HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH

UK, 1967, 96 minutes, Colour.
Barry Evans, Judy Geeson, Angela Scoular, Sheila White, Adrienne Posta, Vanessa Howard, Diane Keen, Michael Bates, Maxine Audley, Denholm Elliott, Nicky Henson, Roy Holder.
Directed by Clive Donner.

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush has a nursery rhyme, innocent tone about it. However, this was a film of the Swinging 60s – although it was filmed, on location, in one of the new towns on the outskirts of London, Stevenage.

The film looks like many a sex comedy about teenagers – however, this genre was to come some decades later. This is something of the real thig.

The film focuses on two teenagers who are facing the sexual revolution, trying to make decisions, being pressurised by peers. Barry Evans and Judy Geeson are the young couple. Judy Geeson had just appeared in To Sir With Love. Barry Evans was to appear on television in many episodes of Doctor in the House and Doctor at Large. There is a strong adult cast led by Denholm Elliott and Michael Bates.

This is a film which reflects the period, and is very interesting to look at in retrospect to try to understand something of the changes which were occurring in manners and morals in this particular period, not only in England, but around the world.

The film was directed by Clive Donner who directed such films as Nothing But The Best and Alfred the Great. However, in moving to Hollywood, he made a great number of television films. One of his interesting feature films of the late 1980s was the film about Peter Abelard and Eloise, Stealing Heaven.

1. The tone and meaning of the title, the overtones of the nursery rhyme in connection with this story of adolescence? The theme song and its use of the old phrases?

2. How interestinn and accurate a portrait of the late sixties youth at that time? The colour, music, dancing
and atmosphere of the time? England, the world? The new towns and the way of life of adolescents in these towns?
The freshness of youth, the inwardness of youth, narcissistic? How clever the observation of youth at the time? Did the film make any explicit comment?

3. The film was considered permissive in the sixties. Why? How does it seem in later years? As reflecting the moral stances and questions of the late sixties?

4. The importance of the contribution of Stevenage? The new English towns and their environments? Homes, Shops, streets, transport? How authentic a setting for this story?

5. The film's blend of realism and fantasy? The focus on Jamie and the initial introduction to his fantasies and
their style? Typical adolescent sexual fantasies? The atmosphere of the credits as reinforcing this with the psychedelic colours, song? How realistic the fantasies, how much fantasy land?

6. The film's presentation of puberty and adolescence, the preocupation with sex, the permissive atmosphere, re traditional morality, freedom, moral standards, ideals, boys’ attitudes towards sex, the girls? The attitude of the older generation – Jamie’s parents and their off-handedness, Caroline's parents, degeneracy? How much observation of moral behaviour in England at the time?

7. The effect of the narrative device and audiences being able to identify with Jamie? Knowing how he thought, felt, his own comments on his behaviour? His fluency, the way that he talked, the way that he thought and imagined? What kind of boy was he - ordinary kind of boy? work with groceries, seeing him at school, at home, his brother, mates? The way that he talked in each place? An agreeable boy, going through a phase? His future? The problems and the attitudes of the young?

8. The contrast with Spike and his attitudes towards sex, and his being all talk? The boy with the furniture etc.? The scenes of the boys talking together and the comparison of reality and fantasy? The irony that Jamie went further than most of the talk?

9. The presentation of the girls and their varying personalities, their various traits and characters as seen through Jamie’s eyes and heard with his comments? Linda and her doll-like behaviour? Paula and her work for the church? Audrey, Caroline, Clare, Paula’s friend? The variety of attitudes that these girls represented? The particularly detailed sequences in which they encountered Jamie - with their comic touches?

10. The presentation of Mary as the ideal - in Jamie's eyes and memory? Her being, with Clare, dates, the furniture, her story about? Jamie's name, thd visit home, their decision about their being tofether and their going, the swim and the love making, the atmosphere of dissatisfaction, the boat and Mary's attitude? The inevitability of the break? Jamie seeing her later and hearing that she failed English? How typical a girl was Mary - her appearance, manner of speaking, moral attitudes, bond with Jamie and his iddalising her, seeing her in the furniture shop? The intimacy of their holiday together, sexual experiences? Her being relegated to the past and his not understanding her?

11. The importance of the seq uences with the McGregors? - their style, the father and his patriarchal attitudes, the mother and her reading? Typical of parents?

12. The contrast with Caroline and her aristocratic and silly headed behaviour. her home. the meal, Jamie getting ready for his encounter with her. the people creeping around the corridors Me French farce, the critique of this class?

13. How much of the film was a mirror to people’s behaviour? How good the observation? How interesting and accurate the comment? Themes of the future for these adolescents? Themes of innocence, guilt? A portrait of society?