Stranger in the City is a 1961 British short documentary film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis.[1][2] The film has a music score but no dialogue. It is notable for its contemporary views of London including the Soho music venue The 2i's Coffee Bar.
| Stranger in the City | |
|---|---|
.png) Opening titles | |
| Directed by | Robert Hartford-Davis |
| Written by | Robert Hartford-Davis |
| Produced by | Robert Hartford-Davis Julius Robinson |
| Starring | Sydney Bromley Jimmy Charters Arthur Howell Robert Vossler |
| Cinematography | Roy Pointer |
| Edited by | Derek York |
| Music by | Steve Race and his Orchestra |
Production company | Caesar Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 22 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe film depicts selected unrelated events as a London day progresses. In early morning three tramps awake and eat breakfast; a wealthy businessman phones from his Rolls Royce as his chauffeur drives through the city; a chef prepares breakfast; an acting class is underway; a fire-eating street entertainer amuses the crowd; striptease at The Keyhole Club; a life-drawing class in a cafe; a visit to the 2i's Coffee Bar; police radio cars are on the streets; the tramps retire.
Cast
edit- Sydney Bromley as first tramp (uncredited)
- Jimmy Charters as second tramp (uncredited)
- Arthur Howell as police patrol car driver (uncredited)
- Robert Vossler as police patrol car driver (uncredited)
Critical reception
editThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A day in London is depicted in a mixture of (badly) acted and unposed scenes. Though the everyday life of the capital's millions is scarcely touched upon, the ground covered is familiar to filmgoers, perhaps most of all the supposedly "off-beat" material – pick-up girls, a strip-club. Only a practice class at an acting school and a study in tramps' table manners are even momentarily striking."[3]
Kine Weekly wrote: "An unusual look at aspects of London life during one day. The film is without commentary, with music creating the necessary 'atmosphere' for various situations; some pathetic, some amusing and some suggestive. Fair."[4]
References
edit- ^ "Stranger in the City". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ Ahmed, Michael (1 January 2013). Corrupted, Tormented and Damned: Reframing British Exploitation Cinema and The films of Robert Hartford-Davis (Ph.D. thesis). University of East Anglia School of Film, Television and Media. pp. 40–42.
- ^ "Stranger in the City". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 28 (324): 87. 1 January 1961 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Stranger in the City". Kine Weekly. 528 (2798): 30. 18 May 1961 – via ProQuest.