Down on his luck manager and hustler, Johnny Jackson (Laurence Harvey) is always looking for the next hit. It seems like everyone in Soho knows him. But they can’t wait for him to pay up or leave. His would-be singer and stripper girlfriend Maisie (Sylvia Syms) waits patiently for him to make her a star, but instead, he keeps putting it off. Johnny’s big chance comes when he discovers a singer (Cliff Richards) at a club. The young man is naive enough to befriend Johnny and change his name to Bongo Herbert. Bongo soon gets a taste for the high life and comedy soon follows.

Expresso Bongo (1959) is a hilarious and sharp comedy from multi-talented director Val Guest and is based on a play and book of the same name. Musical theater and musical adaptations are still a blind spot for me. So going into the film I was curious to see how it played out and if it would be stagy. It is actually a fine mix of stage-bound Hollywood-type glamor and also the realism of some of the Kitchen Sink dramas. All fine-toothed by director Val Guest and screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz.

Val Guest is one of the most interesting of British directors who handled comedies, Hammer films including The Quatermass Xperiment, and even handled most of the trippy 1967 Casino Royale. From the films of his I’ve seen, there has always been wild energy and sharp direction. A fine blending of darkness and comedy. The script by Mankowitz also keeps the line between those thin as we see the sleazy side of record producers and the media circus. We see how shallow all the agents are and all the busy talk to distract the more honest people, like the owner of the espresso bar. The whole film feels like a mix of A Star is Born and Sweet Smell of Success. 

The center of the film is Laurence Harvey (the original 1962 The Manchurian Candidate) as Johnny. His performance is spot on for the whole film. He is never too nice to seem dumb and he is never too mean to become unlikeable. Most of this film is about him being a bastard to people but still having a place to stay. At one point he says the whole world is full of bastards and he is just a paid-up member. So It’s show business itself that is the problem. 

The supporting cast is also full of amazing performances. Sylvia Syms (The Tamarind Seed) steals the stripper and girlfriend who has seen it all. Throughout the whole film, she brushes off every man who makes fun of her with ease. Many of the moments even got a belly laugh at me. Yolande Donlan (1962’s Jigsaw) turns the character of an aging singer into a loving and complex role. At first, being a one-note diva but then slowly showing us she is actually lonely under the stardom. Meier Tzelniker is by far one of the funniest elements of the film as the record company head with stomach issues. The downside in the cast is Bongo himself, Cliff Richards. His boyish good looks and native attitude make him likable, but the film quickly loses interest in him. It’s easy to see why because he doesn’t really go beyond the page for the role.

I’m glad that Cohen has released this film on blu-ray because it’s a hilariously good time at the movies.

The Blu-ray itself has a handsome 1080p HD transfer with solid blacks and whites. The transfer is sharp and clean with no DNR issues. The film has some natural and minor film grain. The 2.0 English audio is also great with no hiss or pops. English subtitles are included. The extras are limited to a release trailer. 

Expresso Bongo comes highly recommended!

Director- Val Guest

Cast- Laurence Harvey, Cliff Richards, Sylvia Syms.

Country of Origin- UK

Format- Blu-ray

Company- Cohen Media Group.

Review by Tyler Miller