Petty crook and chancer Sammy Lee (Anthony Newley – Oliver Twist, Doctor Dolittle) has five hours to try to raise the cash to pay off a gangster bookie and so avoid a heavy beating. A gripping race against the clock through the seedy streets of Soho ensues with Anthony Newley giving a restless and vital performance as Sammy: compère for a backstreet strip joint and inveterate gambler and horse player. He is followed in his grimly hilarious schemes to raise the money by the loyal, loving Patsy (Julia Foster – Dad’s Army, Alfie). Recently arrived from the North, she naively takes Sammy’s flash offer of a job seriously.

An evocative portrait of the darker side of 1960s Soho nightlife, The Small World of Sammy Lee is shot in vivid black and white by acclaimed cinematographer Wolf Suschitzky (Get Carter, Ulysses) and directed by Ken Hughes (Alfie Darling, The Trials of Oscar Wilde) from his BBC play. Also starring Wilfred Brambell, Derek Nimmo and Warren Mitchell.

The BFI London Film Festival will premiere This new 2K restoration of The Small World of Sammy Lee on Wednesday 12th October at Picturehouse Central, as part of the Treasures archive showcase, followed by a Q&A with Julia Foster. Studiocanal will then release the title on DVD, Blu-ray and EST on October 31st as part of their Vintage Classics Collection – showcasing iconic British films, all fully restored and featuring brand new extra content: www.facebook.com/vintageclassicsfilm

Blu-ray and DVD special features:

• New interview with Julia Foster

• New interview with Mike Hodges

• New locations featurette with Richard Dacre