This film was advertised a cautionary tale, but I think it’s a little bit more than that. Beat Girl (1960) stars David Farrar as Paul Linden, a wealthy and prominent architect who brings home his young, French bride Nichole played by Noelle Adam. Jennifer, played by Gillian Hills is Paul's teenage daughter who isn't thrilled by his father's new bride.
Beat Girl (1960) starts out with Jennifer rebelling against her father and rejecting her new stepmother. She sneaks out at night and hangs out with some questionable kids. She feels misunderstood and is frustrated by the changes that have been made. There are some inklings of a cautionary tale in this film because Jennifer is spending time with wild kids her age and he get involved with some dodgy adults who could all easily lead her down a dark path.
But the film really is about change. The change that is brought on by growing up and the change brought on by decisions made. When her father brings home his young bride she suddenly she goes from being raised by single father, who is consumed by his work and his projects to a father, who now swoons over his new wife. Then there are the other changes that happen to all of us while we’re growing up. When we’re teenagers we’re not little kids but we’re not adults yet so everything is just completely confusing. Jennifer likes hanging out with her friends, but then she becomes intrigued by the darker sides of being an adult. She goes from having a crush on a troublesome boy named Dave to toying with the idea of running off to Paris with a man named, Kenneth King played by the great Christopher Lee.
Christopher Lee’s role in the film is of a dashing yet creepy owner of a nearby strip club. Jennifer seems to gravitate to this club throughout the movie first to find out more information from an old acquaintance of her stepmother‘s so she could find out more about her stepmother‘s past. As time goes on she considers using her new acquaintance as a possible means of escape from her home life. Perhaps because of the anger and rejection she feels from her father she plays around with the guitar playing Dave who shifts from being toxic to being philosophical. Then she leans into the danger of being around Mr. King and his strip club.
Towards the end of the film. it’s only until something violent and horrific happens right before her eyes that Jennifer breaks down and realizes all the silly things she was doing for all the dumb reasons. There is hope that she will begin to make peace with herself and ultimately embrace the changes and her new family dynamic. This film is a time capsule of the 1960's teen in England. It is both a cautionary tale about the dangers that teens face but also a modern day fable about the being open to change.
 stars David Farrar as Paul Lind...){kind=link}
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