Tommy the Toreador

There was a time when Tommy Steele was a rock and roll singer.However it is clear that by time this film was made he had already softened that image to more middle of the road,where he would find long term success.He is one of the numerous popular stars of that era who tried and failed to have a successful film career.He joins a long list of failures,such as Morecambe & Wise,Charlie Drake and Spike Milligsn.Despite a pretty decent cast and the name of Talbot Rothwell as one one of the scriptwriters,this film never gets off the ground.The songs are mediocre,though Steele had a hit with "little whit bull".The climax at the bullfighting is truly awful in every way.The producers should have been thrown to the lions.

This film is a classic. If you are feeling low then there is nothing like a cheesy film from the old Ealing era. This is one of those classics. It really lifts your spirits... it is bordering on the worst side of comedy, as well as the worst side of musicals, but it is this that makes it work. The songs are catchy and leave you wanting to sing them forever. Watch the birdie, and little white bull especially. Every time I need a pick me up this film goes on. Tommy Steele is like Marmite, you either love him or you hate him. I love him too and so does the children. The children sit in silence apart from singing along to all the songs. Even Disney has not managed that.

It has been a while since I saw this film and remember thinking that this was a wasted cast. Despite the presence of Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Eric Sykes this movie isn't all that funny. Tommy Steele's permanent and inane grin was certainly not an asset to this movie. Either he was a sandwich short of the picnic or he knew that he was getting paid too much for this bad flick. I suspect that it was the latter.

Directed by a name familiar from some of Norman Wisdom's comedies this movie treads uneasily between slap stick and musical without being successful as either. If for nothing else it is worth fans of the Carry Ons watching this just to see Sid James 'singing'. I guess in its day this movie was aimed at the sort of person that 10 years ago would have gone to see Spice World. Despite the desperate attempts to be a cheerful movie this really doesn't do much to lift the spirits.

By the times of the film's release, Tommy Steele style of music and popularity with the teenage audience had already begun to be overtaken by British pop artists like Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde and Billy Fury. The film was proof, if proof was needed, that Tommy Steele had decided to widen his horizons in the entertainment world by launching himself into the world of musicals as a song and dance man. 'Tommy the Toreador' is mildly amusing and does offer our cockney hero the opportunity to show his skills as an all round entertainer. He gets great support from Sid James and Bernard Cribbins, who give the film a thin slice of humour and energy. The flimsy and fluffy storyline merely serves to give Tommy the chance to connect to a much younger audience with his rendition of 'Little White Bull,' and 'I'm Looking for the Birdy' - both simple and childish songs. This is a very average and dated musical and at times loses its way. Tommy Steele was an endearing, loveable cockney character in this film but he doesn't show any dynamism or charisma which would have audiences flocking to see him. He would achieve much greater success in the 1960's where he starred in films with considerably larger budgets.

Light-hearted, Tommy Steele comedy vehicle which although enjoyable is extremely un-PC! The comedy comes from the farcical elements of the story (Tommy being mistaken for a toreador)and this works, on the whole. Famous for the 'Little White Bull' number. Rainy Saturday afternoon sort of a film - 5/10