Stop the World - I Want To Get Off

UK (1966): Musical

The Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse London and Broadway musical hit is given literal treatment in this filmization, directed by Philip Saville. Newley's understudy and eventual replacement Tony Tanner stars as Littlechap, whose allegorical rise to success is countered by the instability of his private life. Like the play, the film is staged impressionistically, with Littlechap decked out in mime makeup and periodically stopping the action to address the audience, and with all the women in his life -- German, American and "Typically English" -- played by a single actress (Millicent Martin, taking over from the stage version's Anna Quayle).

In Wizard of Oz (1939) fashion, the play itself is lensed in color, while the brief prologue, showing the actors preparing for their performance, is in black and white. The production includes such standards (and perennial audition pieces) as "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and "Gonna Build a Mountain." Alan and Marilyn Bergman, David Doonalbe and Al Ham wrote additional material for the film. Do not confuse this adaptation of Stop the World... with the Sammy Davis Jr. remake Sammy Stops the World (1979) or the 1996 made-for-TV version of the musical that starred Peter Scolari and Stephanie Zimbalist. (Warner Bros.) (Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide)

 View a clip of 3 songs from this film on YouTube.com.

1 nomination