Some People

I was 10 when i first saw Some People and managed to catch it on TV often after that, a film of the times to copy a much used phrase. 1962, when American Graffiti was released its advertising slogan was 'where were you in 62' well I was a 10 year old kid living in Edmonton north London, i had a sister 5 years older that took me to see all the films. Some People was all about youth clubs, motorbikes, vicars,English rock'n'roll,shrinkable blue jeans! and boy meets girl. I truly love this film and films of its type'up the junction'for instance one of the best lines of the film is 'jonnys got a new fairing' when you get to see the fairing on the bike its what we later called a grandad fairing, not a patch on a new suzuki gsxr's fairing today, i think this film was the main reason i became a ROCKER a few years later. the opening line of the sound track is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago 'Some People think that kids today have gone astray' does this sound familiar? well its followed by 'Well they should know cos they were kids once too' that kind of sums it up.i need a copy.RjS

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?

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 heard of this film from my brother-in-law basically because it was filmed in my home city. I thought it was fantastic, with all the scenes of Bristol before I was born. It was great fun trying to guess where it was filmed. Clifton, Filton, probably Patchway, Broadmead (but which store?), City centre, Totterdown, The Downs, The Portway and the now re-built bus station. Kenneth More is brilliant as ever. It might have been a bit corny but not as bad as a Cliff film. I purchased a DVD of it off ebay (not great quality as it had been transferred from video) and really enjoyed it. When will it be available on DVD in all its remastered glory?

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).