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
Body of Water Body of Water
Drama 2020 91 mins Director: Lucy Brydon
Lucy Brydon’s powerful debut feature sensitively explores the impact of an eating disorder on a family.
Summerland Summerland
Drama 2018 100 mins Director: Jessica Swale
Gemma Arterton stars in acclaimed theatre director Jessica Swale’s moving Second World War drama, as a woman rediscovering her ability to love.
Eternal Beauty Eternal Beauty
Drama 2019 94 mins Director: Craig Roberts
Sally Hawkins gives a standout performance as a fragile young woman in Craig Roberts’ humane depiction of mental illness.
The Way He Looks The Way He Looks
Drama 2014 92 mins Director: Daniel Ribeiro
A blind student’s relationship with his best friend is tested when he falls for the new boy in school, in Daniel Ribeiro’s beautifully realised romance.
The Golden Dream The Golden Dream
Drama 2013 108 mins Director: Diego Quemada
Diego Quemada-Diez’s astounding debut feature follows four Guatemalan teenagers as they attempt to escape from the slums of Guatemala City to the bright lights of Los Angeles.
Bait Bait
Drama 2018 89 mins Director: Mark Jenkin
Simmering tensions between locals and newcomers in a modern-day Cornish fishing village reach boiling point in this hugely acclaimed British independent film.
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
One Man and His Shoes One Man and His Shoes
Documentary 2020 83 mins Director: Yemi Bamiro
South Londoner Yemi Bamiro’s pacey, engrossing Michael Jordan documentary reveals the darker side of marketing trainers.
Totally Under Control Totally Under Control
Documentary 2020 124 mins Director: Alex Gibney
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney details the Trump's administration's failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Body of Water Body of Water
Drama 2020 91 mins Director: Lucy Brydon
Lucy Brydon’s powerful debut feature sensitively explores the impact of an eating disorder on a family.
Summerland Summerland
Drama 2018 100 mins Director: Jessica Swale
Gemma Arterton stars in acclaimed theatre director Jessica Swale’s moving Second World War drama, as a woman rediscovering her ability to love.
Eternal Beauty Eternal Beauty
Drama 2019 94 mins Director: Craig Roberts
Sally Hawkins gives a standout performance as a fragile young woman in Craig Roberts’ humane depiction of mental illness.
Who's Gonna Love Me Now? Who's Gonna Love Me Now?
Documentary 2016 86 mins Director: Tomer Heymann
A heartfelt exploration of one man’s struggle to reconcile with his Israeli family, while finding a new ‘family’ in London Gay Men’s Chorus.