Picture: Vintage Film Poster – In The Nick (1960)

In The Nick (1960)

We’ve just discovered a rare copy of the film In The Nick. Whilst the quality of the recording can best be described as average, it is watchable and great that one of Ian’s early performances can now be seen again. Details below.

In the Nick is a 1960 British film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Bernie Winters, James Booth, Harry Andrews, Derren Nesbitt and Ian Hendry.

It’s described as a comedy but the video clip below doesn’t exactly contain many laughs nor give the impression of a light-hearted caper – save for when Ian pushes someone in the face and tips him off his chair for laughing at him!

The film is a sequel to Jazz Boat (1960) – which is described as a British musical comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries and big band leader Ted Heath and his orchestra. Which makes the clip below seem even more bizarre – we obviously need to see the whole film!

Plot – In The Nick
In the film, a gang of incompetent small-time criminals are placed in an experimental prison where inmates are to be reformed, not punished. The leader of the gang plans to use this to his advantage and take control of the place through manipulation.

In The Nick (1960) – Clip

Video: Clip of Ian Hendry – In The Nick (1960).

The above clip – as well as a copy of the entire film – was kindly sent to me by Suzanne Beattie who runs the eBay store DVD circa 30-70. When Suzanne discovered that I was Ian’s nephew she refunded my payment saying that I shouldn’t have to pay for my uncle’s work! A very kind gesture – much appreciated. For those who would like a copy of the film (as well as other rare films) – please check out their link above.

Picture: Vintage Film Poster – In The Nick (1960)

Picture: Vintage Lobby Cards – In The Nick (1960)

Picture: Vintage Film Poster – Jazz Boat (1960)

Video: Jazz Boat (1960) – Complete Film. Worth checking out the great introduction!

Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli

Interesting to note that the credits for production include Albert R. Broccoli – one of the driving forces behind the Bond films. Irving Allen and Broccoli formed the production company Warwick Films in the 1950’s, which made a prolific and successful series of films – including In The Nick (1960)

Dr. No was made two years later in 1962 and Ian mentioned that he had had an audition for the part of Bond – as did many other actors we might add. It is quite likely that it was whilst Ian as working on In the Nick that he became known to the hierarchy at Warwick Films and perhaps Albert R. Broccoli also noticed his potential.

The producers offered Dr. No to Guy Green, Guy Hamilton, Val Guest and Ken Hughes to direct, but all of them turned it down. Ken Hughes was of course the director of In The Nick.

They finally signed Terence Young who had a long background with Broccoli’s Warwick Films as the director. Broccoli and Saltzman felt that Young would be able make a real impression of James Bond and transfer the essence of the character from book to film. Young imposed many stylistic choices for the character which continued throughout the film series. Young also decided to inject much humour, as he considered that “a lot of things in this film, the sex and violence and so on, if played straight, a) would be objectionable, and b) we’re never gonna go past the censors; but the moment you take the mickey out, put the tongue out in the cheek, it seems to disarm.”

Albert Romolo Broccoli, CBE (Hon) (April 5, 1909 – June 27, 1996), nicknamed “Cubby”, was an American film producer who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career. Most of the films were made in the United Kingdom and they were often filmed at Pinewood Studios. Co-founder of Danjaq, LLC and Eon Productions, Broccoli is most notable as the producer of many of the James Bond films. He and Harry Saltzman saw the films develop from relatively low-budget origins to large-budget, high-grossing extravaganzas, and Broccoli’s heirs continue to produce new Bond films.

The background to how Broccoli came to work in the UK and the influence he would have is interesting:

“At the beginning of the 1950s, Broccoli moved to London, where the British government provided subsidies to film productions made in the UK with British casts and crews. Together with Irving Allen, Broccoli formed Warwick Films that made a prolific and successful series of films for Columbia Pictures.

When Broccoli became interested in bringing Ian Fleming’s James Bond character into features, he discovered that the rights already belonged to the Canadian producer Harry Saltzman, who had long wanted to break into film, and who had produced several stage plays and films with only modest success. When the two were introduced by a mutual friend, screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz, Saltzman refused to sell the rights, but agreed to partner with Broccoli and co-produce the films, which led to the creation of the production company EON Productions and its parent (holding) company Danjaq, LLC, named after their two wives’ first names—Dana and Jacquiline.

Saltzman and Broccoli produced the first Bond movie, Dr. No, in 1962. Their second, From Russia With Love, was a break-out success and from then on, the films grew in cost, action, and ambition. With larger casts, more difficult stunts and special effects, and a continued dependence on exotic locations, the franchise became essentially a full-time job. Broccoli made one notable attempt at a non-Bond film, an adaptation of Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968, and due to legal wrangling over the rights to story elements, ceded producer credit on Thunderball to Kevin McClory. Nonetheless, by the mid-1960s, Broccoli had put nearly all of his energies into the Bond series. Saltzman’s interests continued to range apart from the series, including production of a loose trilogy of spy films based on Len Deighton’s Harry Palmer, a character who operates in a parallel universe to Bond, with all the danger but none of the glamour and gadgets. Saltzman and Broccoli had differences over Saltzman’s outside commitments, but in the end it was Saltzman who withdrew from Danjaq and EON after a series of financial mishaps. While Saltzman’s departure brought the franchise a step closer to corporate control, Broccoli lost relatively little independence or prestige in the bargain. From then until his death, the racy credits sequence to every EON Bond film would begin with the words “Albert R. Broccoli Presents.” Although from the 1970s onward the films became lighter in tone and looser in plot, at times less successful with critics, the series distinguished itself in production values and continued to appeal to audiences.”

Extract: Wikipedia

Cast
Anthony Newley – Dr. Newcombe
Anne Aubrey – The Doll
Bernie Winters – Jinx Shortbottom
James Booth – Spider Kelly
Harry Andrews – Chief Officer Williams
Al Mulock – Dancer
Derren Nesbitt – Mick
Niall MacGinnis – Prison Governor
Victor Brooks – Screw Smith
Ian Hendry – Ted Ross
Kynaston Reeves – Judge
Barry Keegan – Screw Jenkins
Diana Chesney – Barmaid

Credits
Direction: Ken Hughes
Peter Dixon
Continuity: Pamela Mann
Production:
Warwick Film Productions
Irving Allen
Albert R. Broccoli
Harold Huth
Fred Gunn
MGM British Studios
Casting:
Nora Roberts
Writing:
Ken Hughes
Frank Norman
Original story: Frank Norman
Photography:
Ted Moore
Cecil Cooney
Editing:
Geoffrey Foot
Design:
Ken Adam
Costumes:
Wardrobe Supervisor Elsa Fennell
Make-up:
Paul Rabiger
Eileen Warwick
Music:
Ron Goodwin
Songs Lionel Bart
Choreography:
Dance Numbers Staged by Lionel Blair
Sound:
Gerry Turner
Sound Mix Wally Milner
Sound Editor Jim Groom

Best wishes

Neil Hendry
Editor, Official Website of Ian Hendry

Further Reading

A detailed account of the life and work of Ian Hendry in the new biography:

Read:  ‘Send in the Clowns – The Yo Yo Life Of Ian Hendry’ by Gabriel Hershman