Two Left Feet ** (1965, Michael Crawford, Nyree Dawn Porter, Julia Foster, David Hemmings) – Classic Movie Review 7,764

The 1963 British sex comedy drama film Two Left Feet stars the young Michael Crawford (aged 20) as Alan Crabbe, a lanky callow teenager trying to uncover the mysteries of sex by having a fling with older waitress Eileen (Nyree Dawn Porter).

Director Roy Ward Baker’s 1963 British sex comedy drama film Two Left Feet stars the young Michael Crawford (aged 20) as Alan Crabbe, a lanky and incompetent teenager attempting to uncover the mysteries of sex, who causes problems through a fling with older woman Eileen (Nyree Dawn Porter), a waitress at the corner café.

Director Baker handles some dubious, dated sex-comedy material with a certain helpful grittiness.

Based on the 1960 novel In My Solitude by David Stuart Leslie, the early-Sixties-style comedy is all too terribly British and full of embarrassing misunderstandings. But the amusing Crawford proves the perfect foil for this material, and the nice iconic cast sees it through successfully, with notable performances by young Julia Foster as Beth Crowley and David Hemmings as Brian.

It is scored by Philip Green, with music by Bob Wallis and his Storyville Jazzmen.

Two Left Feet is a rather innocuous film about ‘the jungle of sex’, so it was condemned to be X rated at the time, but now it’s now a 15. Arguably, the X certificate could have helped it at the box office, but actually it helped to keep a young audience away. The X certificate was only one of its release problems.

Roy Ward Baker recalled: ‘That was a nice little picture, with a wonderful cast who turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever had. They were all terrific and the film turned out well. I tried to make a picture of my own and put money into it. I was quite pleased with it, but nobody wanted to show it, nobody wanted to see it, and we couldn’t get a circuit release.’ After a delay of two years, it was released in the UK in a poorly promoted double bill by British Lion Film Corporation,

Tommy Bruce sings ‘Two Left Feet’ over the opening credits and Susan Maughan sings ‘Where Were You When I Needed You?’.

English rock and roll singer Tommy Bruce (16 July 1937 – 10 July 2006) was the voice of Gormless, the Speak your Weight machine, in the 1965 film One Way Pendulum. In 1960, Tommy Bruce and the Bruisers had a number 3 hit in the UK Singles Chart with their cover version of ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’.

Julia Foster (born 2 August 1943) is the mother of TV celebrity Ben Fogle. Her first husband was Lionel Morton, lead singer of 1960s pop band The Four Pennies. In 2020, she played Vilma in Orphan 55, the third episode of series 12 of Doctor Who. Foster owns an antique furniture business.

Also in the cast are Dilys Watling, David Lodge, Bernard Lee, Michael Ripper, Cyril Chamberlain, Peggy Ann Clifford, Hazel Coppen, Michael Craze, Douglas Ives, Neil McCarthy, Howard Pays, Anthony Sheppard and Bob Wallis.

Two Left Feet is directed by Roy Ward Baker, runs 93 minutes, is made by Roy Ward Baker Productions, released by British Lion Film Corporation, is written by Roy Ward Baker and John Hopkins, based on the novel In My Solitude by David Stuart Leslie, is shot in black and white by Wilkie Cooper, is produced by Roy Ward Baker and Leslie Gilliat and is scored by Philip Green, with music by Bob Wallis and his Storyville Jazzmen.

The cast are Michael Crawford as Alan Crabbe, Nyree Dawn Porter as Eileen, Julia Foster as Beth Crowley, David Hemmings as Brian, Bernard Lee as Mr Crabbe, David Lodge as Bill, Michael Craze as Ronnie, Dilys Watling as Mavis, Cyril Chamberlain as Miles, Michael Ripper as Uncle Reg, Peggy Ann Clifford, Hazel Coppen, Michael Craze, Douglas Ives, Neil McCarthy, Howard Pays, Anthony Sheppard and Bob Wallis.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,764

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