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Café Expresso Bongo

Original title: Expresso Bongo
  • 19591959
  • SS
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
533
YOUR RATING
Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
Johnny Jackson, a sleazy talent agent, discovers teenager Bert Rudge singing in a coffee house. Despite Bert's protestation that he really is only interested in playing bongos, Johnny starts him on the road to stardom.
Play trailer2:57
1 Video
20 Photos
DramaMusic

Sleazy talent agent Johnny Jackson discovers teenager Bert Rudge singing in a coffee house. Despite Bert's protestation that he really is only interested in playing bongos, Johnny starts him... Read allSleazy talent agent Johnny Jackson discovers teenager Bert Rudge singing in a coffee house. Despite Bert's protestation that he really is only interested in playing bongos, Johnny starts him on the road to stardom. The deal they cut, however, is highly exploitative of the young s... Read allSleazy talent agent Johnny Jackson discovers teenager Bert Rudge singing in a coffee house. Despite Bert's protestation that he really is only interested in playing bongos, Johnny starts him on the road to stardom. The deal they cut, however, is highly exploitative of the young singer, and their relationship begins to go bad.

IMDb RATING
6.2/10
533
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Val Guest
  • Writers
    • Wolf Mankowitz(based on "Expresso Bongo" by)
    • Julian More(based on "Expresso Bongo" by)
  • Stars
    • Laurence Harvey
    • Sylvia Syms
    • Yolande Donlan
  • Director
    • Val Guest
  • Writers
    • Wolf Mankowitz(based on "Expresso Bongo" by)
    • Julian More(based on "Expresso Bongo" by)
  • Stars
    • Laurence Harvey
    • Sylvia Syms
    • Yolande Donlan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 20User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:57
    Watch Trailer

    Photos20

    Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Quad 30 x 40
    Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Wolf Mankowitz in Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Sylvia Syms in Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Laurence Harvey and Cliff Richard in Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Laurence Harvey, Yolande Donlan, and Cliff Richard in Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Yolande Donlan and Cliff Richard in Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Laurence Harvey, Cliff Richard, and Sylvia Syms in Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Café Expresso Bongo (1959)
    Laurence Harvey, Cliff Richard, and Sylvia Syms in Café Expresso Bongo (1959)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Laurence Harvey
    Laurence Harvey
    • Johnny Jackson
    Sylvia Syms
    Sylvia Syms
    • Maisie King
    Yolande Donlan
    Yolande Donlan
    • Dixie Collins
    Cliff Richard
    Cliff Richard
    • Bert Rudge…
    Meier Tzelniker
    • Mayer
    Ambrosine Phillpotts
    Ambrosine Phillpotts
    • Lady Rosemary
    Eric Pohlmann
    Eric Pohlmann
    • Leon
    • (as Eric Pohlman)
    Gilbert Harding
    • Self
    Hermione Baddeley
    Hermione Baddeley
    • Penelope
    Reginald Beckwith
    Reginald Beckwith
    • Reverend Tobias Craven
    Paula Barry
    • Intime Girl - Dancer
    • (uncredited)
    Jack 'Kid' Berg
    • Slam Dance Crowd
    • (uncredited)
    Eddie Boyce
    • Autograph Seeker
    • (uncredited)
    Avis Bunnage
    Avis Bunnage
    • Mrs. Rudge
    • (uncredited)
    Rita Burke
    • Intime Girl - Dancer
    • (uncredited)
    Susan Burnet
    • Edna Rudge
    • (uncredited)
    Esma Cannon
    Esma Cannon
    • Night Club Cleaner
    • (uncredited)
    Patrick Cargill
    Patrick Cargill
    • A Psychiatrist
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Val Guest
    • Writers
      • Wolf Mankowitz(based on "Expresso Bongo" by)
      • Julian More(based on "Expresso Bongo" by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The credit titles for writer, producer and director are written on sandwich boards carried by writer Wolf Mankowitz as he walks around Soho.
    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits are shown on a neon sign outside a theatre, a jukebox, a pinball machine, a barrel organ, a restaurant menu, a pin-board, ending with a sandwich-board man.
    • Alternate versions
      Reissued in 1962 at 106 minutes. This shorter version omitted a number of songs, including "Nausea." About 2 minutes of alternate scenes were used to fill in some of the cut musical scenes.
    • Connections
      Featured in Kauneuden jumalattaret (1965)
    • Soundtracks
      Nausea
      (uncredited)

      Music by David Heneker (as David Henneker) and Monty Norman

      Lyrics by Julian More and Wolf Mankowitz

      From original stage show

    User reviews20

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Laurence Harvey's performance
    Harvey's performance is akin to Cary Grant in His girl Friday which I term "Cary Grant unleashed" Like Grant, Harvey takes his character and far from overacting rather sets the screen on fire. As for the movie itself,it lags when Harvey is not on the screen and it needs another actress in the Dixie roll who can somehow match Harvey. Dixie drags down the last third of the film. For the legions who deem Harvey's career as a series of zombie-like performances, Bongo turns that opinion on it's ear. Cliff Richard does a good job in his first screen roll. Beware of the current DVD release. It does not have several musical numbers and this greatly mars the movie.
    helpful•17
    4
    • rayshaw44
    • Dec 9, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 1962 (Finland)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Kino Lorber (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Expresso Bongo
    • Filming locations
      • Old Compton Street, Soho, London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Val Guest Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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