Some People

This was the film in which Clive Donner marked himself as a director to watch having worked his way up from second features, and fulfilled the promise he showed here with 'The Caretaker' and the forgotten classic 'Nothing But the Best'; before like most British directors of his era coming a cropper with Hollywood and ending his days in television.

Shot by John Wilcox in gleaming Eastmancolor on location in Bristol (although only Ray Brooks seems to be making a serious attempt at the local accent), it wears it's message lightly but was dismissed eleven years later by the Allans as "too firmly set in 1962 for much contemporary interest". But like Anneke Wills' jeans it looks cool again (while the driving of our young trio of delinquents' benefactor The Duke of Edinburgh has only recently caused a brush with the law of his own).

I first saw this film when I was 14 years old and have loved it ever since. It captured the atmosphere of the early 1960s perfectly and is a true snapshot of the times.

I can remember sitting in the cinema surrounded by other teenagers all dressed in black leather jackets, tight blue jeans and winkle-pickers. I can also remember seeing countless trails of blue smoke rising to the ceiling, as everyone smoked in the cinema in those days.

The music is also very typical of the time, and I am lucky enough to have the 45rpm E.P. of the soundtrack by Valerie Mountain and the Eagles.

I would love to see the film again, but I have only seen it on television once, and that was probably about 20 years ago. It was filmed in Bristol and I know that the city has changed considerably since then, so it is now of interest not only for the content and story, but also for the location in which it was shot.

I think this film is priceless and I cannot understand why it seems to have disappeared altogether. Perhaps it will be shown on TV again sometime?

Not many films used to be shot in Bristol, England in the 1960s. But Some People was shot entirely in and around the old city going out of its way to show the main characters in the very spots they would actually have been hanging about in real life as aimless teenagers. I know for certain because my parents were courting teens at that very time in that very place. I showed them the film recently (yes they're still a couple 54 years later) and the locations were very accurate to life as they knew it. My father actually worked in the Aircraft factory featured. The dance club in the film was the top spot for young Bristolians to cut a rug in 1962, a favorite place for them and all of their young friends (the front door manned by no less than Dave Prowse (not in the film unfortunately), the actor who made good as Darth Vader in a slightly better known film.) Bristol has changed but not so much that anyone familiar with it wouldn't know most of the locales.

Not much of a film really critically speaking, but well cast, well meaning, and well...it's not half bad. If you know the place it's a precious document though of a time and place which can never be duplicated.

I can exactly relate to the comments of the previous reviewer, being of a similar age (by the sound of it). The sixties (as most people think of them) hadn't quite taken off, and even the Beatles were not quite the phenomenon that they later became. No, this is almost a film out of the tail-end of the fifties, and the rocker image is somewhat darker, a bit "James Dean", or "Serious Charge"-era Cliff Richard. (Ironically enough, over in Hamburg, the Beatles were doing some seriously heavy leather rocking, as far as one can gather ... they didn't become "safe" until a bit later :-) ).

I harp on about the rock, because that's how I think of it...the rocky theme music is what I remember about this film, plus Ray Brooks playing boogie-woogie on a church organ! Classic!

I would LOVE to see this film again, but haven't done so since its cinema release (which shows it had a big impact on me, over 40 years ago!) - on DVD, or even better on the big screen.

This film is what made me a Ray Brooks fan ... we haven't seen him nearly enough over the years (though I gather he is joining one of the UK TV soaps (I'm writing this in Oct 2005)).

Angela Douglas was gorgeous, of course, and Kenneth More was, as always, his excellent avuncular self. Brilliant, totally brilliant. (With the additional frisson of their off-screen relationship bubbling underneath).

And as the other reviewer said, I think it would have something to say about the present day as well ... alienation of youth, sex, rock'n'roll, etc :-). Rock on! :-)

I loved that this movie was made in my home town of Bristol. Places featured included Clifton, Filton, Patchway, Broadmead, City Center, The Downs, Totterdown, The Portway, The old Bus station, Soundwell Swimming Baths, Southville Baths covered over for Roller skating, The docks and The Clifton Suspension Bridge. Set in the early 60s it perfectly captured the atmosphere of the time. The story itself was a little light and seemed like a very long advert for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The acting was all good and although Kenneth Moore wasn't in it as much as you would expect from a star of his caliber, he still stole every scene he was in. Now on DVD it is well worth a watch.