Soho Bites Podcast

Soho Bites 47: Monsieur Ripois (1954)

Bienvenue dans le premier épisode de 2024. Monsieur Ripois (1954) was directed by René Clément and stars the French heart throb, Gérard Philipe along with the English beauties, Joan Greenwood, Natasha Parry & Valerie Hobson. It was based on the 1912 novel, Monsieur Ripois et la Némésis by Louis Hémon. The film was released under several other titles including “Lovers, Happy Lovers” & “Knave of Hearts” and was made in both English and French with the two versions being shot concurrently. W...

Soho Bites 46: Don't Open 'til Christmas (1984)

Ching ching etc - it's the Soho Bites Christmas special. Having just left behind the wholesome world of Jessie Matthews and 1930s musicals, it feels right to descend into the grubby underbelly of Soho with the festive fiasco, Don't Open 'til Christmas. The "plot" such as it is, is a basic one. A crazed serial killer is roaming the west end murdering men dressed as Santa Claus. If there's a worse Christmas film (not including anything by Hallmark) we'd be very interested to hear about them...

Soho Bites 45: Friday the Thirteenth (1933)

Jessie part three. For this, the third and final instalment of our mini-series about the 1930s' biggest UK film star, Jessie Matthews, we met up with Dr Jennifer Voss of De Montford University to talk about Friday the Thirteenth (1933). NB: this is the Friday the Thirteenth from 1933, directed by Victor Saville with a large ensemble cast including Jessie as well as her husband, Sonnie Hale, Emlyn Williams (who also wrote the script), Gordon Harker, Edmund Gwenn, Eliot Makeham, Frank Lawton...

Soho Bites 44: Evergreen (1934)

Jessie part two. This is the second instalment of a three part mini-series about the 1930s' biggest UK film star, Jessie Matthews. Evergreen (1934) was based on Ever Green, CB Cochran's 1930 musical spectacular at the Adelphi Theatre. Jessie starred as Harriet Green in both the stage show and the film. We're joined by Dr Melanie Williams of The University of East Anglia to talk about the film and  Rob Baker, Jade Evans and Dr Lawrence Napper return to the show to talk about Jessie's life....

Soho Bites 43: The Good Companions (1933)

The Big Jessie series. This is the first of a three part mini-series focusing on the 1930s' biggest UK film star, Jessie Matthews. None of Jessie's films were set in Soho, but the fact that she was born on Berwick Street where her dad was a market trader, that she lived in William & Mary Yard on Brewer Street and that she learned to dance in an upstairs room at The Blue Posts means that, as far as we're concerned, any film starring Jessie Matthews is a Soho film. Across the next three epi...

Soho Bites 42: A Fallen Idol?

Not a normal episode. We're not actually talking about a Soho film in this episode. It's a long story... We do, however, talk to a genuine film star from the golden era. As an eight year old boy, Bobby Henrey was rocketed into the public eye when he starred in Carol Reed & Graham Greene's 1948 thriller, "The Fallen Idol". He joins us on Soho Bites (on his 84th birthday!) to tell us about that experience. Bobby is now known as Robert and there is a double reason for having him on the show...

Soho Bites 41: The Green Cockatoo (1937)

At last! It's the long awaited exotic birds episode. The Green Cockatoo (1937) is a noir-ish thriller set in gangland Soho. The Green Cockatoo of the title is not actually a beautiful tropical bird but a drab Soho nightclub. When Dave Connor gets on the wrong side of some gangsters, his brother, Jim and an innocent bystander, Eileen get caught up in the trouble. Directed by William Cameron Menzies, it stars John Mills, supported by Rene Ray (The Countess of Midleton! Yes really!) & Robert ...

Soho Bites 40: All Night Long (1962)

It's Jazz, man. Also, it's Shakespeare. All Night Long (1962) is a re-telling of Shakespeare's Othello in which Othello is Rex, the famous leader of a jazz band, Desdemona is a singer called Delia and Iago is the band's drummer, Johnny. The film was directed by Basil Dearden and stars Patrick Mcgoohan and Richard Attenborough plus several major jazz stars of the day, including Tubby Hayes, Charles Mingus, Johnny Dankworth and Dave Brubeck. Film & theatre composer, Gary Yershon, returns to...

Soho Bites 39: Nighthawks (1978)

Thirty nine episodes in and we finally do a gay themed episode of the show. About time too! Nighthawks (1978) was directed by Ron Peck and was based on a script developed by him and Paul Hallam. It stars Ken Robertson as Jim, a geography teacher at a London comprehensive school who spends his nights looking for love in gay bars, clubs and discos (discos were still a thing then). To talk about Nighthawks we're joined by Prof Glyn Davis of St Andrews University. Turns out he's not as Welsh a...

Soho Bites 38: East of Piccadilly (1941)

Murder mystery? Rom-com? And, as an afterthought.... wartime boosterism? East of Piccadilly (1941) was known as "The Strangler" in the US and was directed by Harold Huth. It stars Judy Campbell & Sebastian Shaw and was written by the then quite young J Lee Thompson. It tells the story of a murder investigation and is (extremely) loosely based on a real life case, that of the "The Soho Strangler". 1940s UK film expert, Mel Byron, comes all the way in from Talking Picture TV Podcast HQ to t...

Soho Bites 37: Beat Girl (1960)

Attention jiving scum! This is one is straight from the fridge dad. It doesn't get more Soho than Beat Girl (1960) - coffee shops, beatniks, strip clubs, The 2 i's.... it's got the lot. Gillian Hills leads the cast of Beat Girl, which also stars Adam Faith, Christopher Lee, Shirley Ann Field and, in a very small role, a young Oliver Reed. We met novelist, Des Burkinshaw in the bar of the Soho Theatre to talk about Beat Girl which is the closest we could find to a bohemian coffee bar. Des...

Dora Bryan competition winners & Kino Quickies preview

This is not really an episode I'm afraid - time just ran away from me. However, I've recorded this mini-episode because there is some very important business to finish up which is to announce two things.... The winners of last month's Dora Bryan competition Kino Quickies season 2 Two lucky lucky listeners were destined to win a copy of the new 4K DVD release of The Sandwich Man - all they had to do was answer a fiendishly tricky question. Did you enter? Did you win? Listen to the epi...

Soho Bites 36: The Optimists of Nine Elms (1973)

Everything changes but.... The changing faces of London neighbourhoods is our loose theme for this episode. In the first half, the novelist, Christopher Fowler makes his second appearance on the podcast, talking about his latest book and about his memories of Soho - a neighbourhood which changes constantly but somehow always remains the same. ***UPDATE*** Christopher very sadly died a few weeks after we recorded this conversation. You can read an obituary HERE. Follow Chris on Twitter an...

Soho Bites 35: Zeta One (1969)

Two Films, One Guest. Normally we have two guests on each episode of Soho Bites, but when your guest is as good as David McGillivray, who needs a second? Long before Matthew Sweet gave him the moniker, "The Truffaut of Smut", David reviewed Zeta One (AKA The Love Factor - no idea why) for The Monthly Film Bulletin. He didn't have a lot of good things to say about it then - has his opinion changed over the last 51 years? He makes a return visit to Soho Bites to tell us. Produced by Tony ...

Soho Bites 34: It Happened in Soho (1948)

Double Stinker. After an extended break to allow our massive team to shift its attention to our most recent podcast series, Kino Quickies, we return to Soho Bites with the 1948 murder mystery, It Happened in Soho. It’s safe to say, the film had a very small budget and doesn’t have the highest of production values but it does boast a major star, Richard “Stinker” Murdoch. At the time the film was made, Murdoch was a big BBC radio star, having starred, at this stage, in two huge radio comed...

Soho Bites 33: The Sandwich Man (1966)

Special Sandwich Special. We’ve done some episodes in the past with some disparate and unusual  themes.  We did a Spain themed episode, a sport one, a God special and even a wrestling / boxing episode, but we think we’ve surpassed ourselves this time as the theme linking the two items in episode 33 is sandwiches. Sandwich boards, that is, and the men who wear them. There was a  time when Sandwich men and women and other forms of portable adverts were a common sight in the west end but In ...

Soho Bites 32: Turn the Key Softly (1953)

Softly Shoe Shuffle. Murphy's Law states that if you've arranged an interview with a brilliant guest to talk about a fantastic film in a great location, then you will catch Covid and have to self-isolate. This is why my interview with Ming Ho about Turn the Key Softly (1953) took place online and not in the lovely surroundings of the BAFTA bar as originally planned. Turn the Key Softly is set over a period of twelve hours and follows three very different women on their first day of freedom...

Soho Bites episode thirty one

In this Christmas spectacular there are far too many guests to list in such a small space - but the film is the magnificent Muppet Christmas Carol from 1992. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 31: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Sohohoho Bites Christmas special. In this festive special, we’re talking about the much loved Christmas classic, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) which, according to this article, is the greatest film ever made. In the first half of the show we meet up with Jonanathan Foster. He works at the Prince Charles Cinema, just off Leicester Square and is the co-host of the Pod Charles Cinecast. The PCC is renowned for its special event screenings including its Muppet Christmas Carol Singalongs wh...

Soho Bites episode thirty

Former Windmill girl and Britain's so-called Bad Girl of Film, Jean Kent, is the star of Good-Time Girl (1948).  We're joined by Josephine Botting of the BFI to talk about her life & career and James Harrison of Film Noir UK discusses the film. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 30: Good-Time Girl (1948)

Kent Noir. Good-Time Girl is a post war UK film noir with three main locations – Lambeth, Soho and “Soho-On-Sea” (AKA Brighton). James Harrison of South West Silents & Film Noir UK joins Dom to talk about the film and about Film Noir UK. The star of Good-Time Girl is Jean Kent, known throughout the 1940s and beyond as UK film’s “bad girl”. To talk about Jean’s life and career, we drop in to the BFI to meet up with curator, Josephine Botting. For a few years before she became famous, Jean ...

Soho Bites episode twenty nine

In this Bowie special, we talk to Del Pike about the much maligned Absolute Beginners (1986) - was the critical mauling justified? And Aiden McManus returns to the show to talk about Bowie's pre-fame years in Soho. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES    

Soho Bites 29: Absolute Beginners (1986)

Wham bam Bowie special. In this Bowie special, we talk to Del Pike about the much maligned Absolute Beginners (1986) - was the critical mauling justified? And Aiden McManus returns to the show to talk about Bowie's pre-fame years in Soho. Arriving on cinema screens on the back of an inordinate amount of pre-publicity in 1986, Absolute Beginners was, notoriously, an instantaneous disaster at the box office and was ripped to shreds by the critics. Thirty years later, freelance writer, Del P...

Soho Bites episode twenty eight

Anna Cale is Diana Dors's biographer - she discusses her 1955 film, Value for Money and Nigel Hamilton-Walker talks about his old friend, Michael Caborn-Waterfield, otherwise known as Dandy Kim who was an old boyfriend of Dors. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 28: Value for Money (1955)

Early Dors. We look at two extraordinary lives in this episode. The film under discussion is Value for Money (1955) about a naive northern man played by John Gregson who becomes captivated by a glamorous West End showgirl played by Diana Dors. Hmm…. sounds familiar…. We meet Diana’s biographer, Anna Cale, to talk about the film and about the star’s tumultuous private life. Value for Money is on YouTube As is this two part biopic of Diana - Blonde Bombshell One of Diana’s early boyfriends...

Soho Bites episode twenty seven

Three great guests: Dr Lawrence Napper on 1937's Saturday Night Revue, Author Rob Baker on Ken "Snakehips" Johnson and the bombing of the Cafe de Paris and Richard Luck on Welwyn Studios. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 27: Saturday Night Revue (1937)

Yesteryear's Soho club-land. Dr Lawrence Napper of Kings College London met up with Dom to discuss 1937’s Saturday Night Revue. Starring Sally Gray and Billy Milton, it’s a role call of some long forgotten cabaret & variety acts of the day. That doesn’t sound promising but it’s great! Short clip from Saturday Night Revue.  Not sure why they chose this bit to promote the film... The plot revolves around two night clubs, both called “Moons”. One is in Soho and the other is in Mayfair and i...

Soho Bites episode twenty six

In episode 26, we're off to the wilds of Dalston to attend a Lobotomy Room screening of the 1960 Kitsch classic, Too Hot to Handle starring Jayne Mansfield then discuss the movie with the Lobotomy Room's founder, Graham Russell. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 26: Too Hot to Handle (1960)

Lobotomy Room special. For the first part of episode 26, we headed out to Fontaines bar in Dalston (Stoke Newington if you’re an estate agent, Dalston if you’re “street”) to catch a screening of the kitsch, sexploitation B movie from 1960, Too Hot to Handle. The film was one of two that its star, Jayne Mansfield, made in the UK that year. Jayne plays Midnight Franklin an exotic dancer at the The Pink Flamingo club in Soho and Leo Genn plays her love interest, Johnny Solo (there’s only a 28...

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Soho Bites episode twenty five

It's all about record shops in this episode.  First up, Dom chats to Garth Cartwright about the history of Soho as a Mecca for record collectors, then calls up Ken Hollings to talk about the, "shamefully overlooked B-movie masterpiece" (Ken's words) The Golden Disc (1958). CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 25: The Golden Disc (1958)

Just for the record. The theme of episode 25 is record shops. Soho was, for a long time (and arguably still is?) THE place to go to buy records of all genres with dozens of shops packed closely together. In the first half of the show, Dom talks to Garth Cartwright, the author of two books about record shops, about the history of the Soho record shop scene. Kenny Lynch in Soho, including his shop, The Kenny Lynch Record Centre on Walker’s Court In the second half of the show. Ken Hollings ...

Soho Bites episode twenty four

In this art themed episode, Dom is joined by David Boyd Haycock to hear about "King of Bohemia", the painter, Augustus John. Then he meets up with Mark Brisenden to talk about the 1950 comedy, Something in the City. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 24: Something in the City (1950)

Art Attack. The theme of Episode 24 is painting and painters, of which Soho has seen many. In the first half of the programme, David Boyd Haycock joins Dom in the Leicester Arms on Glasshouse Street to talk about the so called “King of Bohemia”, the artist, Augustus John. John was described by one of his tutors as the greatest draftsman since Michelangelo – high praise indeed! Lovely photograph of Augustus John in 1929 with Tallulah Bankhead and his painting of her. Short film about Augu...

Soho Bites episode twenty three

In this episode about generational conflict, members of South Bank Talkies are here to talk about The Boys, the1962 courtroom drama about four young men on trail for murder.  We also meet Shanne Bradley, founder member of the punk band, The Nipple Erectors. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 23: The Boys (1962)

Youthful rebellion. Episode 23 is all about generational conflict – specifically, older people disapproving of “kids today”. In the film chat, Dom talks to members of the South Bank Talkies movie discussion group about The Boys (1962), a courtroom drama in which four young men are on trial for murder. Starring Dudley Sutton, Jess Conrad, Tony Garnett and Ronald Lacey as the boys, they also have to contend with the prejudice of the court & witnesses against “teddy boys”. The film has a grea...

Soho Bites episode twenty two

This is the Spanish episode - our most contrived thematic link so far.  Dom finds out about the history of Bradley's Spanish Bar from its manager, Jan de Vries and is then joined by Gary Yershon to talk about the multi-award winning A Touch of Class from 1973. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 22: A Touch of Class (1973)

Ola... ...and welcome to the The Soho Bites Spanish special. The film under discussion, the 1973 Rom-Com, A Touch of Class, is set partly in Spain (but also in Soho, of course, or it wouldn’t qualify to feature on the show) and stars Glenda Jackson and George Segal. In the 1970s, it was de rigueur for the writers of British sitcoms to set their big screen spin-offs in Spain. As 1000s of Brits travelled abroad for the first time, Spain was an exotic location that suddenly became within reac...

Mural Morsels 20 - Handel

A series of short features made for Soho Radio. Each week we talk to a different person about somebody in the Spirit of Soho Mural. This week, Dom talks to http://www.open.ac.uk/people/hg2265 (Dr Helen Coffey) from https://twitter.com/OpenUniversity (The Open University) about George Frideric Handel. Support this podcast

Mural Morsels 19 - Henry Angelo

A series of short features made for Soho Radio. Each week we talk to a different person about somebody in the Spirit of Soho Mural. This week, Dom talks to https://keithducklin.uk/index.html (Keith Ducklin) from The Royal Armories Museum in Leeds about fencing master, Henry Angelo. Support this podcast

Soho Bites episode twenty one

In the (vegetarian friendly) Butcher's episode, Dr Laura Mayne of Hull University tells us about Butcher's Film Services who used to have an office on Wardour Street and Cevin Moore of the Film Guff and Here Lie Amicus podcasts joins Dom to talk about a 1965 Butcher's film, The Night Caller. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 21: The Night Caller (1965)

Aliens in Soho. This is our (vegetarian friendly) Butcher’s episode and please don’t @ me about that apostrophe – it’s meant to be there because we’re talking about Butcher’s Film Services who were based in Soho for many years. In the first half of the show, Dr Laura Mayne of Hull University joins us to talk about this long departed fixture of Wardour Street. Here’s an interesting article from The Londonist by Zoe Craig about the history of Wardour Street as the centre of the UK film indu...

Soho Bites episode twenty

Richard Luck joins us to talk about this gritty film about  a pimp turned blackmailer played by Terence Morgan and Melanie Williams discusses the film's writer, Leigh Vance. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES.

Soho Bites episode 20

Richard Luck joins us to talk about this gritty film about  a pimp turned blackmailer played by Terence Morgan and Melanie Williams discusses the film's writer, Leigh Vance. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES.

Soho Bites 20: The Shakedown (1960)

Episode 20: The Shakedown (1960) & Melanie Williams on Leigh Vance For the first episode of 2021 we’re going back to 1960 for The Shakedown, a grimy tale of a pimp turned blackmailer, Augie Cortona played by the devilishly handsome Terence Morgan. We’re joined by Richard Luck of the New European to talk about this classic Soho noir which also stars Donald Pleasence, Harry H Corbett, Hazel Court and Bill Owen. Richard is very keen on the artwork for The Shakedown poster and there were sever...

Soho Bites episode nineteen

In the fab & groovy Swingin' London episode, Dom talks to Jago Hazzard about Carnaby Street and calls up Barry Fantoni in Italy for the film chat, all about 1967's Smashing Time. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites 19: Smashing Time (1967)

Episode 19: Smashing Time (1967) & Jago Hazzard on Carnaby Street Welcome, cool cats, to the Swingin’ 60’s special episode. For our film chat, Dom spoke to Barry Fantoni about Smashing Time, the 1967 satire / farce about Brenda and Yvonne, two girls from oop north seeking fame and fortune in that there swingin’ London. But according to our first guest, Jago Hazzard, they’re possibly three years too late. Jago joins Dom in a bleakly locked down Carnaby Street to find out how, when and why i...

Mural Morsels 18 - Chevalier d'Eon

A series of short features made for Soho Radio. Each week we talk to a different person about somebody in the Spirit of Soho Mural. This week, Dom talks to Tony Shrimplin from the Museum of Soho, trying to figure out what was going on in the extraordinary life of Chevalier d'Eon.   Support this podcast

Soho Bites episode 18

To discuss Michael Powell's controversial thriller, Peeping Tom (1960), Dom is joined by film producer, Colin Vaines. Before that, Stephen Fenerty talks about the Queen of the UK pin-ups, Pamela Green, who has a cameo in the film. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES

Soho Bites episode eighteen

To discuss Michael Powell's controversial thriller, Peeping Tom (1960), Dom is joined by film producer, Colin Vaines. Before that, Stephen Fenerty talks about the Queen of the UK pin-ups, Pamela Green, who has a cameo in the film. CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES