User Reviews

Some good performances from the cast, making this an enjoyable film straight from the Boys Own........but what on earth were they thinking with the abrupt ending? A few plot lines left completely unresolved and a complete change, without explanation, for the major plot line. Boy chases girl, wins her over, then all of a sudden, he gives her away??? What's that all about? Almost as if they ran out of money and had to edit an ending that would "fit".... such a shame.......

If you watch A Boy, a Girl, and a Bike (1949), you want to watch it for its portrayal of small town Yorkshire life in the late 1940s, to see Diana Dors and Anthony Newley as adolescents, and to relish the performance of some actors. As a movie, however, I would not recommend it. It is handicapped by being a tad too long and having too many plots.

As several reviewers mention, given the time and place, being outdoors seems to have been much more desirable than the cramped and dreary homes most workers lived in. And lacking TV, the internet, and cell phones, social activities were more prominent than they are today. In fact, as a longtime college professor, I witnessed, within ten years, cell phones virtually wipe out all student interactions before and after class. No longer was there talking, just texting. Here the community activities focused on are biking clubs and races: activities which took off in the 1880s. Indeed, in the United States, the Wheelman, a magazine devoted to cycling--which can be found online--began in 1882. (Later after morphing into The Outing Magazine, it covered, and published stories about, numerous sporting activities.)

Both Dors and Newley who were in Oliver Twist the year before, appear as teens. Dors, carrying baby fat, performs well as a plumpish, oversexed young girl. I don't see her as the siren other reviewers do, but to me, at least, she appears more wholesome at this age, then as the adult, rather hard-looking, Marilyn Monroe clone she became. Newly is much taller and closer to adulthood, than as the Artful Dodger. However, his performance in this film is, in my opinion, far weaker.

All others do a good job--setting aside the Yorkshire accent, which I know nothing about. But two actors stood out for me in particular: Leslie Dwyer, as a wise and level-headed cafe owner in love with Meg Jenkins, playing Newley's mother, and Maggie Hanley, as Newley's loyal girlfriend.

Finally, the movie could have been cut and clarified by reducing its plots. There is Newley being driven into crime to pay off his gambling debts; McCallum's attempt to woo Blackman away from her boyfriend, Patrick Holt; Dwyer's desire to marry Jenkins; the club's pursuit of the cycling trophy; and Cyril Chamberlain's attempt to avoid discovery as an army deserter. Indeed, several reviewers complained the ending was too abrupt, not all plots were wrapped up, and there was little reason for McCallum handing Blackman back to Holt.

All could have been resolved by dropping the deserter plot. It was the least interesting, and Chamberlain's disqualification from racing could have been explained by leg cramps, which he had previously experienced. Not only would this have saved time, but it would have helped explain McCallum's action, which is only hinted at. Though he and Blackman love each other, he is upper-class and rich, and she is working class. At that time in England, that was an enormous barrier. After the cycling race, when McCallum introduces Blackman to his family you can see their frostiness. At the end of the film McCallum tells Dwyer he is giving Blackman to Holt because he's not the marrying kind. But that is obviously baloney. When he took her back with his family to see his home (a scene which should have been portrayed), he must have realized his kind would never treat her well. And loving her as much as he did, he stepped aside to protect her.

Had those two changes been made, my rating would have jumped from a 5.5 to a 6.5. What a shame they were not.

A BOY, A GIRL AND A BIKE is a slight romantic comedy of the era with a West Yorkshire setting, allowing all of the familiar actors to try out a local accent. The story is centred around members of a cycling club, where various little plots are going on: there's John McCallum and his budding romance with youthful Honor Blackman; an ever more youthful Diana Dors doing her man-eater thing this early on in her career; Anthony Newley (as a kid!) playing a thief and John Blythe and Maurice Denham as a couple of villains. The uniqueness of the setting and the scenery makes this worth a look, even if it is heavily dated and rather forgettable.

This was one of the films from the Rank pro-gramme trying to entice audiences back to the cinema.Some hope.About the only people it is likely to please are those interested in cycle racing and picturesque scenery.\the plot is poorly written and in fact it even leaves one major plot line unresolved.Maybe Rank decided that at 87 minutes enough was enough.What is worse is that everyone in the film seems to have their own accent.Anthony Newley as a pilfering teenager stands out with a Cockney accent.Now how did he manage to get that living in Yorkshire?The only interesting aspect of the story is the army deserter who had fled from London.Clearly this must still have been a live issue when the film was made.Only Diana Dors comes out of this with her reputation intact.

A Gainsborough Picture, presented by J. Arthur Rank. Never theatrically released in the U.S. Released in the U.K. through General Film Distributors: 20 June 1949. Australian release through G-B-D/20th Century-Fox: 10 November 1950. 8,468 feet in Australia; 8,251 feet in U.K. Australian running time: 94 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Landowner's son buys a bike to aid him in his pursuit of a pretty cyclist.

VIEWER'S GUIDE: Suitable for all.

COMMENT: This little-known (it isn't even so much as mentioned in Best of British) naturalistic regional comedy gem not only boasts a fine cast of interesting players who are all given excellent opportunities in a fascinating script, but takes its characters firmly out of doors to explore the picturesque Yorkshire countryside (which is cleverly contrasted to the cramped, gloomy, claustrophobic environs of the town). Whether you're interested in cycling or not, this movie is a must. A further bonus is the presence of Honor Blackman and Diana Dors, both of whom are not only attractive in looks and personality (though Diana has a character role), but act with pleasing assurance and total conviction. The script is well- paced and deftly directed, guaranteed to rivet the attention from starter's flag to finish line.

Mind you, it's difficult to believe that Diana Dors of all people would have to scratch around for someone to take her to the local dance. (Admittedly, the film was made before her period of super- stardom when Diana was in brilliant form in character roles, but even at her most girl-in-the-crowdish, she exuded terrific sex appeal). Otherwise the direction and the exterior camera-work with its rapid tracking shots of cyclists along country roads is exhilarating. And it's nice to see Honor Blackman (with a very convincing Yorkshire accent too) even though she is not all that attractively costumed or photographed. Holt rates as fair, Newley, Denham and Blythe come over with appropriate conviction, Hal Osmond and Amy Veness never fail to be amusing (yes, it's a shame they have only the one scene here) and the rest of the cast is more than okay. Music figures attractively and credits ride smooth.