Davy (film)

Davy

British theatrical poster
Directed by Michael Relph
Produced by Basil Dearden
Written by William Rose
Starring Harry Secombe
Alexander Knox
Ron Randell
Cinematography Douglas Slocombe
Edited by Peter Tanner
Production
company
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
 1958
Running time
 83 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $458,000[1]
Box office $305,000[1]

Davy is a 1958 British comedy-drama film directed by Michael Relph and starring Harry Secombe, Alexander Knox and Ron Randell.[2] It was the last comedy to be made by Ealing Studios and had the distinction of being the first British film in Technirama.[3] Davy was intended to launch the solo career of Harry Secombe, who was already a popular British radio personality on The Goon Show, but it was only moderately successful. [4]

Peter Frampton, who plays young Tim was the son of Harry Frampton: Makeup artist for many years at Ealing. He would eventually follow in his father's footsteps: working as his assistant on several films, including Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972). In 1995, Peter Frampton won the Oscar® for Best Makeup for Braveheart. He remembered his filming on Davy fondly, as "it meant time off school and (getting the) star treatment." [5]

Plot

A young entertainer is conflicted over the chance of a big break. He has to decide whether to remain with his family's music hall act or to go solo. An audition scene at Covent Garden includes an especially fine rendition of Puccini's Nessun Dorma by Secombe, who, while known mainly as a comedian, had a fine tenor voice, and Mozart's Voi Che Sapete performend by Adele Leigh.

Cast

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned only $40,000 in the US and Canada and $265,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $279,000.[1]

TV Guide called the film a "pleasant if unimpressive drama" ; [6] Britmovie wrote, " stylistically the film is an awkward combination of broad farce, Secombe having made his name as one of the denizens of the celebrated Goon Show, and awkward, turgid scenes of moral conflict" ; [7] while Allmovie noted, "a stellar supporting cast enables Davy to overcome its occasional banalities and cliches." [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ↑ "Davy". BFI.
  3. ↑ "Davy (1958) - Articles - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  4. ↑ "Davy (1958) - Notes - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  5. ↑ "Davy (1958) - Articles - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  6. ↑ "Davy". TV Guide.
  7. ↑ http://www.britmovie.co.uk/films/Davy_1957/
  8. ↑ "Davy (1958) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". AllMovie.

External links

YouTube

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