Wonderful to Be Young! (1961) User Reviews

Rock n roll, Post-army-Elvis but Pre-Beatles

[pdmanning-20710 · 7/10 · 9 November 2019]

I saw this film aged 11 when it came out and loved it. It seemed fresh and exciting - and importantly it was in colour! It was full of possibility and aspiration to this post war lad.

Film and TV at this time seemed set upon diluting rock n roll by transforming its stars into 'all round entertainers'. Once Elvis had been neutered by his period in the army, films involving popular music involved clean cut clones like Fabian or Ricky Nelson - or a squeaky clean Elvis himself. Cliff was a UK version of this phenomenon - himself an Elvis clone initially smouldering for Jack Good on TV's 'Oh Boy!', but polished up for this film, his sexual threat now removed.

Someday someone will produce a proper study of the period 1958 to 1962, where nothing dangerous seemed to happen and rock lay fallow. Actually rock was just regrouping for the Mersey sound and more.

The film however is a UK version of a typical Hollywood musical, and by UK standards some money has been spent. Looking at it now though, you can see it was a throwback even then.

On a personal note I have a soft spot for the old long gone Finsbury Park Empire - near where used to live - which is the supposed location where 'the young ones' put on a show.

In fact this film may be the origin of the cliche 'Hey - why don't we put the show on right here?!'

Also as a small footnote - reckon the production designer of 'Absolute Beginners' in 1986, owes The Young Ones a debt

Colouful look back at the 1960's

[jonesus · 6/10 · 30 December 2014]

I went to see this movie back in 1961 when it was first released, and I saw it at a special Midnight Matinée with Cliff Richard on stage in person at the end of the film. He was also in the lobby afterwards. A pleasant enough musical, the title song is sung at Ruisip Lido which was a popular summer venue in the 1960's. It is still there (2014)but swimming is no longer allowed. The theater where the young ones put on their show really was the Finsbury Park Empire which was designed by Frank Matcham a famous British theater architect,the building was standing empty having closed in 1960, the theater was demolished in 1965.So if you are into old theatres the movie serves as a reminder of that building. Some of the dance routines remind one of West Side Story. Although the film was in Cinemascope ratio it did not have stereo sound which is a pity for a musical. Robert Morley plays the part of Cliffs father well and it is fun to see Robert doing a dance routine near the end of the movie. If you like musicals you will probably enjoy this film as long as you do not expect it to be like a big Hollywood production.

A bad musical is a British musical, but at least we get Cliff and the Shads

[MartynGryphon · 7/10 · 1 April 2007]

Years before Sidney J. Furie went on to direct bone fide screen epics such as the fantastic Ipcress File or the not so epic Iron Eagle movies, He directed Cliff Richard in a couple of his manufactured movie musicals simply designed to cash in on both Cliff's youthful good looks and his raw Rock n' Roll talent.

Back in 1961 Cliff's clout with the record buying public was at it's peak. The Beatles were still a year or so away, and Cliff was our home grown British Rocker. (despite being born in Lucknow, India).

Like Elvis, The movies saw potential in Cliff's box office appeal and immediately put him in the movies. The films didn't really have to be good or entertaining even, the fact that it starred Cliff Richard was enough to but the bums on the seats.

His first two movies (Serious Charge and Expresso Bongo Both 1959), had done well, but neither really gave Cliff the starring vehicle his Godlike status with the teenagers required. However, all this was to change with The Young Ones. For the first time movie audiences were able to see him in both Technicolor and Cinemascope.

Cliff plays Nicky Black a member of a local London youth club under threat of closure from a ruthless property developer, Hamilton Black (Robert Morley). Nicky and his friends become determined to stop this closure by any means necessary. This task is not made easy for Nicky as the aforementioned property developer is actually his own father.

In order to raise £1500, (a HUGE amount of money then), to buy an extension of the lease to keep their club open, Nicky & Co decide to take a leaf out of Mickey Rooney's book, and PUT ON A SHOW. However, Hamilton Black is just as determined, and manages to scupper their plans as soon as they make them.

The youth club gang then decide that they will use pirate radio broadcasts, in order to let their audience know when and where their show will take place so Hamilton Black cannot put yet another fly in yet another tub of ointment.

The Shadows, appear here too, and over the previous two years, they had already emerged from being simply Cliff's backing band and become (and remain to this day), Britian's most successful instrumental band. Because of this, It's a shame that none of the Shadows actually get a speaking part in this movie, but are always on hand whenever a song needs to be performed. They do get their own shining hour though, when they perform their hit "The Savage".

Carole Gray woodenly plays Cliff's love interest, yet her singing voice was dubbed by the ultra-talented Grazina Frame. Why did the producers go to all that trouble? Why did they not just cast Grazina straight from day one? In fact, when you compare Carole Gray and Grazina Frame, Grazina was not only the better singer but their better looking of the two.

Robert Morley is quite amusing in his role, as are Melvyn Hayes, Richard O'Sullivan and Teddy Green in theirs, but it's Cliff & The Shadows that actually make this movie even remotely watchable.

The reason being, is that the film, when viewed as a complete film, is pretty crap, but that is a failing of ALL British musicals dating back to Jessie Matthews time. With each generation since the 1930's, we Brits have tried to make a decent movie musical and have fallen flat on our faces every single time. (Did you ever see Spiceworld?). Our inability to make a decent musical might have something to do with those awful big 'Production Numbers' like the ones displayed in this movie.

The Young Ones is a harmless way of spending a couple of hours, as there is nothing hear to shock or offend anyone, after all this is Cliff Richard we're talking about.

Enjoy.

A very average light weight and sugary musical.

[geoffm60295 · 21 November 2019]

I watched this film not long after it was released and even then it felt cheesy and dated! The thing that screams out after recently watching it again, was that sadly Cliff was no actor and was a limited dancer. The flimsy storyline and the wooden acting makes it very much a 'B' film. The dialogue is all a bit too 'sugary' and 'golly gosh' let's put on a show and damn the consequences.' I remember seeing a similar but much older film, 'Strike up the Band,' with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, Its in the same type of genre but 'The Young Ones,' lack the sparkle and energy of a Garland and Rooney! 'The Young Ones' tries too hard to to project the younger characters as innocents, who are out to to prove that the adults, like Robert Morley are 'fuddy duddies' - but all they simply achieve is to show how clueless and naive they really are. It would have been far better to have dispensed with Melvyn Hayes and Cliff's other unfunny sidekicks, and allowed the 'Shadows' to have had real speaking parts where Cliff could have played off the characters like Jet Harris and Hank Marvin, musicians he knew so well. As it was, Cliff gives a feeble, limp and lack lustre performance, and with corny gags and the contrived storyline, it all makes for a tedious experience.

hey kids, let's put on a show

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 19 February 2013]

Cliff Richard stars in The Young Ones, or Wonderful to be Young, from 1961, also starring Robert Morley, Carole Gray, and The Shadows.

This is a typical teenage movie with the "Hey, kids, let's put on a show" theme. The kids in this case are British, and their club is being closed due to the sale of the building for a high-rise. What no one knows is the developer, Hamilton Black (Robert Morley) is none other than the father of Nicky (Cliff Richard). Nicky, of course, works on behalf of his cronies but his back always goes out when they have to meet with the old man.

There's a renewal clause in the master lease, but Black is a good chess player - they can renew, but it's going to cost them 1500 pounds, a princely sum, up front. The kids decide to raise the money by putting on a show.

Like "Summer Holiday," "The Young Ones" is an exuberant, tuneful teen movie, with lots of singing and dancing. Richard doesn't force his acting - he says his lines in a natural manner, and his looks and charm do the rest. His early inspiration was Elvis, and some of his singing is definitely Elvis-like. But it's a different voice and persona -- he's a very smooth singer and his boyish handsomeness, unlike Elvis', is very nonthreatening. I can't imagine anyone breaking his records or coming out against him in a pulpit.

This is a very fun film. One can't help being impressed by Richard's longevity - 55 years later, he still looks great, he's still singing, and he's a Sir. He's almost Elvis-lite, a pop icon without the demons that caused us to lose Elvis all too soon.

It is what it is

[diesel03 · 7/10 · 1 May 2011]

This movie was made when this was what people were watching. Full of fun young people doing fun things. I love looking at the fashion and t he dancing. Cliff Richard was so cute back in the early days. The ketches on the stage are cute and there is enough of a plot to make it more than just another movie to star a famous band. Yes the shadows are awesome but they only add to it not steal they show. As for predictable...so what! Most movies today are predicable in some way. So don't let anyone sway you from not experiencing this movie, make you own opinion. Enjoy the movie for what it is and don't over examine it. The Young Ones was one of my faves when I was a teenager and still is today.

"What Do You Know, We Got A Show"

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 10 May 2015]

Before the Beatles came along to personify post World War II British music there was a battle between Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard as the top pop boy singer of the United Kingdom. Both these guys like Elvis Presley did some films that were tailored to the image they projected and this one The Young Ones suits Richard's clean cut image. Unlike the Beatles who had those Liverpudlian accents that took a bit of getting used to when they spoke, Richard's was a clear and proper diction.

Almost as precise as Robert Morley's who plays Richard's tycoon business father. It's almost like a Frank Capra film with the generations battling each other until the young one teaches the old one to be cool.

Morley is building a huge office building and the youth club that Richard belongs to is targeted for demolition. With no place for his pals to hang out the younger ones decide to use that tried and true method handed down from Mickey and Judy, put on a show.

The plot of course is just an excuse for Richard and his back up band The Shadows to perform a lot of numbers, some good ones too. That opening sequence was quite cleverly done using almost the whole city of London as a backdrop. Richard is a pleasing performer and he's given a good opportunity to display his wares.

As an actor not that good especially when stacked up against Robert Morley who looks like he's having a great old time as the Scrooge like father. But the numbers are staged well and this is a film that really shows London at the turn of the 60s.

Shadows, Maybe; Lamont Cranston, No

[writers_reign · 7/10 · 11 November 2017]

Seen in retrospect this is a hybrid, a link between the REAL musicals of the forties/early fifties, and the post 60s rubbish that's still around. For one thing everyone, boys and girls alike, are so clean cut; suits, ties, short hair, skirts, blouses, dresses, no one the slightest bit sexy despite being late teenagers at arguably their sexual peak. Tuneful, melodic songs with literate lyrics, no trace of BEAT substituting for melody and men's room gr and yet it's happening in 1961 when the rot had well and truly set in. Ronald Cass and Peter Myers who provided both the book and the lion's share of the songs were, of course, weaned in post-war Revue and were probably ill at ease with Rock and Roll. What we are left with is a hoary plot, a clutch of third-rate forties-type songs and a rock and roll idol who appealed to mums.

A bad West End show brought to the screen.

[loza-1 · 5/10 · 16 May 2005]

It's the same old faces: Melvin Hayes, Richard O' Sullivan et al, playing the same old parts they play in other films and onstage. It also displays why these types of shows were nosed out of sight by the all-swallowing rock and roll. The plot is hardly deserving of the word plot.

Gutbucket Robert Morley beats up some thugs with a few judo moves and puffs his way through a simple dance routine. As in Cliff Richard's earlier film,Expresso Bongo, The Shadows sidestep off with all the honours. At the time this film was made, the Shadows, led by their charismatic blond bass player, and with Tony Meehan on drums, were at their peak. Their version of The Savage is the best thing about this film.

Never look back..

[beresfordjd · 6/10 · 29 December 2014]

When I was a teenager in the early sixties I thought this film was one of the best I had ever seen. I made a point of seeing it whenever it came to the local cinema - I think I even bought the LP of the soundtrack. Fast forward to today and I am watching it now - terribly dated and cheesy in the extreme. Whoever thought of putting a pop singer who is possibly the worst mover with no real sense of rhythm in a dance movie needs their bumps reading. Mind you the movie was a huge success in the UK - don't know what the USA audience made of it. Cliff Richards' supporting cast are about as good as the can be , making Cliff look a lot better than he is/was. "Why don't we do the show right here" ("in this barn"was not needed here) is the tested and tried macguffin here and it works pretty well. At least it did when I was 13/14 and knew no better

The Mild Bunch.............

[ianlouisiana · 3/10 · 5 January 2008]

"The Young Ones"seem to have been 30 years old at birth.Led by "The Mild One " himself - Mr C.Richard - they are clean,polite,and,apart from a token cockney or two,remarkably well - spoken.They all overact like mad and none of them can dance for toffee.Not surprisingly then,the movie is very bad.The dance numbers are a straight rip - off from "West Side Story"so blatant I swear I could see one or two of them blushing.The musical arrangements should have sent Mr L.Bernstein reaching for the phone to his lawyer,but somehow I doubt if he ever got around to watching this one. There is note a single note of rock 'n' roll to be heard in its whole length despite it often being described as a "Rock 'n' Roll Musical. The estimable Mr Stanley Black was the MD.Here was a man with the mindset - not surprisingly - of a Dance Band Leader.His orchestrations, no doubt played by moonlighting British jazzers,could have come from a Glenn Miller musical.Was this really the music young people danced to in 1961?No.They liked Trad Jazz,Acker Bilk,Chris Barber,or proper rock 'n' roll like Gene Vincent,Jerry Lee and Elvis.Cliff and the Shads were all right for smooching to but that was about it. I hesitate to mention Miss Cordeau whose main assetts were clearly displayed,but they didn't include acting or singing. Mr Melvyn Hayes with his Italian suit and one of those handkerchiefs that consisted of a small piece of linen sewed onto a card to be inserted in one's top pocket,looks fairly daring with his dyed hair and slightly camp persona,but,rather boringly turns out to be one of the boys after all. Mr Robert Morley gives full rein to his customary over - acting,treating each line like a polished gem from the pen of Oscar Wilde and generally behaving like a spoiled ageing fat baby wailing for its rusks. The movie is essentially a Mickey Rooney musical revamped.However,the downside that clearly never occurred to its producers ,was that Mr Rooney could sing and dance brilliantly,had energy and talent to spare and,if necessary,could carry a movie single - handedly. Unfortunately none of these attributes applied to Mr Richard who possessed a small,plaintive voice,a sweet innocent face and two left feet.Er,that's about it really. Unlike many films from my youth,"The young ones" has not got better with age.It really is that bad.

This is just the coolest film...

[dfarmbrough · 9/10 · 15 July 2001]

... The Shadows come off best here with their few lines and great instrumentals undermining the potential datedness of pop stars' movie appearances. However Cliff really rocks and even if the cinematic techniques would be bettered in the follow-up Summer Holiday, the music is just superb.

The basic plot of this is so similar to The Blues Brothers it's uncanny. I should be very surprised if John Landis and Dan Aykroyd hadn't seen The Young Ones.

Forget about Grazina Frame's dubbed voice, forget about the square old pop played by Robert Morley, and remember the great songs and the unbelievably handsome Cliff!

The Young Ones

[jboothmillard · 5/10 · 19 October 2020]

In October 2020, Sir Cliff Richard celebrated his 80th birthday, and I knew I was going to watch one of his movies, besides Summer Holiday, which I had already seen a long while ago, so I chose this one, directed by Sidney J. Furie (The Ipcress File, The Entity, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace). Basically, set in the West End of London, Nicholas 'Nicky' Black (Cliff Richard), an aspiring singer, and his friends are part of a youth club. The club is in trouble of being torn down by unscrupulous millionaire property developer Hamilton Black (Robert Morley), Nicky's father, who plans to make room for a large office block. The youth club members decide to put on a variety show to raise the money needed to buy a lease renewal. While they make plans for the show, Nicky enjoys a romantic relationship with the beautiful Toni (Carole Gray). Nicky hides the fact that he is Hamilton's son from his friends, until they try to kidnap his father to prevent him from stopping the show. Although he is fighting against his father for the future of the club, Nicky cannot allow his friends to harm him, so he stops them and frees Hamilton. Meanwhile, London has been enjoying and talking about the music of a mystery singer, heard on the radio and television through pirate broadcasts, this becomes part of the youth club members promotion for the show. Hamilton is surprised when he realises himself that Nicky is the mystery singer, and he is filled with pride for his son, and has a change of heart regarding his building plans. Although he has already bought the theatre the show is taking place, to be able to stop it, the proud father decides the show must go on. Nicky sings for the cheering audience, presumably many of them have found out he is the mystery, and his band, The Shadows (Jet Harris, Hank B. Marvin, Tony Meehan, and Bruce Welch) play their music. At the end, Hamilton joins Nicky and the youth club members on stage, dancing and singing, after having promised to build them a new youth club. Also starring Melvyn Hayes as Jimmy, Richard O'Sullivan as Ernest, Teddy Green as Chris, and Annette Robertson as Barbara. Featuring the songs "Nothing's Impossible", "The Young Ones" (UK Number One), "Got a Funny Feeling", "The Savage", and "We Say Yeah". Cliff is charming and good looking, and obviously his voice is terrific, Morley is amusing as the stingy millionaire, Gray is alright as the love interest, and The Shadows play fantastically. It is a very simple story, one probably seen a number of times, but the colourful costumes, catchy songs and one or two amusing moments keep things interesting, not one of the most memorable films, but a fun musical. "The Young Ones" was number 98 on The 100 Greatest Number One Singles, and Cliff Richard was number one on The Ultimate Pop Star. Worth watching!

Colorful cult movie for sixties-freaks

[olav-5 · 20 March 1999]

This is the kind of movie to spend your fee on when you were a British teenager in the early sixties. But there is hardly a story, and what there is is very predictable. The movie has two strong moments however: the first 10 minutes are really an example of how a musical can start at full-speed, and the part where Cliff Richard sings the title song, strolling along "the serpentine" in Hyde Park, London, with the lovely Carole Gray aside him. A little bit of a cult movie, and a very weak brother of West side story. But it has its place in history and millions have enjoyed it. Cliff's fans probably still do.

British fluff

[Wizard-8 · 10 November 2009]

I should come out with a confession before I start to review this movie, and that is that until recently, I was pretty ignorant of Cliff Richard. All I knew until about a month ago was one or two of his songs, and I hadn't seen any of his movies. My explanation for that is that I live in North America, where Richard had nowhere the impact he had in England. But recently I rented "Summer Holiday", and now this movie.

In this movie, Richard does come across as a kind of likable fellow, one you wouldn't mind meeting in real life (unlike a lot of music stars). However, he is lacking the edge that other musicians who went into movies had (like Elvis and the Beatles). He's pleasant but kind of forgettable. It doesn't help that the songs he sings here are as forgettable as his character here. The script is also very forgettable - it's the old "Let's put on a show!" story, and it unfolds VERY slowly. Had they made fun of this plot or added some memorable elements, things would have been livened up considerably. There's also the question as to why a millionaire's son doesn't have the money himself to pay off the relatively small sum the youth club needs... but I won't get into that.

Far from the worst movie ever made, and not really a bad movie. But if you are interested in the cinematic doings of Richard, I suggest you rent "Summer Holiday" instead, which is somewhat more memorable.

Nothing's impossible

[dbdumonteil · 13 September 2016]

Sir Cliff Richard was then England 's biggest star ,and the thing George Martin had in mind was to surpass his success,which meant a lot! It's 1961 ,still in the pre- Beatles days ,but girls (see the scene in the theater) already scream when the "mystery " singer appears on stage.

Nicky is a millionaire's son but he does not want to let the cat out of the bag ,for fear he may lose all his good pals (only his girlfriend knows);and,you would never believe it, daddy wants to destroy the youth club to build big buildings;and he is so wealthy he can buy everything ,"lock,stock and barrel " to be precise .

Blackman Sr is played by highly talented Robert Morley,who makes his character nicer than ,say ,Uncle Scroodge ( both Dicken's and Barks/Disney's)

Richard ,21,is good-looking ,and there's a good chemistry with Morley (who could easily have stolen most of the scenes he is in);his ballads are tuneful and pleasant ,particularly the title track;he is less at ease with pure rock and roll :Elvis Presley,he is definitely not.The talented Shadows have an instrumental and ,with hindsight,can be considered influential in the future of rock,which is not really the case with their singer.

Too bad the movie tries so hard to emulate the American musicals in an interminable sequence ;the best scenes ,from that point of view,are to be found in the youth club :the scene in which a deadpan Sir Cliff dances with the "star" is worth the price of admission;the illegal TV advertisement is also a good moment.

This is delightfully old -fashioned stuff,which retains a certain pristine charm.