La rue du péché

First off, anyone reading this , do not be under any impression that I have any regrets about my London younger days.

This is an accurate portrayal of how men treated women also how some women often lead men along a path of intimate desire , often ending with no result. Added to which, Harry's ( Ian Hendry ) were as predatory for anything lacking responsibility , so you can certainly discount marriage .And if the woman became pregnant , the man would go out of his way to ensure his water tight disappearance .All that said, many women got taken in , first by good looks, which Harry certainly has and a man that was bold and forward in his sometimes forceful and suggestive words and body language . All these folk, women and men were unique to 1950s to 1970s cultural British attitudes. The well known early film with Michael Caine ' ALFIE ' remains as powerful today as it was then, albeit only dealing with one male , one female as opposed to multiple ladies and gents in this narrative. Take note, the man always drives an expensive , often flashy car, especially Harrys imported American , which in those days was referred to as ' very well heeled man ' Best Italian suites, and only the best shoes silk ties and best luxury cars .In some viewers minds , one critical point are the slightly posh accents which would not be the case for people living in a rather run down London suburb , apart from the son, , whose accent is noticeably at a lower level ! Also, everyone is well dressed . When do theses people go to work and where does their income come from for all their trappings ? An interesting film, although i noticed a number of gaps in the narrative ? The bottom line of my first sentence is due to the fact I never fitted in with these characters, bearing no grudge, as my cars were always ordinary, and my dress sense casual , with no expensive shoes.

What Stands out in this movie for me is the Eric Rogers music, he did all the music for the carry on films, and it's so distinctive in this, sometimes sounds like a comedy, but he gets away with it, adds a style which is so 1960's. Love these British dramas, as many agree they have more story power and character than a lot modern films, and it's always charming to see London in a different light, how it's changed so much since then, filmed in south London nr Clapham. Good film, fully recommend it if you like B&w British class.

This film could have been potentially interesting, if only the story wasn't so boring and confusing. I felt I was watching a bunch of scenes cobbled together and with no sense of continuity. I soon lost interest. There is a very good cast at hand but they can't do much with a poor storyline. Ian Hendry and June Ritchie do quite well and at least there's a bit of on-screen chemistry between them. A very young John Hurt has nothing to do and is restricted to a few meaningless minutes of screen time. It's best to avoid this one.

Ian Hendry plays a role that would have probably better fit a more downright handsome Laurence Harvey, but he does have the right amount of scoundrel charm that's initially fully-loaded towards pretty married June Ritchie, who definitely has a kid... In fact she and loose lodger Hendry consummate after both take time finding her...

But while there are a fair number of scenes with June's bored, jobless husband Mike Pratt, they really don't seem all that married... and either way there's zero chemistry between the actors...

On the other hand, as the film opens, Ian and June's Harry and Margery are the perfect couple in both age and looks, so their inevitable romantic twist is hardly daring... That's left to the second act as June's younger, spunkier lookalike college-aged sister Annette Andre turns up and gets the full-press treatment...

As predictable soap operatic romance ensues and IS initially intriguing... in fact both affairs (little sis dates a snobby doctor who may soon be her fiance) have the right kind of "how far will this flirtation go" mystique...

But the far more interesting character's kept on the side, a neighboring b-story's b-girl brunette (contrasting the blonde leads) in Philippa Gail, having an affair with a random married man while hit-on by greasy spoon co-worker John Hurt...

And, overall, THIS IS MY STREET does effectively use the titular location that includes the usual bleak B&W "kitchen sink drama" streets, huddled housing and even a bombed-out scrapyard...

What's lacking in the romance department is RISK. Without any real MALE obstacles, our boy Hendry basically seems like a single dude sharking after single girls.

This slice of so-called British realism came after a slew of really outstanding kitchen-sink dramas and was really something of a let-down. As directed by the lack-lustre Sidney Hayers it's more of a throwback to the British films of the forties and fifties, watchable certainly but nothing to get excited about. It's also let down by the highly inadequate performance of the pretty but vacant June Ritchie, cast here as the unhappily married housewife seduced by randy neighbour Ian Hendry. He's excellent, certainly a lot better than his material. However, none of the supporting cast, including a very young John Hurt, make much of an impression.