Street Song

One in the entertaining series which Hagen produced and in which Garrick sang and starred. If you enjoy traditional music or popular music of the time well sung and played, you might well enjoy it. Garrick had a pleasant tenor voice and pleasant features which ensured he was both leading man and romantic lead. Here though unusually he has turned villain, redeemed however by a woman's love, then to live happily ever after.

Quite entertaining story, amusing moments, rather more sentimental than usual: pretty young widow, sick young son, appealing clever pet dog and the redoubtable Wally Patch with a good role as the hardened villain associate who nevertheless is forced to shed a tear (Wally Patch reminds of Oliver Hardy: the "kiss curl" on his sweaty forehead and the trick with the bowler hat: flicked and spun with the forearm then caught and placed on the head - one of Hardy's more minor accomplishments)

The main song, perhaps entitled "My Street Song" is attractive and memorable. I cannot however identify it. Nowhere near as musically ambitious as Lily of Killarney nevertheless very proficiently made and enjoyable. A 6.5

Fifty years later Bernard Vorhaus had had enough after twenty minutes of this twee Twickenham Studios potboiler and walked out. But sick kids with cute dogs were hardly his stock in trade...

It all looks positively Dickensian today, but Wally Patch - as a spiv with a jaunty way with a hat - lived long enough to work with Ken Loach, which brings us to the 21st Century.