IMDb user comments for
Half a Sixpence (1967)

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15 comments in total

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Lively Tuneful Big Budget Musical, 19 April 2004

Author: dglink from Alexandria, VA

"Half a Sixpence" was a product of the age of big budget musicals that began with the success of "The Sound of Music" and died when such clunkers as "Mame" and "Man of La Mancha" appeared. As such, the film both benefited and suffered. The benefits were a generous budget that is apparent on screen in the period costumes and sets, the lush photography of the English countryside, and the large cast. Just renting all the antique cars as background for one short scene must have cost a fortune. However, the film also suffered as it was lost in the glut of these big budget musicals, which were often mediocre, and its star, Tommy Steele, did not have the name or the charisma to carry it alone as the cast is largely unknown. The film also suffered from the obligatory over-length and intermission, which were required at the time in order to justify reserved seat engagements for these "event" films. The movie has been seldom seen, at least in the U.S., which is unfortunate because "Half a Sixpence" is a lively family film with a tuneful score, energetic choreography, and an engaging cast. Also, director George Sidney is a veteran of MGM musicals, and he knows how to stage a number. True, the story of how boorish, snotty, and unhappy the rich are, while the poor are fun loving, generous, and content with their lot, has been done to death (see "Titanic"). However, the film's assets lie where a musical's assets should be: in the songs, the dancing, and the performers. On those counts, the film is a winner.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
yes, worth more than a Zac, 29 March 2005
Author: ptb-8 from Australia

Here is a funny BIG frilly musical that is also a good comedy. Imagine someone moaning that it is too big, or even dreary! What a silly thing to feel when there is many musical scenes and easy comedy with which to have a great time. HALF A SIXPENCE is a British hybrid of TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE and HELLO DOLLY and belongs in that cinematic hat box of visual candy delights. If my mixed metaphors make sense (to those who know grammar...and grammar jokes). There is lovely film is all respects. It is raucous and silly and loaded with enough art direction and 'whalloping' stereo musical numbers to please even (Darling) Lili or even Leslie Caron at champagne best. HALF A SIXPENCE is actually a Teen musical but set in Victorian England. The dance numbers are just plain great, and humorous MGM veteran musical director George Sidney has delivered yet again. The music and tunes are memorable and if you see this film with educated kids, they get it and the experience is is a genuine family delight. A 'zac' in Oz vernacular is a sixpence...and there is more value than that in this DVD box of musical chocolates. Just enjoy it. Like those films also mentioned above. It has to be better than seeing Adam Sandler urinating on a door in BIG DADDY, the s-bend of 'family' movies for this clever new century.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Great movie, they don't make 'em like this anymore, 31 August 2003
Author: MonkeesBeatles4 from Brooklyn, New York

I remember seeing this movie alot when I was little. They used to show on Tv here in NY in the late 60s and early 70s. I think the first time I first saw it was like in 67 or 68 I was like 5 or 6. The music is great most of the numbers are uplifting and Tommy Steel delivers them wondefully and so does the rest of the cast, especially the the ones with all the dancing like when they sing Money to Burn and Flash Bang Whallop. The one thing I didn't like about this movie was it had a great storyline that should of been developed stronger. The whole thing about the love between Artie and Ann and how it was almost destroyed because of new found wealth and the way it changed him and caused a rift between them and also between him and the boys he worked with could of been emphasized a little stronger. Other than that this movie is a gem, a wonderful, romping musical that you can watch with your whole family because theres's no excessive violence, sex or crude humor o

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Dazzling British Musical, 2 May 2002
Author: mikwalen from New York

I "accidentally" discovered HALF A SIXPENCE during 1979 on the late movie on NYC's Channel 5. I turned it on just before the "Half a Sixpence" number between Tommy Steele and Julia Foster. I didn't get to see it all, but years later it was shown on the Disney Channel. What a great movie! Great choreography (Gillian Lynne of CATS fame), charming actors playing the leads, and all that beautiful on-location photography in England! Tommy Steele sets the screen on fire when he lets loose in a dance number, and his star turn in the role of a simple lad who gets too rich too quickly and ends up miserable is believable and touching. Julia Foster is by turns sweet, vulnerable, AND feisty as his love interest, Ann.

The film (based on the London/Bdwy stage show and directed by movie-musical veteran George Sidney) has the look and feel of an old-fashioned MGM musical, which is probably why I loved it so. It seems to be more widely known in the UK - I believe it was more popular there than in the States at the time of its release, and perhaps it gets more TV airings in the UK? It's just too bad that it's not seen more often and appreciated as it deserves.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A quality musical based on an H G Welles story, 2 July 2001

Author: Alan Tangey (atangey@hotmail.com) from Ohio

Not the kind of story one would think of when thinking H G Welles, but this rags to riches to rags love story is fascinating, well constructed and features one of England's preimere talents, Tommy Steele. The tale of the oprhan Kips who aquires an amazing inheritance and nearly throws away true love after tasting the luxury of high society. Fantastic score too, includes "If the Rains Going to Fall". Great fun.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Magnificent Entertainment!, 13 May 2001

Author: (jg26@iname.com) from London, England

A fabulous musical which I first saw at the age of 11 (back in 1967). In fact I saw this film at least 5 times back then. As a young lad I was also very struck by the appearance of Julia Foster, she was, my first heart throb! (along with Hayley Mills).

This film has great songs, great acting (if a little over the top by Mr Steele, great sets and locations, and great colour. It's very well directed to boot! A must see for all musical lovers and admirers of Miss Foster!

A uniquely English film. Terrific!

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
An energetic and charming musical!, 13 April 2000
Author: rothwellstudios from Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Master showmen were at work in the production of this perhaps over long but nevertheless delightful picture. It would be impossible to visualise the film without the warm performance of Tommy Steele, and it was an inspired move to bring in George Sidney, one of Hollywood's finest directors of musicals, to give the picture a very special flare. The budget was obviously huge and it all shows on the screen in the very lively production numbers, especially those shot on location. A super piece of screen entertainment which stands up well to occasional re-watching.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
A must for all Tommy Steele fans., 26 August 2002

Author: rosebay from Felixstowe,England

If you're a fan of Tommy Steele this is a must watch movie. It's Tommy at his best. If you're a fan of musicals then this has to be on your list. It's warm, funny and has a great feel-good factor. Watch it when you're feeling down, you're bound to feel better.

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"Flash,Bang,Wallop"?More glimmer,pop,nudge actually., 13 January 2006

Author: ianlouisiana from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It doesn't seem that long ago when I saw this on the big screen complete with an intermission and a glossy programme.As a matter of fact it was the height of the "Swinging Sixties" and perhaps not the most obvious time to make a musical set in Edwardian times with an ex-fifties pop star in the lead role.The words "British" and "musical" are of course antithetical,the list of disasters and near disasters in this bastardised genre too long and too well-known to recount here.Presumably the producers hoped that by bringing in George Sidney they could breathe life into an already mouldering corpse.Sadly "Half a sixpence" was not a Lazarus-like project. The best Mr Sidney could do was to give it a semblance of life,even his considerable talents could not provide that vital spark to set the heart beating and the blood pulsing. Mr Tommy Steele,a decade earlier the archetypal cheeky cockney pop singer who was the best Britain could do in the rock n' roll industry's birth-pangs,had gamely fought his way from guitar-slinging to "family entertainer"status via pantomime and Variety bills.Shrewdly managed,he did not try to compete with the emerging "Beat Group" generation but capitalised on his broader appeal and toothy charm.Sadly it was not enough to smile and shake his blond hair a lot when it came to making a big movie, you needed that special quality that forces people to look at you rather than those round you,and he didn't have it. Watching "Half a Sixpence" is like indulgently watching your favourite nephew perform after Christmas dinner.While he chirps away merrily your eyelids droop and every so often when he gets extra loud you wake up with a start and pretend to be enjoying it. It isn't actually bad - it's just totally non-involving.The songs are blandly - if competently- performed,the dances likewise.The "Big Number","Flash,Bang,Wallop" neither flashes,bangs nor wallops. Miss Julia Foster has clearly been instructed to reign in her effervescent personality(and dye her hair so as not to rival Mr Steele's)but she still manages to be the best thing about the film. A lot of talented people did their very best to make "Half a sixpence" work.It must have been heartbreaking for them to put in so much effort to so little avail.Opening out the production from the relatively modest confines of the theatre destroyed it's warmth and intimacy.Replacing those attributes with brassiness and wide grins was,I'm afraid a retrograde step.

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Fantastic Musical. Brilliant Banjo Scene, 20 July 2001
Author: jeff carol podge37 from Daventry, England

This is a very well acted and energetic musical. Tommy Steel and Julie Foster in the lead parts were brilliantly cast.

The banjo scene in this was well choreographed, put together and acted out. To top the whole scene the banjo playing was superb.

A brilliant family musical it gets a 10/10 from us. But then we are Tommy Steele fans.

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