Jazz Boat

Electrician Bert Harris (Anthony Newley) boasts that he's a successful cat burglar, which leads to him getting mixed up with real thieves who need those special skills for a big jewellery heist. However, Bert was only giving them a "song and dance" about being a cat burglar, but now discovers it's too late to back out.

• Anthony Newley as Bert Harris
• Anne Aubrey as The Doll
• Bernie Winters as The Jinx
• James Booth as Spider Kelly
• Leo McKern as Inspector
• Lionel Jeffries as Sergeant Thompson
• David Lodge as Holy Mike
• Al Mulock as The Dancer
• Joyce Blair as Rene
• Jean Philippe as Jean
• Liam Gaffney as Spider's Father
• Henry Webb as Barman
• Ted Heath as himself
• Frank Williams as Man whose bowler hat is knocked off in the market

It was based on a novel by Rex Rienits. Rienits later admitted he disliked writing novels but was in a career slump so decided to write a novel to sell to the movies.[1]

Filming started 15 June 1959.[2] A scene involving more than 200 extras was shot at Chislehurst Caves, Kent; on that night the payroll was stolen meaning they could not be paid.[3]

Variety called it "an odd assoilment of romance, jazz, musical comedy and youthful crimeas What comes out is largely chaos although some of it is infectiously amusing. Mostly it s vague, disjointed and purposeless. Director Ken Hughes may have been making some sort of an attempt at parodv of American crime pix."[4]

The MFB called it "a lively, muddle headed British musical."[5] TV Guide wrote, "While imitating American gangster films, this simple picture also provides a look at the British "Teddy Boy" subculture as some amusing situations, though none is particularly memorable";[6] while Leonard Maltin called it an "Energetic caper."[7]

Filmink said it "starts out as a crime drama then weirdly turns into a musical (complete with dance numbers) then back into a crime drama again/"[8]

• Jazz Boat at IMDb
• Jazz Boat at Letterbox DVD
• Jazz Boat at Rotten Tomatoes