It’s All Happening ** (1963, Tommy Steele, Angela Douglas, Michael Medwin, Bernard Bresslaw) – Classic Movie Review 11,963

Director Don Sharp’s 1963 comedy musical It’s All Happening [The Dream Maker] stars Tommy Steele, Angela Douglas, Michael Medwin, Bernard Bresslaw, and Jean Harvey.

Record company star spotter Billy Bowles (the relentlessly jolly Tommy Steele) organises a talent contest to raise money for a closure-threatened orphans’ home and ends up as the main attraction himself.

It’s All Happening is a mild, old-fashioned, small-scale comedy drama with a dash of popular songs that is unashamedly a vehicle for the then popular star. Leading 50s glamour pop star Marion Ryan (1931-99), star of TV’s Spot The Tune, duets brightly with Steele. Michael Medwin and Bernard Bresslaw (who starred together in 60s TV’s The Army Game) provide the comedy. So the talent is there.

But it wasn’t all happening – the film was very dated in the age of the Beatles, who had ousted the likes of Steele and Ryan from the charts.

Music comes from the Clyde Valley Stompers, Russ Conway, Shane Fenton (later Alvin Stardust), Geoff Love and the George Mitchell Singers.

The film was shot for $430,000 and ready for release in cinemas in only six weeks. Director Don Sharp, who had made a similar musical The Golden Disc, said the film features most of EMI’s key stars of the time.

Filming took place at Shepperton Studios in January 1963.

Angela Douglas recalled: ‘Steele was terrific, making me feel good, putting me at ease and they were a marvellous crew, fun and relaxed.’

The cast are Tommy Steele as Billy Bowles, Michael Medwin as Max Catlin, Angela Douglas as Julie Singleton, Jean Harvey as Delia, Bernard Bresslaw as Parsons, Walter Hudd as J.B. Magdeburg, John Tate as Julian Singleton, Janet Henfrey as April, Richard Goolden as Lord Sweatstone, Keith Faulkner as Mick, Edward Cast as Hugh, Anthony Dawes as Cyril Bong, Marion Ryan, Dick Kallman, John Barry, Danny Williams, Russ Conway, Carol Deene, Alvin Stardust, Geoff Love, Tony Mercer, John Boulter, Dai Francis and George Mitchell.

Bernard William Jewry (27 September 1942 – 23 October 2014) was known as Shane Fenton and later Alvin Stardust.

Jean Harvey (1930–2013) played Joanne Minster in the TV soap Compact (1962-1963).

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,963

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