to be delayed because it was queued behind a glut of other X-rated films.

Critical reception

The film was bought for distribution by Victoria Films and did "exceptionally well" playing over 1,000 theatres, despite receiving bad reviews. ''

Kine Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. Etymology The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...

'' wrote: "JEAN-AGE melodrama, with songs. Set mainly in Soho, it's about a self-willed fifteen-year-old beatnik daughter of a successful architect, who resents her father's pretty French second wife and decides to live for kicks, but soon gets into hot water and, chastened, returns lo the old nest. The tale is not particularly original, but the principal adults' and teenagers' performances are first-class, the list of ”cool” guest artists stretches as long as your arm, and the numbers head the current hit parade. And that's not all. the film's musical score, played by topnotch John Barry and his Orchestra and sung by Shirley Ann Field and Adam Faith, is the first to be recorded in its entirety on a long-playing disc. Pre-sold, the opus can hardly miss. Outstanding British gimmick offering" ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' said: "Cheap little dualer about a London kid who gets mixed up with beatniks, striptease, murder and problems with her father and stepmother; may click with undiscriminating audiences."

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fi ...

called the film a "Risible exposé-style melodrama." The ''Radio Times Guide to Films'' gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "

his His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, ...

failed attempt to launch Adam Faith as yet another of Britain's answers to Elvis Presley is now a great pop history lesson in teenage attitudes and rock 'n' roll rebellion, complete with cool jive talk and swinging sounds." ''

Sight and Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (formerly written ''Sight & Sound'') is a monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). Since 1952, it has conducted the well-known decennial ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time. ...

'' said: "''Beat Girl'' evidently has one eye on US product such as ''Rebel Without a Cause'', offering a largely studio set, mock ethnographic survey of the new teenage tribe frequenting Soho coffee bars and basement clubs, playing chicken on country roads and talking in a brand new argot (“Straight from the fridge, dad!"), which screenwriter Dail Ambler quite possibly made up for the occasion. It's a film as flummoxed as super-square patriarch David Farrar's permanently creased brow, which perhaps explains why the producers hedged their bets by situating a striptease show across the street from the kids' espresso stop, allowing extensive onstage footage to be tailored for various export versions. ... Like so much British cinema of the time, It's a muddled yet fascinating affair, which somehow manages to look to the future in spite of itself."

References

External links

* *
Beat Girl
at Letterbox DVD
Beat Girl
at ReelStreets {{Edmond T. Gréville 1960 drama films 1960 films 1960s British films 1960s coming-of-age drama films 1960s English-language films 1960s exploitation films 1960s teen drama films British coming-of-age drama films British teen drama films English-language teen drama films Films about dysfunctional families Films about marriage Films about striptease Films directed by Edmond T. Gréville Films scored by John Barry (composer) Films set in London Films shot in Hertfordshire Films shot in Kent Films shot in London Films shot at MGM-British Studios Films about juvenile sexuality Kensington Teensploitation