Where's Jack? (1969)

Based on the adventures of Jack Sheppard, the thief and jail-breaker who became a folk hero in 1720s London. Jack is working as an apprentice to a clockmaker when his brother Tom is ... See full summary »

Director:

James Clavell

Writers:

David Newhouse, Rafe Newhouse

Stars:

Tommy Steele, Stanley Baker, Alan Badel

Cast

Credited cast:
Tommy Steele	...	Jack Sheppard
Stanley Baker	...	Jonathan Wild
Alan Badel	...	The Lord Chancellor
Dudley Foster	...	Blueskin
Fiona Lewis	...	Edgworth Bess Lyon
Sue Lloyd	...	Lady Darlington
Noel Purcell	...	Leatherchest
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Byrne	...	Rev. Wagstaff
Ivan Dixon	...	Naval Officer
Michael Douglas	...	Constable
Michael Elphick	...	Hogarth
Roy Evans	...	Mr. Hind
Howard Goorney	...	Surgeon
John Hallam	...	The Captain
Dafydd Havard	...	Clerk

Storyline

Based on the adventures of Jack Sheppard, the thief and jail-breaker who became a folk hero in 1720s London. Jack is working as an apprentice to a clockmaker when his brother Tom is sentenced to be hanged for theft. To save Tom (who has a wife and children) he goes for help to the brutal 'Thief-taker General' Jonathan Wild. Wild mediates between the government and the criminal underworld, fencing stolen goods and delivering thieves who don't pay him tribute over to the authorities. He assigns Jack a robbery in return for saving Tom from the gallows, but when Jack learns that Tom is instead to be 'transported' to the colonies for a life of hard labour he refuses to cut Wild in on the proceeds. An angry Wild has Jack thrown in Newgate prison, from which he escapes, forming his own criminal outfit with another of Wild's disgruntled associates, Joseph 'Blueskin' Blake. Determined to crush this affront to his authority, Wild uses Jack's mistress Bess to trap him and has him jailed again. ...

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Plot Keywords:

london england

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Crime | Drama | History

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dov'è Jack?

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oakhurst Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Goofs

King George I was referred to only as King George during his lifetime. It was not until George II took the throne that his father was known as George I.

User Reviews

True to real life

When commenting on this film, one must realise that it is based on a true story, and must therefore be reviewed for the quality and accuracy of it's portrayal of the events, as well as its entertainment value. It may well be implausible that Jack Shepherd should surrender twice to Jack Wild because Wild had captured Edgeworth Bess. None the less, it happened. It must also be noted that the director was young and inexperienced, which explains why he relied upon tried and tested techniques. There were occasions when Clavell did not have the confidence to follow the script as written. The film would be better if he had. And yes, I used to have a copy of the script (Stanley Baker's copy - one of five), which I returned recently to my father, Rafe Newhouse, the writer.