In the 1950s, Britiain's teenagers were exposed to a lot more American culture than they were perhaps previously used to. Disparate strains of American culture including beatniks, teenage rebellion, rock 'n' roll and coffee all got mashed up in one slightly confused and frothy concoction. Leather-favoring motorcycle enthusiasts who embraced the scene were labeled coffee bar cowboys. For the aspiring juvenile delinquents and those just out for kicks, alcohol was suddenly the choice of squares and java joe was the way to go, dad! Soon, the English were brewing their own strain of rock 'n' roll in Soho "caffs" (most famously, The 2 i's). Of course, as with any proper youth movement, exploitation films inevitably followed.
The Tommy Steele Story (1957)
"He traveled the world listening to the musical heartbeat of people everywhere and he came home with his head and heart full of songs that captivate all who hear."
The Golden Disc (1958)
Serious Charge (1959)
Beat Girl (1959)
Expresso Bongo (1959)
Relevant Tags
Trailers (5), British Cinema (1), Rock 'n' Roll (2), Subculture (1), 1950s (13), Coffee (11), Coffee Houses (1), Coffee Bars (1), Tommy Steele (1), Adam Faith (1), Cliff Richard (1), Terry Dene (1)Comments
If you've only seen Expresso Bongo, I highly recommend Beat Girl... and Serious Charge, what I've seen, looks good (and has Cliff in it, I think)
I like Expresso Bongo a lot. Cliff Richard is like a 1950s Pete Dorhety. It was supposedly modeled on Sweet Smell of Success.