The Young Ones (1961)

A young pop singer and friends put on a show to save his local youth club.
Genre: Musicals
Rating: UN
Release Date: 21-MAY-2001
Media Type: DVD Product Description

Splashy British Attempt at Hollywood style musical

Cliff Richard charms here as a singer and dancer (he's very good) in this big budget British musical starring Cliff Richard and the Shadows. There are only two rock songs in this movie. The rest of the score consists of Broadway style ballads and group set pieces. Enjoyable. The storyline (wholesome teens try to keep their dance club from being knocked down by a developer) is so old that you can be astounded by its lack of originality but the staging is colorful, fun, lively, and top notch. Think of this as the British "Hairspray." Dancing 4 stars; Songs 3 stars; storyline 2 stars; photography and direction 4 stars. January 18, 2006

British Rock 'N' Roll Group Makes A Film

The story is about a group of young people who frequent, and run a youth club. The leader, Nicky (played by Cliff Richard) is a rebellious rock 'n' roll singer while harbouring a dark secret he must keep from the other club members. The youth club land is about to be sold to property developers unless the gang can renew the Lease. The race is on as the gang have to put on a show (secret weapon: The Mystery Singer) to raise enough money to defeat the millionaire developer (A whimsical yet menacing Robert Morley).

To some extent this is a typical vehicle for a pop star, but Cliff acquits himself well and fares better than Elvis did in some of his movies. There is a pretty good soundtrack featuring several great songs written by Cliff Richard's backing group, The Shadows, plus one or two old-fashioned musical numbers. January 23, 2002

More reviews at Amazon.com ...