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Expresso Bongo Reviews

1959

60
from 321 members

Enter the world of the Fabulous 50's - hip coffee bars, beat girls, shady Soho nightclubs - and the creation of a teen idol. Read more

Starring	Cliff Richard, Laurence Harvey, Sylvia Syms, Yolande Donlan
Director	Val Guest
Genres	Music/Musical

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Critic's review of Expresso Bongo
View all critics' reviews (2)
- Heavily vulgarized version of a stage skit on the Tommy Steele rock phenomenon, divested of most of its satirical barbs and only intermittently amusing.
- 34225
- - Halliwell's Film Guide
  - 02 Mar 2006 at 15:43
Write your own review »
Most helpful member's review of Expresso Bongo
View all members' reviews (9)
- - 7
  - 3
  Soho in the 50s
  
  Based on a successful stage musical by Wolf Mankowitch, Expresso Bongo is set amid the coffee bars and strip clubs of 50s Soho. Lawrence Harvey gives an ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 176551
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Leon Collins
  - London
  - 21 Nov 2005 at 14:44
Most recent members' reviews of Expresso Bongo
View all members' reviews (9)
- - 0
  - 0
  Wooden Cliff
  
  Was a quite entertaining film showing coffee bar culture in the 50's. Some good songs, some very wooden acting, but a good enjoyable black and white ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 911780
- - surreyfilmlover
  - 34 reviews
  - Surrey
  - 05 Aug 2010 at 19:25
- - 1
  - 0
  Nostalgic or what !!
  
  I saw this with my mum when I was around 12/13 (it was certificated as an 'A' category !)
  
  Watching it again after all these 47 or so years ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 830517
- - a customer
  - Barnsley
  - 12 Nov 2009 at 20:57
- - 0
  - 0
  Decaff Expresso
  
  A rather grating, echoey DVD print.
  
  Expresso Bongo starts promisingly with the Soho cafe culture captured well in an imaginatively conceived opening ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 601744
- - InspectorSands
  - 209 reviews
  - London
  - 22 Jul 2008 at 12:32
- - 0
  - 0
  Seedy soho
  
  Cliff before 'The Young Ones' gets a few songs and tries to sneer like Elvis. Tin Pan Alley at it's lowest in the late 1950's. Well worth ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 260018
- - a customer
  - English Lake District
  - 02 Jul 2006 at 13:52
- - 0
  - 0
  Disappointing
  
  If you're looking for Cliff Richard as the star of this film, it was more a vehicle for Laurence Harvey as his agent. With his Lithuanian, South African ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 231695
- - Cato
  - 589 reviews
  - Lydbury North
  - 11 Apr 2006 at 20:30
- - 1
  - 0
  An absolute must for serious Cliff fans
  
  Everyone associates The Young Ones, Summer Holiday, Wonderful Life etc as being exclusively Cliff Films. However Expresso Bongo predates The Young Ones by ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 180094
- - a customer
  - Prescot, Merseyside...
  - 30 Nov 2005 at 18:10
- - 7
  - 3
  Soho in the 50s
  
  Based on a successful stage musical by Wolf Mankowitch, Expresso Bongo is set amid the coffee bars and strip clubs of 50s Soho. Lawrence Harvey gives an ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 176551
- - Leon Collins
  - London
  - 21 Nov 2005 at 14:44
- - 2
  - 1
  No 'nausea'? sickening
  
  It was very evocative of the era and Lawrence Harvey et al made up for the dismal acting of Sir Cliff. My only disappointment was that the best number of the ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 109737
- - Pauline Fitzpatrick
  - Bromley
  - 01 Jun 2005 at 21:42
- - 2
  - 0
  The price of a good haircut
  
  Beautifully shot and wittily staged by writer/director Val Guest, Expresso Bongo is one of the few pop movies to focus on the manager as artist. As arch shyster... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 332556
- - scoop55
  - Berkshire
  - 27 Apr 2005 at 10:39
View all members' reviews (9)

- - 7
  - 3
  Soho in the 50s
  
  Based on a successful stage musical by Wolf Mankowitch, Expresso Bongo is set amid the coffee bars and strip clubs of 50s Soho. Lawrence Harvey gives an ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 176551
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Leon Collins
  - London
  - 21 Nov 2005 at 14:44
- - 2
  - 0
  The price of a good haircut
  
  Beautifully shot and wittily staged by writer/director Val Guest, Expresso Bongo is one of the few pop movies to focus on the manager as artist. As arch shyster... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 332556
- - scoop55
  - Berkshire
  - 27 Apr 2005 at 10:39
- - 2
  - 1
  No 'nausea'? sickening
  
  It was very evocative of the era and Lawrence Harvey et al made up for the dismal acting of Sir Cliff. My only disappointment was that the best number of the ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 109737
- - Pauline Fitzpatrick
  - Bromley
  - 01 Jun 2005 at 21:42
- - 1
  - 0
  An absolute must for serious Cliff fans
  
  Everyone associates The Young Ones, Summer Holiday, Wonderful Life etc as being exclusively Cliff Films. However Expresso Bongo predates The Young Ones by ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 180094
- - a customer
  - Prescot, Merseyside...
  - 30 Nov 2005 at 18:10
- - 1
  - 0
  Nostalgic or what !!
  
  I saw this with my mum when I was around 12/13 (it was certificated as an 'A' category !)
  
  Watching it again after all these 47 or so years ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 830517
- - a customer
  - Barnsley
  - 12 Nov 2009 at 20:57
- - 0
  - 0
  Disappointing
  
  If you're looking for Cliff Richard as the star of this film, it was more a vehicle for Laurence Harvey as his agent. With his Lithuanian, South African ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 231695
- - Cato
  - 589 reviews
  - Lydbury North
  - 11 Apr 2006 at 20:30
- - 0
  - 0
  Seedy soho
  
  Cliff before 'The Young Ones' gets a few songs and tries to sneer like Elvis. Tin Pan Alley at it's lowest in the late 1950's. Well worth ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 260018
- - a customer
  - English Lake District
  - 02 Jul 2006 at 13:52
- - 0
  - 0
  Decaff Expresso
  
  A rather grating, echoey DVD print.
  
  Expresso Bongo starts promisingly with the Soho cafe culture captured well in an imaginatively conceived opening ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 601744
- - InspectorSands
  - 209 reviews
  - London
  - 22 Jul 2008 at 12:32
- - 0
  - 0
  Wooden Cliff
  
  Was a quite entertaining film showing coffee bar culture in the 50's. Some good songs, some very wooden acting, but a good enjoyable black and white ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 911780
- - surreyfilmlover
  - 34 reviews
  - Surrey
  - 05 Aug 2010 at 19:25

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Buy from Amazon.co.uk

- - Buy
- Expresso Bongo
  
  Enter the world of the Fabulous 50's - hip coffee bars, beat girls, shady Soho nightclubs - and the creation of a teen idol....