简介：Billedasajourneyintothe“darkheartofLondon,filmedintheactualplacesofvice”,thefilmexploresthewayprostitutescopedwiththeintroductionoftheStreetOffencesActin1959–whicheffectivelycriminalisedthousandsofworkinggirlsinSoho,drivingthemintowalk-upflats,clubs andmassageparlours. Inforensicdetail,andforthefirsttimewhenitwasreleased,directorArnoldMillerdemystifiedtheindustry,frompickuptechniques,torecruitmentandtheplightofthegirlsthemselves. Seamyoratleastblackandwhiteexposeof1950'sLondon'ssextradeinallitsguises.Usingactorsandclearlyoftheperiod,thisrevealsandcondemnsallthetricksofthetrade,fromcallgirlstoclipjointsandhighmassageparlourstolowclasswalkups.It'shardtoknowwhicharelessappealing:thedeludedandself-deludedanddesperatepuntersorthecalculatingandequallydesperateworkinggirls.Thefilmcondemnsthemequally,whilerevealingindetailsthetitillationandbarelylegaldisrobingdesignedtoarouseman'sbaserdesires.Withavoice-overstraightfromtheDepartmentofPublicMorals,andfascinatingglimpsesofaperiodlongago,thishassomethingforeveryone.Hugepotentialforunintentionalhumourandentirelyconvincingastothefactsofthecase. WestEndJungle(UK:1961--ArnoldL.Miller).RunningjustunderanhourthisfeaturetakesanundercoverlookattheseamiersideofLondonaftertheStreetOffencesActof1959supposedlyclearedprostitutesfromthestreets.Focusingonthesexualurgesofmeningeneralwhosedesirescreatethedemandforthesexindustry.Stripclubs,massageparloursandgrubbybarsareexplored,alongwithpeepshowsof'photographicmodels'.Thetoneisoneofoutrageatanundersidethatdemeansanddestroysvulnerablegirls.TheBBFCrefusedtopassthefilmassuitableforscreeningandtheLondonCityCouncilwouldnotissueapprovaleither,WestEndJunglewasbasicallybannedinthecityitdepicted.Oneconsolationwasthatthiscontroversy(itscontentwasevendiscussedintheHouseofLords!)madeforajuicytaglineintheadvertising.Morethanlikelythecensorsweremoreconcernedwithsomeofthestaged sequenceswithactorsthatpurportedtobe'real'.Ithadahealthy4weekrunattheStarfromSeptemberof'67withNakedintheDeep(anudiedoc)roundingitouttoanacceptablesessionlength.WestEndJunglewastheworkofdirectorArnoldL.MillerandproducerStanleyA.Long.ThesetwoentrepreneurshadbegantheStagcompanyin1958producing8mmstripteaseflicksandnudiephotosfortheSohotrade.Althoughtheymadeindustrialfilmstokeepthecashflowingandanattemptatacrimeflick(1962'sTheSkinGame),sexwastheirstockintradeandtheMondovarietyprovedmightypopular. DeanBrandum WestEndJungle'iscertainlysomethingofaperiodcurio.Runningatamere52minutesit'shardlyabigvalueofferinginDVDstandards,thoughwillcertainlyhaveappealtoanyonewhohasaninterestinitssubjectmatter;thetawdriersideofSohointheearly1960's. ItwasdeniedaBBFCcertificatein1961,socouldnotbeshowninanyUKcinemas,butwasstillshownin'membersonly'cinemaclubs,suchastheCompton,thoughclearlynottoconcernedcitizens.Thiswasanintentionallytitillatingpiece'disguised'asdocumentarytogetpastthecensorsoftheday. It'satypicallystiltedBritishdocumentaryinthestyleofthetime.Real'flyonthewall'styleddocumentarieswereunusualinanagewhereeveryframeoffilmhadtobeprocessedatgreatcost.Therewasapreponderanceofthistypeofcarefullychoreographeddocumentariesatthetime,mostofwhichwerecinemafillerscalled'WorldofCoal'ortravelogues,oftenfinancedbythedestinationsfeatured. Butofcourse,eventhis'halftruth'revealssomethingoftheperiodandthelocale,aswellasthepeoplewhopopulatedtheareaandtheindustry.Itistheseglimpsesintoaforbidden,bygoneworldthatwillappealmosttoaudiencesofthismuchanticipatedrelease.…