555::'I wanted to show the reality of life in an immigrant area, angry and frustrated like so many other parts of Britain – but full of hope and humour'. What he has certainly succeeded in doing, by concentrating on the hope and humour, is capturing part of the reality of life. The exuberant energy bursting from every frame, combined with the (over-emphasised) Dickensian aspects of the community life, leads one to admit that Simmons has rather overlooked the harsher realities and produced instead an enjoyable lightweight 'musical fable'. (Lou Reizner's amazing soundtrack adds immeasurably to the film, giving the impression of collecting – through the many artists and styles represented – all that is best a in one continuous, marvellous sound.) This impression is reinforced by the fact that the question of integration with the white population is completely excluded; indeed, apart from a few brief, jokey cameos, Ben might have moved into a totally alienaisolatedted black community which is clearly only partially true. However, if one has to be content with the spirit of black joy, then Simmons and co-writer Jamal Ali certainly ensure that it is extremely infectious and entertaining, notably in the splendid dialogue, which is inimitably salty ... and coarsely funny. Although some of the acting is over-strident, the two main roles are both excellently played: Norman Beaton, ideally cast as the flashy, untrustworthy but likeable rogue, Dave; and particularly Trevor Thomas in the more difficult, utterly conventional part of the perennial innocent."
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calms the situation, hiding Devon's guilt and befriending Ben by loaning him some money. Unaware that Dave's cash comes from his own stolen wallet, Ben accompanies Dave to a betting shop and defends him in a brawl. They place a bet on a horse that wins and Ben puts his winnings towards new accommodation. He finds a job as a dustman but loses it all again when he gives his earnings to a fraudulent landlord. Desperate for somewhere to stay, Ben appeals to Dave to share a flat. Once he realises that Ben now has a steady income Dave agrees to the flat-share and imposes a set of slanted rules that Ben is too naïve to reject.
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Ben uses his new income to decorate the flat and tries to impress Saffra. He gives her a family heirloom – a ring – but Saffra returns it because it is financially worthless. Dave realises that Ben is still a virgin and arranges a trip to Soho where they visit sex shops, strip clubs and a prostitute.
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Dave loses all his money in a poker game and goes to Miriam. She is furious and upset, having just returned from an abortion clinic. Dave is hurt that the unborn child has been aborted without his knowledge but this serves to anger Miriam more. With encouragement from Sally, Ben confronts Dave about
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mother Miriam, pretends to be a responsible adult and intercepts Ben's wallet, but he keeps the money knowing that Devon has stolen it. That evening, Dave tries to seduce Miriam but she resists him, explaining that she has recently become pregnant. An argument ensues and Miriam forces Dave to leave.
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and money, he drives Miriam, Ben and Saffra to
Margate for an overnight trip. The four spend a lot of money and Dave loses the rest at a casino. Ben and Saffra sleep together but Saffra remains non-committal. In the morning Dave approaches Ben for some cash to pay the bills he cannot afford. Ben
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Ben almost loses his suitcase at the hostel, but defends himself against the thief. In an attempt to find his missing wallet he follows Devon around
Brixton, but is sidetracked by Devon's beautiful aunt Saffra. At Miriam's café, Ben confronts Devon about the stolen wallet but Dave intercedes and
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in search of an obscure address. A ten-year-old boy, Devon, spots him and offers to help find the address if Ben pays him. When Ben foolishly reveals his fat wallet, Devon runs off with it, and Ben is forced to sleep at the local hostel. Dave King, a charismatic petty crook and lover of Devon's
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Once in
Brixton, Ben refuses to resell the Buick, putting Dave in a dangerous position with Jomo. Jomo tries to force the sale but is overpowered by Ben who makes it clear he will not be bullied. Jomo backs down and Dave is thankful. Devon and Saffra join Ben in the Buick and they drive away.
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stars as a
Guyanese youth who is under the delusion that life will be easier for him in London. No sooner does Thomas set foot in England than he gets tangled up in one disaster after another. The catalyst for most of Our Hero's travails is "assimilated" Caribbean
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wrote: "Shot entirely on location in
Brixton ...for £150,000, Anthony Simmons' third feature is, though flawed, the most consistently accurate commercial film to deal with Britain's immigrant communities. Simmons has said of
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Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of
British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 357. Income is distributor's receipts, combined domestic and international, as at 31 Dec
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with a suitcase and a wallet full of money. Immigration officials refuse to believe his naïve explanation that the cash was given by his grandmother, and strip-search him. Humiliated and confused, Ben travels to
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the degree to which he has abused their friendship. Dave implies that Ben's naivety was as much to blame for his being duped as Dave's own immoral behaviour. Ben, now wiser, agrees to remain friends.
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In a bid to cement his relationship with Miriam and Ben, Dave takes advantage of a car deal arranged by Jomo, a loan shark and sometime boyfriend of Saffra. Taking Jomo's new
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refuses, but suggests that he buys Jomo's car and insists on a receipt. Dave reluctantly agrees and the group return to London.
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At a nightclub Ben meets Sally, a white woman who seduces him, and that night he loses his virginity.
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The soundtrack album contains hits by a number of Soul/R&B stars from the 1960s and '70s:
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Champlin, Charles (1 June 1977). "CANNES TRIO WITH BRIO: Inventions, Ironies, Immigrants".
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In London in the late 1970s, Guyanese immigrant Ben Jones arrives at
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National Heroes: British Cinema in the
Seventies and Eighties
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272:, a stage play by Jamal Ali, who also wrote the screenplay.
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The film is a lightly ironic, British culture-clash comedy.
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682:(516): 227. 1 January 1977 – via ProQuest.
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245:. The story of an immigrant country boy in
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241:is a 1977 British film directed by
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862:Films about immigration to Europe
857:Films produced by Elliott Kastner
842:Films directed by Anthony Simmons
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509:Bill Fredericks – "Love With You"
401:– "Saturday Night At The Movies"
867:Films produced by Arnon Milchan
641:"Festival de Cannes: Black Joy"
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832:1970s English-language films
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472:Gladys Knight & the Pips
134:Gladys Knight & the Pips
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772:The Optimists of Nine Elms
536:The Cimarons – "Black Joy"
270:Dark Days and Light Nights
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71:Dark Days and Light Nights
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476:Midnight Train To Georgia
434:When Will I See You Again
251:1977 Cannes Film Festival
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752:Your Money or Your Wife
466:Don't Leave Me This Way
458:– "The Rubber Band Man"
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486:"Darlin' Darlin' Baby"
442:– "Living On The Dole"
504:I Say A Little Prayer
414:Shirley & Company
18:Black Joy (1977 film)
872:1970s American films
817:Blaxploitation films
812:British comedy films
651:on 27 September 2012
615:, Harrap, 1985 p 242
409:"Tears On My Pillow"
222:£31,720 or $ 350,000
877:1970s British films
852:Films set in London
822:Black British films
762:Four in the Morning
645:festival-cannes.com
450:Me & Mrs. Jones
418:Shame, Shame, Shame
341:Dawn Hope as Saffra
73:(play) by Jamal Ali
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573:"Black Joy (1977)"
532:"It's In His Kiss"
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493:– "Summer Of '42"
430:The Three Degrees
426:– "Dance With Me"
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16:(Redirected from
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582:. Retrieved
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524:– "Lonely I"
440:The Cimarons
399:The Drifters
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332:as Ben Jones
326:as Dave King
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194:Running time
171:Release date
146:The Drifters
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670:"Black Joy"
528:Linda Lewis
513:Ben E. King
405:Johnny Nash
373:Jimmy Helms
345:Oscar James
198:110 minutes
150:Ben E. King
142:Jimmy Helms
114:Phil Meheux
78:Produced by
49:Directed by
807:1977 films
801:Categories
655:2009-05-10
559:References
482:The O'Jays
446:Billy Paul
364:Soundtrack
227:Box office
154:The O'Jays
124:Thom Noble
782:Black Joy
698:Black Joy
553:Black Joy
541:Reception
395:– "Girls"
393:Whatnauts
338:as Miriam
238:Black Joy
120:Edited by
62:Jamal Ali
35:Black Joy
456:Spinners
353:as Devon
211:Language
130:Music by
96:Starring
67:Based on
389:Moments
379:Labelle
347:as Jomo
287:Brixton
247:Brixton
230:£87,576
214:English
203:Country
180: (
786:(1977)
776:(1973)
766:(1965)
756:(1960)
391:&
219:Budget
602:1978.
307:Buick
703:IMDb
586:2021
578:BBFC
318:Cast
276:Plot
182:1977
178:1977
701:at
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381:– "
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
