The Tommy Steele Story

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The Tommy Steele Story
"The Tommy Steele Story" (1957).jpg
UK poster by Tom Chantrell
Directed by Gerard Bryant
Produced by Herbert Smith
executive
Stuart Levy
Nat Cohen
Peter Rogers
Written by Norman Hudis
Starring Tommy Steele
Cinematography Peter Hennessy
Edited by Ann Chegwidden
Production
company
Distributed by Anglo-Amalgamated (UK)
AIP (US)
Release dates
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  • 1957 (1957)
Running time
70 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

The Tommy Steele Story is a 1957 British film starring Tommy Steele, dramatising Steele's own rise to fame.[1]

It was released in the US as Rock Around the World.[2]

Along with Rock You Sinners it was one of the first British rock and roll movies.

Plot

Tommy Steele lives with his mother and father in their London home. He works with a bellboy until he injures his spine doing judo. In hospital he is given a guitar to help with his therapy and he starts to play to entertain patients and staff. He works on an ocean liner, performing in his spare time, and gets a job playing in a coffee bar. He is popular with audiences and gets a recording contract.

Cast

Production

Steele had a hand in writing every song on the soundtrack except one.[3] He was paid £3,000 for the lead role.[4]

Reception

The film was the 13th most popular movie at the British box office in 1957.[5] Steele was voted the seventh most popular star in Britain for that year.[6]

The film was one of the few British movies screened in Russia.[7]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released in May 1957. The following songs appear:

  • A1 Take Me Back, Baby
  • A2 Butterfingers
  • A3 I Like
  • A4 A Handful Of Songs
  • A5 You Gotta Go
  • A6 Water, Water
  • A7 Cannibal Pot
  • B1 Will It Be You
  • B2 Two Eyes
  • B3 Build Up
  • B4 Time To Kill
  • B5 Elevator Rock
  • B6 Doomsday Rock
  • B7 Teenage Party

References

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  2. Gary A. Smith, American International Pictures: The Golden Years, Bear Manor Media 2014 p 59
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  4. David Shipman The Great Movie Stars: The International Years, London: Angus & Robertson, 1972 p.494
  5. LINDSAY ANDERSON, and DAVID DENT. "Time For New Ideas." Times [London, England] 8 Jan. 1958: 9. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.
  6. Most Popular Film of the Year. The Times (London, England), Thursday, Dec 12, 1957; pg. 3; Issue 54022
  7. The Tommy Steele (in Moscow) Story Gale, John. The Observer [London (UK)] 09 Aug 1959: 1.

External links