We Are the Lambeth Boys

Seminal piece of documentary filmmaking by New Wave director Karel Reisz following the daily activities of members of the Lambeth Youth club in late-1950s London.

What's really clear from early on in this documentary, is the sense of community these lads exude. Their daily jobs - from the lively to the mundane, or their schooling, all just a means to an end. An end to an evening where they will congregate with the girls - who just as hard as them - and dance (often to live music), chat and generally have a good time. Many look like the archetypal "Teddy Boys". Skinny ties, hair slicked back and dapper: jackets and shirts and never far from a cigarette. There's a playful respect for the opposite sex and Tony's fish bar does a rare trade when they emerge from the Alford House club before going home to a variety of family circumstances. Their chat is interesting too - sometimes just banter, others more substantial topics - like the relative merits of the abolition of the death penalty! Their team spirit is also evident on a trip (in the back of what looked like an army surplus lorry) to the posh Mill Hill school for a game of cricket and a tea. What's also remarkable is just how their whole environment is respected too. Their Kennington housing estate is clean, well maintained and the residents seem to care about where they live and how they relate to their neighbours. Sure, these lads push the envelope at times - a slight degree of chauvinism creeps in when they do some wolf-whistling, but somehow there is never any menace in their intent. It's high jinx and given many would have been conceived as the blitz was in full swing, their attitudes seem optimistic and positive. The fly-on-the-wall nature of the filming comes across as authentic, though maybe a little staged at times, and it evokes memories of when you could get a fish supper for 3 shillings and 4 pence!