Melody (1970, released 1971 Waris Hussein)

How gritty London (specifically Hammersmith and Lambeth) looked then, full of rubbish and derelict buildings. Alan Parker wrote a young love thing, catches children well (good prep for Bugsy Malone). Ending is a bit mad, like he ran out of ideas (children beating up the teachers, blowing up the van, the couple escaping on one of those Western railway trolleys). But it sort of breaks your heart.

Mark Lester, Jack Wild, Tracy Hyde.

It was a bit scary somehow - the London of my childhood. Scary? Weird. Tender. Touching.

Familiar faces: Roy Kinnear, James Cossins (Headmaster), teachers, parents...

Has some awful Bee Gees numbers, one of which is so bad I burst out laughing.

Shot by Peter Suschitsky in Eastmancolor - quite right.

Lester was a close friend of Michael Jackson. Hmm. Damned by association. I mean I liked the Hitlers. Dolphie was such a shy boy...