The Duke Wore Jeans

The Duke Wore Jeans
Directed by	Gerald Thomas
Screenplay by	Norman Hudis
Story by	Lionel Bart Mike Pratt
Produced by	Peter Rogers
Starring	Tommy Steele Michael Medwin June Laverick
Cinematography	Otto Heller
Edited by	Peter Boita
Production company	Insignia Films
Distributed by	Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors
Release date	30 March 1958 (1958-03-30)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Duke Wore Jeans is a 1958 British comedy musical film by producer Nat Cohen starring Tommy Steele and June Laverick.

The songs for the film were released in 1958 by Decca on a 10" LP, a 7" EP and two 7" singles and, in more recent times, on compilation CDs.

Plot

The only son of the poor but aristocratic Whitecliffe family is to be sent to the nation of Ritalla in order to sell the family's cattle to upgrade the nation's livestock. As a side benefit, his parents hope he will marry the King's only daughter, Princess Maria. Unknown to his family, Tony is already secretly married to a commoner. Fate intervenes when drifter Tommy Hudson, who is the identical likeness of Tony, comes to the Whitecliffe estate to seek work. Tony engages Tommy to impersonate him on his trip to Ritalla accompanied by Cooper, the family's only servant.

Tommy and Cooper travel to Ritalla where Tommy pretends to be Tony. The princess refuses to meet him because she does not want to get married. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bastini is scheming to force the King to abdicate since his daughter refuses to marry.

Tommy meets the princess and they fall in love.

Cast

• Tommy Steele as Tony Whitecliffe / Tommy Hudson
• June Laverick as Princess Maria
• Michael Medwin as Cooper
• Eric Pohlmann as Bastini - Prime Minister
• Alan Wheatley as King of Ritalla
• Noel Hood as Lady Marguerite
• Mary Kerridge as Queen
• Elwyn Brook-Jones as Bartolomeo
• Ambrosine Phillpotts as Duchess Cynthia Whitecliffe
• Clive Morton as Lord Edward Whitecliffe

Production

Steele made the film because he was contracted to Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy for one more movie. He says the idea of the film was his, as he always liked The Prince and the Pauper. "It wasn't only a chance to act a bit, it was also an opportunity to kick around new musical ideas," he wrote later. "I wanted to act a good part and sing show numbers."

Steele was paid £20,000 plus 10% of the profits.

Songs

The songs in the film included:

• "It's All Happening"
• "What do You Do"
• "Family Tree"
• "Happy Guitar"
• "Hair-Down, Hoe-Down"
• "Princess"
• "Photograph" (duet with June Laverick)
• "Thanks A Lot"

All of the songs were written by Lionel Bart, Mike Pratt and Jimmy Bennett (a pseudonym of Tommy Steele).

Steele said "Family Tree" in particular "proved Lionel Bart's talent as a wordsmith... It was a bastard to sing but I relished it."

Soundtrack

Chart positions

Chart	Year	Peak position
UK Albums Chart	1958	1

Notes

• Steele, Tommy (2007). Bermondsey boy : memories of a forgotten world. Michael Joseph.

External links

• The Duke Wore Jeans at IMDb
• The Duke Wore Jeans at the British Film Institute
• The Duke Wore Jeans at Letterbox DVD
• Review of film at Variety
• Review of film at Spinning Image