Excellent but underrated film

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Having recently managed to tune in to the Talking Pictures channel, I was delighted to see this film featured. I had seen it before, but a long time ago and could remember little except the title song which was a hit for Joe Brown and The Bruvvers. In reality this is little more than a hastily put together showcase for some of the popular young singing stars of the day. In this instance Joe Brown, Marty Wilde and the GORGEOUS Susan Maughan. Trouble is, the appeal of the film relies more on their popularity, rather than content which follows the old unappreciated-singer-looking-for-a-break scenario.Also by the time this type of film was released, the sixties music scene had moved on rapidly, dating them even at the time. However, like the curate's egg, it is good in parts. Marty Wilde easily out-acts the others as roughneck Herbie Shadbolt. His character looks and sounds convincing. He and his "boys" appear in an early number set in the local Labour Exchange (job centre). And you will rarely see anything more un-PC. The place is crowded with immigrants, many in national costumes and the song bewails the state of the Labour Exchange in having to deal with people who don't speak English. West Indians are depicted dancing to a calypso theme and three characters in coolie hats perform a stereotypical Chinese dance with hands hidden in sleeves and shuffling feet! Apart from the title song most of the others are complete rubbish but we do get to see bits of early sixties London as backdrops and the film has a grittiness not seen in any of Cliff Richard's efforts (apart from Expresso Bongo) The black and white photography makes it more watchable. As does the presence of the many familiar character actors e.g. Michael Robbins, Toni Palmer, Fanny Carby, Harry Locke and, not forgetting the ubiquitous Michael Ripper. In all it is a decent example of the genre and infinitely superior to that contemporary clunker Every Day's a Holiday. Don't watch that one!

I saw this film as a 13 year old when it was first released, seeing it through the eyes of a teenager living in London I thought it was great, the title song was catchy and it seemed a bright and breezy fun movie, however, watching it again on DVD recently for the first time in over 50 years I wasn't too impressed, I found that unlike some other films released from that period, time had not been kind to it. Although nostalgic in the sense that it showed London as I remember it being like as a kid growing up there, it didn't have much to hold my attention. This was a film to showcase Joe Brown, who was a big star back then, but he was overshadowed by Marty Wilde, who in my opinion stole the show. This film may appeal to people of my generation for reasons of nostalgia, but other than that it has little going for it and I can't see the younger generations wanting to sit through it.

Perfect for those who like to look back at a London in black & white and full of bomb sites. It's the usual working class scenario of bored kids hoping to make it rich with a pop song, and parents in mundane jobs. The film is a good period piece and shows pretty much what the 60s were really like for those who think it was 'swinging' for anyone other than a select few.

WHAT A CRAZY WORLD is a British musical comedy from 1963. Filmed in black and white it mixes together a bit of everything that was popular during the early 1960s, from kitchen sink social drama to musical numbers, dance scenes, and street gang culture. Watched today it feels very dated but also somehow completely endearing, providing a neat snapshot of what life was like a very long time ago.I found it all irresistibly fun. The film was written and directed by Hammer man Michael Carreras, who can't resist a scene involving the main characters watching THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN at the cinema, as well as casting Hammer favourite Michael Ripper in numerous supporting roles. I've never seen Ripper get so much screen time but he's a real delight here with his droll humour.Main star Joe Brown is a better singer than he is an actor, but there are interesting players in support so it doesn't matter so much. For instance, Harry H. Corbett is a delight as his gruff, bad-tempered father. The depiction of working class life is as accurate as any kitchen sink drama from the period. The musical bits are great fun, particularly the highlight where the hilarious Freddie and the Dreamers turn up for a nightclub act. It's all very lively and effective, and I found absolutely nothing to dislike.