The Patrick Hamilton Appreciation Society discussion

Gotta love the Pan paperbacks - tell me you don't want to read this?


It's The Boys by John Burke

According to Jon Savage, it was first published in 1962 and John Burke did a lot of film novelisations for Pan including A Hard Day’s Night

According to Wikipedia.....


John Frederick Burke (8 March 1922 – 20 September 2011[1]) was an English writer of novels and short stories.

He had written under the pen names J. F. Burke, Jonathan Burke, Jonathan George, Robert Miall, Martin Sands, Owen Burke, Sara Morris, Russ Ames, Roger Rougiere, Joanna Jones and co-written with his wife Jean Burke under the pen name Harriet Esmond.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bu...

Also found this post about the book and film....


The book is split into two halves. First half - the prosecution. No nonsense hard-liner Victor Webster (who's marriage is showing signs of collapse and who's son, although as much of a toff as his dad, is beginning to rebel) wants these 'Teds' nailed for murder. Which still carries the death penalty - and , bearing in mind Craig and Bentley, even if only one of them wielded the knife, all four could be equally responsible. Webster brings on a parade of members of the general public who encountered the lads on their night of high-spirited fun which ended in death, all of whom spit bile and would fairly obviously like to see these yobbos get what's coming to them. Fortunately our surly youths are being defended by Mr Montgomery, who's seething with a sense of social responsibility brought on by being jeered for being a bit of a porker when he was at school. The toughs aren't very forthcoming in their own defence, and he's got his work cut out - often resorting to Perry Mason-style grandstanding - such as bringing into court a 'Ted', which has the court practically baying for the birch at the very least. The fashionably attired would-be hooligan is revealed to be a nice youth of impeccable character whom Monty dolled up to show the public's prejudice. The judge disapproves of this kind of malarkey, but Monty is slowly but surely dismantling Webster's water-tight case.

The second half of the book shows the evening through the eyes of The Boys - and paints a very different picture of events.

There's a boffo twist at the end, too. If the films half as good as Burkey's version....

A quick look at the IMDB reveals this film has possibly the best cast of any British film ever - including Hell Drivers.

Webster is played by Richard Todd, and who else but Robert Morley could be Montgomery? Felix Aylmer is the Judge. The Boys are Dudley Sutton, Ronald Lacey, Tony Garnett and Jess Conrad (!)

Look out for Wilfred Brambell, Allan Cuthbertson, Colin Gordon, Kenneth J Warren, Patrick Magee, David Lodge, Betty Marsden, Patrick Newell, Rita Webb, Tom Chatto, Hilda Fenemore, Noel Dyson and Roy Kinnear (as a bus conductor menaced by the Teds in a scene that would reappear in Skinhead.)

Directed by Sidney J Furie as part of his youth in revolt trilogy - followed by The Leather Boys, and preceded by...er...The Young Ones

http://vaultofevil.proboards.com/thre...

I've just bid for a copy on eBay - another week til it closes though


#impulsive

Funnily enough, although perhaps not surprisingly, I was trawling online for a cheap copy of Burke’s The Boys myself, just yesterday. I’ll put my search on hold until after you’ve managed a copy for yourself, but it does look rather tasty, doesn’t it?

Meanwhile, here’s hoping that there’s a publishing house somewhere with good enough taste to publish a coffee table book of Pan cover designs through the years, much like the one Penguin UK published of its cover designs.

Yep, couldn't agree more - those classic Pan covers deserve more recognition. A few t-shirts might work well too.

It’s a relatively new discovery for me, because Pans -- or Corgis, for that matter -- never made it into shops stateside in any great numbers. Classic designs, though. The sort of thing I could spend weeks staring at.

I just bought 1967 Pan edition of Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner and added it to database

I think I prefer my 1961 edition though

Related to that - does anyone know of a simple way to add two different editions to my list of books?

Nice find! I've got the 1961 Signet paperback edition, whose cover design I love.

Not sure about your question -- Goodreads has progressed beyond my understanding of it. I can’t even add books unless they’re already listed on Goodreads.

If you need anything listing let me know and I can add it for you, it just needs some details and an acceptable source.

Thanks for the kind offer. I tried applying for Librarian status, but the test questions largely pertained to eBooks, of which I know nothing and care even less. Life can be cruel.

Ridiculous bloody test, it randomly asks the most obscure things rather than checking people have a grasp of the basic concepts. It took me several attempts to pass and then I had to write a 'mission statement' before being considered.

Had I known that a Mission Statement would be waiting at the end of a passed test, I would never have had a go at the test itself. How ridiculous.

For me, a huge part of Goodread’s appeal was stumbling upon forgotten novels that had only one or two ratings, and both being rated highly. Of course, most of the time that would lead to often long a frustrating searches for a battered copy, but without that effort, there is no reward.

I use the site to keep track of my book collection, as I have some quite obscure stuff and like to list the correct editions it's pretty much essential that I have that librarian status.
I could name lots of faults with GR but it's the only site with a big enough database to reasonably fill my needs.

And I enjoy the chance to interact with some like minded souls.

When I became a librarian it was just a matter of clucking s button 🤠

You’ve spelt “hacking” wrong, Nige!

That Sillitoe cover is superb


Coincidentally I rewatched the film a couple of years ago. Really stands up. Great book too

I need to re-watch the film, as it’s been ages. Tonight, though, it’s Sparrows Can’t Sing.

Also... not sure about the UK, but Scorsese’s new documentary on David Johansen premiered yesterday, so hoping to watch that sometime over the next few days.

Wow, I just checked Wikipedia for Sparrows Can't Sing and discovered it was written by Blakey from On the Buses.
🚌🚌🚌👮

Woah


Mind blown

No sign of the Johansen doc here


Look forward to it though

Martin wrote: "Related to that - does anyone know of a simple way to add two different editions to my list of books?"

https://help.goodreads.com/s/article/...

Try this.

Lobstergirl wrote: "Martin wrote: "Related to that - does anyone know of a simple way to add two different editions to my list of books?"

https://help.goodreads.com/s/article/......"

Thanks, I knew I had seen instructions somewhere but hadn't been able to find them with a search as I was using wrong terms.

I created a shelf for my vintage Pan Books.
The covers vary in quality, but there are a few great ones there
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Love it


Very impressive Martin