Jazz on a Summer's Day

Post date: 10-Mar-2020 09:10:19

SUSAN ERNEST Tells the story about when she went to see the film Jazz on a Summer's Day at the Hampstead Playhouse, a defunct cinema at the bottom of Pond Street in South End Green, now Marks & Spencers.

Sue was queueing for tickets and was halfway up the queue when Tony Barnett joined her (thus skipping the queue). They bought their tickets and went into the auditorium. The front rows of seats were all occupied by the 'Witches crowd', and as she and Tony walked down the aisle someone shouted Tony & Sue, and everybody joined in the chant 'Tony & Sue', 'Tony & Sue', stamping their feet in rhythm until they took their seats.

I was there with Paul Vaughn, Dave Young and others and as the film started the whole cinema was filled with the familiar smell of pot as people lit up and enjoyed the movie (including us). I remember the dark smoky beginning with Bach's unaccompanied cello sonata and smoke rising in the shot. I vividly recall Anita O'Day singing with great verve, but it was Chuck Berry with Sweet Little Sixteen that brought the house down!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esjevWKRhHA