Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Expresso Bongo Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 23, 2022

Laurence Harvey is probably best remembered today as Sergeant Raymond Shaw in the chilling original version of The Manchurian Candidate, but he had a number of other high profile dramatic roles in his somewhat abbreviated career (cut short due to cancer). Among those were his Academy Award nominated performance in Room at the Top, one of the lesser remembered versions of Romeo and Juliet, I Am a Camera, Butterfield 8 , Summer and Smoke, Walk on the Wild Side, Of Human Bondage and Darling. Some of the films linked to would probably qualify as outright melodramas, but several of them having a kind of roiling emotional subtext that offered a somewhat overheated ambience, all of which may add to the perception of Harvey's persona as maybe more than a bit uptight, reserved and humorless. In that regard, then, it's kind of bracing to see Harvey with more of a light comedic touch as a kind of sleazy but still at least intermittently comical music promoter named Johnny Jackson, who discovers a kid named Bert Rudge (Cliff Richard) and propels him into superstardom.

Another film released at more or less the same time as Expresso Bongo offers some interesting at least relatively analogous content, though A Face in the Crowd is probably a bit less whimsical (if that's the right word). Both films document the rise of a "nobody" to "stardom", along with hangers on and those promoting them (for better or worse), but what's kind of immediately ingratiating about Expresso Bongo is that it has, despite an undeniably serious undertone, a certain lightness of touch, some of which is probably due to the facile direction of Val Guest. Even the opening credits are playful, offering names of cast and crew on things like marquees and jukebox listings (remember those?).

Despite or maybe because of the fact that the original stage version of Expresso Bongo was co-written by Wolf Mankowitz, who was Jewish, there is arguably a slight whiff of anti-Semitism running just beneath the surface here, with Johnny Jackson seeming to be a kind of hybrid of Shylock and Svengali (Harvey was evidently told to mold his portrayal of Johnny on Wolf Mankowitz himself). That perhaps slightly unsettling issue aside, Expresso Bongo skewers the late fifties music industry in a decidedly acerbic fashion, as the newly rechristened "Bongo Bert" begins to make waves as a singer (and bongo player, of course). One of the subterfuges Johnny engages in with Bert is getting Bert to agree to a 50/50 split of earnings, though the fact that Bert signs a contract while still a minor obviously leads to consequences.

Two quasi-love stories also help to fill out the story. The first involves Johnny and his longtime girlfriend Maisie (Sylvia Syms), who works in a strip joint (those interested in behind the scenes hilarity may want to Google about troubles getting the girls in these scenes to sing and dance simultaneously in a relatively professional way, and if you pay close attention during some of these scenes, you can actually see some of the "background talent" struggling to keep up with things). The other, while not as traditional as the Johnny - Maisie material, may in fact be more interesting because it's a bit unusual. Bert is ultimately teamed up with an aging American singer named Dixie Collins (Yolanda Dolan), someone who's already been through the "music biz" wringer and has stories to tell, but who at least understands that Johnny is attempting to exploit Bert.

Cliff Richard was well on his way to becoming England's Elvis (or something like that) when this film came out, and the movie dropped several of the original stage songs in favor of material more suited to Richard. His singing and minimal "dancing" are fine, but he doesn't seem to really have the dramatic chops to totally believably pull off an admittedly difficult role. In that regard, he might be seen as the "flip side" (in more ways than one) to the surprising aspect of seeing Laurence Harvey in a kind of comedic performance.

Expresso Bongo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Expresso Bongo is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Film Collection, an imprint of Cohen Media Group, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. The back cover of this release states "this 2K restoration from the original negative was done in collaboration with the British Film Institute and its Unlocking Film Heritage program. This is the full and original 1959 theatrical version, which includes a number of songs that were cut out of the later and more commonly available 1962 version that was released at the time to capitalize on the popularity of Cliff Richard". The transfer is extremely strong for the most part, with some beautifully modulated gray scale and exceptional renderings of fine detail on things like fabrics and even facial features. Contrast is solid throughout. The film has quite a few optical dissolves and some of the "bumps" in and out of those can look a trifle wobbly, and there are just a couple of isolated moments where grain looks a bit loosely resolved compared to the bulk of the presentation. No major damage of any kind was spotted.

Expresso Bongo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Expresso Bongo features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track that capably supports the nascent rock 'n' roll of Richards as well as the more traditional "showtune" type material that, for example, Syms is given. The Richard numbers tend to be with a band, while some of the Syms material features a full orchestra (which is shown to be heard via a reel to reel tape recorded at the downtrodden club where Maisie works, since the clear implication is the place can't afford real, live musicians). Dialogue is also rendered without any problems whatsoever. Optional English subtitles are available.

Expresso Bongo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (HD; 1:13)

Expresso Bongo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As shocking as it may be to see Laurence Harvey do something approaching comedy, it may come as even more of a shock to find out that the original stage version of Expresso Bongo had none other than Paul Scofield (!) playing the part of Johnny. Shock aside, Harvey is actually wonderful in this (for him) unusual role, and Syms is kind of slyly delightful as Maisie. Dolan brings a world weariness to her portrayal, and really only Richards' acting might be faulted by curmudgeons, though he certainly pulls off the musical elements with style. BFI Video released Expresso Bongo some time ago, and while I'm assuming this Cohen release was culled from the same master, the BFI release had some really appealing supplements, including a commentary by Val Guest and both the 1959 and 1962 versions of the film, which may be missed by some fans here. Otherwise, though, this sports secure technical merits and comes Recommended.