''Jungle Street'' is a 1961 black and white

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

crime drama directed by Charles Saunders and starring

David McCallum David Keith McCallum Jr. (born 19 September 1933) is a Scottish actor and musician. He first gained recognition in the 1960s for playing secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the television series '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E''. In recent years, McCall ...

Kenneth Cope Kenneth Charles Cope (born 14 April 1931) is an English retired actor and scriptwriter. He is best known for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', Jed Stone in ''Coronation Street'' and Ray Hilton in '' Brookside ...

, and Jill Ireland, about a young man who attempts to escape his working-class background and win the girl he loves through crime. The film was the first of three films produced by the Theatrecraft production company in the early 1960s. It was later released in the United States under the title ''Jungle Street Girls''.

Plot

The credits roll as a number 12

double decker bus A double-decker bus or double-deck bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. They are used for mass transport in the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and also in cities such as Sydney; the best-known example is the ...

headed for

Harlesden Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, North West London. Located north of the Grand Union Canal and Wormwood Scrubs, the Harrow Road flows through the centre of the area which goes eastwards to Central London and west toward ...

drives through London. It stops in

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. An elderly man gets off and is mugged by a young man in an alley. We then go to the Adam and Eve Club, where girls perform erotic dances on stage. In the club lobby car mechanic (and petty criminal) Terry Collins (David McCallum) speaks with Joe Lucas (

Brian Weske Brian Weske (23 December 1932 – 15 October 2001) was a British film and television actor. He was born in Stockwell, London, England and died in London, England aged 68. He married Italian actress and Italian translator speech artist for BBC Reco ...

) at the outer bar and asks to see the owner - gangster Jacko Fielding (John Chandos). Jacko is with his main girl, Sue. Julie, the hatcheck girl brings in the evening's takings and Terry eyes it greedily. In the club Terry watches Sue strip and lights a cigarette at the bar. The audience is mainly old men. Terry is obsessed with the star stripper Sue (Jill Ireland), but is unable to pursue her openly because the wealthy and powerful Jacko is interested in her. In Terry's working class home he bickers with his parents over breakfast. Terry belittles his father and his beer-drinking. The morning paper (

Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet ...

) informs Terry that he killed his victim - the man at the start of the film. His mother sees the headline and hopes they hang the murderer. At the police station two plain clothes police interview Joe Lucas who says he spent the night with Dimples - one of the dancers at the club. The police seem to think the murder is connected to the club and so ask about all the men there. Johnny Calvert appears at Terry's mum's house looking for Terry. He is not home but she invites him in and they chat. The police spot Johnny and check him out - he has been in prison for robbery. Joe confronts Terry in the club and hints that he knows he did it. Terry punches him confirming his idea. The girls appear and Terry remains in a mood. The bouncer knocks him out with a punch and Sue looks after him backstage. He steals a kiss and gets thrown out. At the Star Garage where Terry works the police wait inside and Johnny Calvert sits opposite in a cafe. He is interviewed by Sgt Philip. He is asked about an Austin A40. Then he asks if he knows Johnny Calvert - he says no. The newspaper says the police have the wallet and they are going to fingerprint the whole district. Terry tracks down Johnny in a rented room ove a tailor's shop. He apologises for spending Johnny's share of the robbery but suggests they rob the Adam and Eve Club. He tells Johnny that Sue (Johnny's old girlfriend) is working there as a stripper. She was forced to strip for money when johnny went to prison. They go to the club together. Jacko invites Terry into the back office. Johnny goes backstage and finds Sue in her dressing room. He slaps her. She claims to have been true to him since he went and they kiss. Jacko is interviewing a new girl why Terry relaxes with a drink and eyes the safe. Terry and Johnny reunite at the club bar. Johnny leaves and Joe sits down. Joe threatens to

blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

him. He is surprised after asking for £10 that Terry offers him £50. Sue visits Johnny in his room and asks him to "take her away" as she lies on the bed. The police start door-to-door fingerprinting and are told to make a note of the names of those who refuse. At a very sunny 4 o'clock the elderly caretaker of the club comes out to feed the cats and Terry coshes him and goes to the office with Johnny. They blow the safe. Terry double-crosses Johnny by knocking him out and absconding with the money, just as the club's caretaker manages to trigger an alarm, alerting the police. Johnny is caught and tells the police Terry is his accomplice. Terry rushes to Johnny's flat, where Sue is waiting, and tries to get her to run away with him. When she resists, demanding to know what happened to Johnny, Terry tries to abduct her at gunpoint. The police arrive, tipped off by Johnny and Joe, and Terry takes Sue and Mr. I. J. Rose, the elderly tailor who occupies the flat next door, as hostages in a standoff. Mr. Rose tries to get Terry to hand over his gun. The police bursting through the door causes Terry to accidentally fatally shoot Mr. Rose and he is dragged away screaming by police as Mr. Rose dies in Sue's arms.

Cast

as Terry Collins *

as Johnny Calvert * Jill Ireland as Sue *

as Joe Lucas * Vanda Hudson as Lucy Bell * Edna Doré as Mrs. Collins * Thomas Gallagher as Mr. Collins *

Howard Pays Howard Pays (11 June 1927 – 12 April 2002) was an English actor who, in partnership with Freddy Vale, started the London-based talent agency CCA. Early life Howard Pays was born in West Ham, Essex on 11 June 1927. Career His first television ...

as Sergeant Pelling * Joy Webster as Rene * Martin Sterndale as Inspector Bowen * John Chandos as Jacko Fielding *

Meier Tzelniker Meier Tzelniker (1 January 1894 – 8 October 1980) was a Yiddish-speaking actor born in Hotin County, Romania. He appeared mainly in Yiddish theatre, but was sometimes a character actor in English-language plays and films, such as '' It Always R ...

as Mr. Rose the tailor * Larry Burns as Barman * Fred Griffiths as Dealer (Dealo) the bouncer * Julie Shearing as Julie the Cashier * Faye Craig as Native Dancer * Anne Scott as Margo * Gillian Watt as Dancing Girl * Alfred Farrell as Mr. Burns * Jacqueline Jones as Dolly * William Wilde as Sid Porter * Howard Douglas as Old Bill * Richard McNeff as Policeman * Marian Collins as Announcer * Shirley Anne Field as Jaqui

Production

''Jungle Street'' was one of the last films directed by Charles Saunders. According to producer Guido Coen, the film's star, David McCallum, had "substantial input" into the direction of the film. Critic Michael J. Weldon has called it the last of McCallum's "juvenile delinquent" film roles. McCallum and Ireland were married at the time the film was made. Despite its setting in a strip club, the film received an "A" rating from the

British Board of Film Classification The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC, previously the British Board of Film Censors) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of ...

after removing some material, including shortening two striptease scenes and deleting a back view of Jill Ireland baring her breasts to the club audience.Chibnall & MacFarlane at p
328 n.22
The film, retitled ''Jungle Street Girls'', was later released and promoted as an adults-only film in the United States by Ajay Films.

DVD release

''Jungle Street'' was released on DVD by Odeon Entertainment in 2008, in a set with the 1963 British crime drama '' A Matter of Choice''.

References

External links

* {{Portalbar, 1960s, Film, London 1961 crime drama films 1961 films British crime drama films Films set in London Films shot in London Films directed by Charles Saunders Films shot at Twickenham Film Studios 1960s English-language films 1960s British films