Written and Directed by Matthew Chapman.
Cinematography by Keith Goddard, Music by George Fenton.
The film stars Helen Mirren as Beaty Simons, John Shea as Emory Cole, Paul Angelis as Alex Denham, Murray Salem as Max, Jenny Runacre as Vere, Daniel Chasin as Billy, Imogen Claire as Imogen, Patti Boulaye as Cabaret Singer, and Marika Rivera as French Singer.
"Soho has been at the center of London's 'sex industry' for well over 200 years. Between 1778 and 1801 the notorious 'White House', a “magical” brothel fitted out with various mechanical contraptions designed to terrify the unwary, was located at 21 Soho Square and, in more recent times, before the introduction of the 1959 Street Offences Act, prostitutes packed the streets and alleys.
By the early Sixties there were nearly 100 strip clubs and the area was inundated with stickers and postcards (known as 'walk-ups') advertising 'French Lessons' or similarly ambiguous services. The early Sixties also saw the introduction of a number of 'sex shops', initially by Carl Slack, which had expanded to just under 60 locations in Soho alone, by the mid-Seventies. A photographic studio at number 4 Gerrard Street was occupied by 'glamour photographer' and 'girlie magazine' publisher Harrison Marks, who was responsible for such publications as 'Kamera' until he broke up with partner and 'model' Pamela Green in 1967." (sixtiescity.net)
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| Helen Mirren as Beaty Simons |
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| John Shea as Emory Cole |
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| Murray Salem as Max |
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| Paul Angelis as Alex Denham |
London. Soho. The Baron Club. Its basically a cabaret, with floor shows, and B-Girls who function also as private contractors, aka available house prostitutes for extra curricular activities.
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Beaty Simons is a slightly crumbling beauty, she's thirty five but looks a bit older, overdoing it on her makeup enhances this. She's a very popular "entertainer.' She tells Emory, that she does it "all' except kissing.
"She won't let you kiss her, but what the hell do you expect?" (Tom Waits)
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| Beaty Simons working girl |
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| The whore's lounge |
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| Lighting the club |
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| Emory's view of Beaty |
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Beaty has regulars. Her old man, she tells Emory was sent away to prison. She has a son who she sees regularly on the weekends.
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When Beaty is up in the lounge and the cabaret entertainment is on a break between acts, Emory joins her and makes small talk. He tries to get her to go on a date, but she puts him off. Finally Emory frustrated actually pays the Madame who runs the girls for a surprise "date" with Beaty. He gets the "extra' money for the "date" by hiring himself out with his 1975 Daimler Limousine [DS420] as a chauffer.
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| The de facto madame |
Beaty at first isn't amused at Emory's surprise, but she begins thaw and becomes impressed with the car and his spacious apartment at Oliver's Wharf, on Wapping High Street.
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The luxury car and the opulent apartment he tells Beaty belonged to his dead wife. The story he tells Beaty is that they were vacationing on a exotic isle where she ate poison berries got sick and died. He blames himself and has a guilt trip he tells Beaty because he failed to stop her from eating them.
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Love begins to blossom between Beaty and Emory. Beaty moves in with Emory. They go on get away trips to the country on the days the club is closed. Emory meets Billy and they too, hit it off really well.
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All is good except that Emory is beginning to get jealous of all of Beaty's johns. He resents sharing her, and things just start to go a bit sour. Well what the hell did he expect, right?
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More problems arise when Beaty goes on a sudden weekend fling with a woman client who pays very well, it is unplanned, but the amount of money offered cannot be turned down, an d Emory is charged with watching Billy for the weekend. Things go well. However when Beaty is dropped off at Emory's flat, Billy witnesses the woman client kissing Beaty passionately goodbye. Upset he runs off with Emory chasing after him. Nothing other than the scene with Billy running off and Emory bringing him back is the result.
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Complicating Beaty and Emory's relationship even more is the arrival of Alex. Alex is Beaty's former abusive boy friend / pimp and the father of Billy.
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Emory and Beaty continue their relationship. One of their dates is at a Gay / Transvestite Bar with female impersonators as the entertainment. Into this scene walks Max a gay buddy of Emory.
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Besides all this, there's something weird with Max and Emory but at this point you're wondering if there was something else going on before besides just drug deals. At one point we catch Emory blowing a kiss towards Max, is it an innocent joke, is it something else? Who knows.
Noirsville
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