This film is part of Rentals
This film is certified
- Contains moderate sex references, violence and drug references
The Small World of Sammy Lee
Seedy Soho strip-club compere Sammy (Anthony Newley) races to escape the heavies who hunt him in this gritty, engrossing 1960s London thriller.
Drama 1962 107 mins
Director: Ken Hughes
Overview
Snappy, jazzy, gripping, cynical and stylish, this engrossing, fast-paced, location-shot London thriller, energetically scripted and directed with dark, downbeat panache by the gifted Ken Hughes, is atmospherically played out on the shadowy, seamy streets of 1960s Soho. It follows small-time wide-boy and seedy strip-club compere Sammy (superbly portrayed by the highly influential but underrated actor, singer and songwriter Anthony Newley), on the run from the heavies after he runs up a debt he can’t pay at an all-night card game.
Racing against the clock to scare up some dough, can Sammy raise the readies, and escape with Patsy (a marvellously melancholy Julia Foster), the only woman foolish enough to love him, before his luck runs out? Vividly lensed in brooding black and white by legendary cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky, this gritty, grimy crime drama also boasts an exceptional supporting cast that includes Miriam Karlin, Wilfrid Brambell, Roy Kinnear and Warren Mitchell.
Contains moderate sex references, violence and drug referencesAccessibility
Related
Drama
Scandal Scandal
Historical drama 1989 114 mins Director: Michael Caton-Jones
A fictionalised account of the 1963 ‘Profumo Affair’ that rocked the government of British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. Starring John Hurt, Joanne Whalley, Bridget Fonda, Ian McKellen and Leslie Phillips.
End of the Century End of the Century
Romance 2019 84 mins Director: Lucio Castro
A chance encounter reconnects two men in this heart-breaking lament on love, lust and missed opportunities.
Chained for Life Chained for Life
Drama 2018 91 mins Director: Aaron Schimberg
Made by and starring disfigured people, Aaron Schimberg’s dextrous, darkly comedic film-within-a-film makes you think about cinematic representation without offering simple resolutions.
Monos Monos
Drama 2019 103 mins Director: Alejandro Landes
The winner of Best Film at the 2019 BFI London Film Festival is a hallucinogenic, intoxicating thriller about child soldiers.
Mr. Jones Mr. Jones
Drama 2019 119 mins Director: Agnieszka Holland
James Norton stars as Welsh journalist Gareth Jones whose 1930s visit to Soviet Ukraine uncovered the truth of Stalin’s state-sponsored famine and reputedly inspired George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Giant Little Ones Giant Little Ones
Drama 2018 93 mins Director: Keith Behrman
The classic high-school coming-out story gets a smart revision in this sharply perceptive teen drama.
Jewish Britain on Film
Orthodox Orthodox
Drama 2016 94 mins Director: David Leon
Stephen Graham is the orthodox Jew tempted into a life of violence by his corrupt associate (Michael Smiley), in this riveting and complex crime drama.
Simon Magus Simon Magus
Drama 1999 115 mins Director: Ben Hopkins
Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones) stars as an outcast accused of sorcery by his fellow 19th-century villagers, in Ben Hopkins' rich and haunting allegory.
The Bespoke Overcoat The Bespoke Overcoat
Fantasy 1955 38 mins Director: Jack Clayton
A clerk in a cold warehouse wants one of the warm sheepskin coats stacked around him.
The Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew
Fantasy 1934 102 mins Director: Maurice Elvey
After spitting on Christ on the way to crucifixion, a Jewish man is cursed with immortality
Britain's Jews Britain's Jews
1965 26 mins Silent Director: Peter Robinson
Jewish people offer their opinions on assimilation, identity and traditional religious observance in 1960s Britain
A Kid for Two Farthings A Kid for Two Farthings
Comedy 1954 90 mins Director: Carol Reed
The adventures of a young boy who buys a small goat in the belief that it’s a unicorn that will be able to grant the wishes of him and his friends.
Directed by Ken Hughes
Timeslip Timeslip
Science Fiction 1955 93 mins Director: Ken Hughes
A high-octane tale of atomic-era espionage on the rain-spattered streets of 1950s London.
New
First Love First Love
Comedy 2019 108 mins Director: Takashi Miike
A terminally-ill boxer, a runaway call girl, a double-crossing drugs heist and a gang war; Takashi Miike doesn’t do things by halves.
The Peanut Butter Falcon The Peanut Butter Falcon
Comedy 2019 97 mins Director: Michael Schwartz
Effortlessly charming buddy movie about a young man with Downs Syndrome (Zack Gottsagen) in pursuit of his dreams, with Shia LaBeouf.
Official Secrets Official Secrets
Thriller 2018 112 mins Director: Gavin Hood
Gripping political thriller with Keira Knightley as the intelligence officer who discovers a plot to rig a UN vote on the eve of the Iraq war.
Scandal Scandal
Historical drama 1989 114 mins Director: Michael Caton-Jones
A fictionalised account of the 1963 ‘Profumo Affair’ that rocked the government of British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. Starring John Hurt, Joanne Whalley, Bridget Fonda, Ian McKellen and Leslie Phillips.
End of the Century End of the Century
Romance 2019 84 mins Director: Lucio Castro
A chance encounter reconnects two men in this heart-breaking lament on love, lust and missed opportunities.
Chained for Life Chained for Life
Drama 2018 91 mins Director: Aaron Schimberg
Made by and starring disfigured people, Aaron Schimberg’s dextrous, darkly comedic film-within-a-film makes you think about cinematic representation without offering simple resolutions.