A Boy, a Girl and a Bike

..........and wonderful to do some star spotting with these early post war British films, with the likes of Diana Dors, Thora Hird, Tony Newley, Honor Blackman (just about recongnisable!), Maurice Denham. Megs Jenkins etc. etc. not forgetting my wife's favourite actor Leslie Dwyer - Mr "Punch & Judy" Partridge. : - )

Ahh yes, no traffic to speak of, no yellow lines and quiet peaceful villages - what therapy! How I remember England.

I saw the film in our local cinema in Paddington in 1949, when I was nearly 13 and a keen cyclist. All of us young boys rated it highly, not least for the unique way the rear brake cable was routed to the brake via a small pilot tube within the bike's top tube. It was the first time that we had seen the young Diana Dors (I think she was 16 at this time) and a real head-turner. Honor Blackman spoke with a creditable Yorkshire accent and I particularly remember the scene when, after having a puncture, she asks John McCullum to "pass the patches and solution". Years later I met Miss Blackman when she was learning to fly at my flying club, Flairavia, at Biggin Hill in 1964 after having just played the part of Pussy Galore in "Gold Finger" - she couldn't remember saying those (to me) immortal lines from the 1949 film! I think the film has stood the test of time and is well worth viewing to remind us how we all lived.

Peter Woodman.

'Appen this is of it's time and place, and no mistake. The torrid world of Northern bicycle clubs comes under the unflinching gaze of director Ralph Smart with some vigour for a good hour and 25 minutes. Then, suddenly, it just can't be arsed to pedal any further and wraps up one plot strand with unseemly haste while leaving another dangling. At least the interesting cast and breezy tone keeps it watchable.

Quite a nice film about a long lost past which although sombre for those without much money, was socially rich and enjoyable. Pursuits were predominantly outdoors (no TV), and the Saturday night dances. Others have commented about Diana Dors in this film. I personally thought that the then 22 year old Honor Blackman was the belle of the film, with a passable local accent.

The film has a somewhat rushed ending, with some plot lines not being resolved, while others are brought to fruition. For me, another ten minutes to better resolve the ending would have helped. This is a shame - perhaps the producers ran out of money or a key cast member had other commitments elsewhere?

Didn't Diana Dors look so nice before they dyed her hair and made her into some kind of English Monroe? She reminded me of a very young Lana Turner here. And John McCallum. Whoa, boy! Plenty of nice shots of him in those little shorts and bathers raised my rating of this up to a 9. This film isn't really "a" boy, "a" girl or "a" bike, it's many. Ada and her many admirers, Charlie and his Ginger, Susie and her Sam and David, vying for her affections.. There seemed to be a few minor plots going on before they struck the big one - Charlie being in debt and stealing a bike to cover it, naturally he steals one with unique brake wires that is easily identifiable, naturally David buys said bike and everything ends up pear-shaped - but it's definitely a lot of fun to watch!