Beat Girl

'Beat' Girl is a 1960 British teen drama exploitation film directed by Edmond T. Gréville. The film was released in the United States under the title Wild for Kicks. The title character of Beat Girl was played by starlet Gillian Hills, who later went on to have numerous small roles in 1960s and 1970s films, such as Blowup (1966) and A Clockwork Orange (1971), and became a successful "ye-ye" singer in France. Beat Girl marked the first film roles of British pop idol Adam Faith and actor Peter McEnery, although it was not released until after other films featuring Faith (Never Let Go (1960)) and McEnery (Tunes of Glory (1960)) had already come out. The film also features Christopher Lee and Nigel Green as strip joint operators, and Oliver Reed in a small role as one of the "beat" youth. The original music was composer John Barry's first film commission, and was performed by the John Barry Seven and Orchestra, Adam Faith, and Shirley Anne Field. The Beat Girl soundtrack was the first British soundtrack to be released on a vinyl LP. It reached number 11 on the UK Albums Chart, paving the way for the release of other film soundtrack albums. Plot Paul Linden, a wealthy and prominent middle-aged architect, returns home to Kensington, London. Previously divorced, he brings his new wife: beautiful, French, 24-year-old Nichole, whom he has just married in Paris. He is anxious to introduce Nichole to his teenage daughter Jennifer, but she is resentful of her father's remarriage and coldly rejects Nichole's friendly overtures all evening. After Paul and Nichole go to bed, Jennifer sneaks out to the Off-Beat café in Soho for an evening of rock music and dancing with her friends, including Dave, a youth from a working-class background who plays the guitar and writes songs; Tony, a general's son whose mother was killed in the Blitz and who has a drinking problem (although beatniks frown on alcohol); and Dodo, Tony's well-bred girlfriend. Dave and Jennifer are attracted to each other. The next day Nichole plans to meet Jennifer at Saint Martin's School of Art, where she is studying, so they can have lunch together. At lunchtime, Nichole arrives at St Martin's, but is told that Jennifer has left and gone to the Off-Beat. Nichole goes to the café and confronts Jennifer in front of her friends, who are impressed by Nichole's youth, good looks, and knowledge of modern jazz. The fact that her friends, especially Dave, like Nichole upsets Jennifer.