''The Golden Disc'' (also known as The In-Between Age) is a 1958 British pop musical film. It features pop singer

Terry Dene Terry Dene (born Terence Williams, 20 December 1938) is a British rock music singer popular in the late 1950s and early 60s. He had three Top Twenty hits between June 1957 and May 1958. Career Dene was born in Lancaster Street, Elephant & Cas ...

as himself in a story in which he tops the best-seller charts, whereas in his real life he never made the top ten. The film was directed by

Don Sharp Donald Herman Sharp (19 April 192114 December 2011) was an Australian film director. His best known films were made for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer in the 1960s, and included ''The Kiss of the Vampire'' (1963) and ''Rasputin, the Mad Monk' ...

, who was married to the leading lady Mary Steele. It was re-released on DVD by Renown Pictures Ltd in 2010.

Plot

A young man and woman help her aunt open a trendy coffee bar and they discover a singing star.

Cast

Lee Patterson Lee Patterson (March 31, 1929 – February 14, 2007) was a Canadian film and television actor. Life and career Patterson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, as Beverley Frank Atherly Patterson. He attended the Ontario College of Art and D ...

as Harry Blair * Mary Steele as Joan Farmer *

as himself * Linda Gray as Aunt Sarah *

Ronald Adam General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam, 2nd Baronet, (30 October 1885 – 26 December 1982) was a senior British Army officer. He had an important influence on the conduct of the British Army during the Second World War as a result of his long tenure ...

as Mr. Dryden *

Peter Dyneley Peter Dyneley (13 April 1921 – 19 August 1977) was a British actor. Although he appeared in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for supplying the voice of Jeff Tracy for the 1960s "Supermarionation" TV series ...

as Mr. Washington * David Jacobs as Himself * Richard Turner as Morose Man *

Marianne Stone Marianne Stone (23 August 1922 – 21 December 2009) was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone appe ...

as Dryden's Secretary * Olive Milbourn as Mrs Simpson *

Redmond Phillips Redmond Bernard Phillips (5 June 1912 – 3 November 1993) was a New Zealand actor and writer, particularly of theatre and television, who worked in his native country, as well also worked in England and Australia. Biography Phillips was born i ...

as 1st Recording Engineer *

Dennis Lotis Dennis Lotis (born 8 March 1925) is a Union of South Africa, South African-born British singer, actor, and entertainer, whose popularity was greatest in the 1950s. He was described as having "a sophisticated style that was particularly attractive ...

as Himself *

Nancy Whiskey Nancy Whiskey (born Anne Alexandra Young Wilson, 4 March 1935 – 1 February 2003) was a Scottish folk singer, best known for the 1957 hit song, "Freight Train". Life and career Nancy Wilson was born in Dalmarnock, Glasgow, Scotland, and learned ...

as Herself * Hobeaux as Themselves * Murray Campbell as Himself * Sheila Buxton as Herself *

Phil Seamen Philip William Seamen (28 August 1926 – 13 October 1972) was an English jazz drummer. With a background in big band music, Seamen played and recorded in a wide range of musical contexts with virtually every key figure of 1950s and 1960s Brit ...

Jazz Group as Themselves * Sonny Stewart & his Skiffle Kings as Themselves * Terry Kennedy Group as Themselves

Production

The film was shot at

Walton Studios Walton Studios, previously named Hepworth Studios and Nettlefold Studios, was a film production studio in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England. The film was one of several British pop films set around coffee bars, others including ''

The Tommy Steele Story ''The Tommy Steele Story'' is a 1957 British film directed by Gerard Bryant and starring Tommy Steele, dramatising Steele's rise to fame as a teen idol. Along with ''Rock You Sinners'', it was one of the first British films to feature rock and ro ...

'', ''

Serious Charge ''Serious Charge'' (also known in US release as ''A Touch of Hell'') is a 1959 British film, directed by Terence Young, produced and co-written by Mickey Delamar (with Guy Elmes). It was adapted from a stage play written by Philip King. The fi ...

'', ''

Beat Girl ''Beat Girl'' is a 1960 British teen exploitation film directed by Edmond T. Gréville. The film was released in the United States under the title ''Wild for Kicks''. The title character of ''Beat Girl'' was played by starlet Gillian Hills, who ...

'' and ''

Expresso Bongo ''Expresso Bongo'' is a 1958 West End musical and a satire of the music industry. It was first produced on the stage at the Saville Theatre, London, on 23 April 1958. Its book was written by Wolf Mankowitz and Julian More, with music by David ...

''. Director Don Sharp said it was made at a time when "everybody was making a musical". His wife Mary played the female lead. Filming started on 23 September 1957. Jack Phillips of Butchers Film Productions, who made the film, claimed the film was "not an imitation of ''

'' or anything like this" even though it was a musical vehicle for a pop star.

Songs

* ‘I’m Gonna Wrap You Up’ (by Ray Mack, Philip Green) performed by

* ‘Before We Say Goodnight’ (by Norman Newell, Philip Green) performed by Mary Steele * ‘Dynamo’ (by Tommy Connor) performed by Les Hobeaux Skiffle Group End Credits, 'The Golden Disc', 1958 * ‘C’min and be Loved’ (by Len Paverman) performed by Terry Dene * ‘Charm’ (by Ray Mack, Philip Green) performed by Terry Dene * ‘The In-between Age’ (by Ray Mack, Philip Green) performed by Sheila Buxton * ‘Let Me Lie’ (by Sonny & Stewart) performed by Sonny Stewart and his Skiffle Kings * ‘Candy Floss’ (by Len Paverman) performed by Terry Dene * ‘Lower Deck’ (by Phil Seamon) performed by Phil Seamon Jazz Group * ‘Balmoral Melody’ (by Philip Green) performed by Murray Campbell * ‘Johnny O’ (by Len Praverman) performed by Nancy Whiskey and Sonny Stewart and his Skiffle Kings ‘The Golden Age’ (by Michael Robbins, Richard Dix) performed by Terry Dene.

Reception

The film was not a success at the box office, a factor which was thought to have contributed to Dene showing symptoms of unstable behaviour.

References

External links

* * *
Review
at Variety
The Golden Disco
at Letterbox DVD {{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Disc 1958 films British musical films 1958 musical films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films