Movie, 1960

Film about hand-to-mouth seaside entertainer, wonderfully played by Laurence Olivier, whose entrapment takes down family members and potential backers for his insubstantial, gloomy looking future shows. The ups and downs of booze fuelled theatres and run down matinees are well portrayed in close up cinematography, trysts in caravans and determined money-chasing chorus girls. The effect is of a seedy, down-at-heel feel. The cast is superb and handle the material wonderfully well. with the focus on Archie Rice’s daughter giving a despairing but sympathetic view on the unfolding misery of most of the characters concerned. A film bursting with energy belying its down at hell content.