Be My Guest (1965)

Dave Martin (David Hemmings) and his mates once again find themselves dealing with the tricky side of the music business in this sequel to the British pop musical Live It Up. Dave has become interested in writing, and has a lead on a job with a newspaper in the seaside community of Brighton. As luck would have it, his parents Herbert (Ivor Salter) and Margaret (Diana King) are also moving to Brighton, having inherited a guest house there that they've decided to take over as the family business. En route to Brighton, Dave meets Erica (Andrea Monet), a pretty girl from the United States who is going to Brighton to audition for a job as a dancer. She is lacking accommodations, so Dave offers to put her up at the family's new guest house, though Herbert and Margaret at first believe their son has less than honorable intentions. When Erica's audition falls through, she opts to stay on in Brighton, and she's soon joined by Dave's old pals Phil (John Pike) and Ricky (Stephen Marriot), who were his partners in the beat group the Smart Alecks. Publicity friendly impresario Hilton Bass (David Healy) arrives in town looking for "the Brighton Sound," which he's convinced will be the next big thing after the success of Merseybeat. Dave asks his pals to re-form the Smart Alecks to enter the talent competition Bass is staging, but he's disqualified when he learns the paper he's working for is helping to sponsor the contest. However, Dave thinks he may have struck upon a story when he uncovers evidence that suggests Bass has rigged the contest to favor a group he's already signed to a deal. Be My Guest features guest appearances from Jerry Lee Lewis and the Nashville Teens (the latter of whom also serve as Lewis' backing band), as well as lesser known beat groups the Nightshades, Kenny and the Wranglers, and the Zephyrs. Noted British rock producer Shel Talmy coordinated the film's musical score. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi