England's first rock 'n' roll star, London-born Tommy Steele held down several jobs before forming a "skiffle" trio with future Oliver composer Lionel Bart and Mike Pratt. While performing for shillings-and-pence at the 2I Coffee Club, Steele was discovered by agent Larry Parnes. Thanks to Parnes' tireless promotional efforts, Steele quickly rose to R 'n' R Valhalla with such hits as "Singing the Blues," "Water Water" and "Shiralee." He made his film debut in 1956, and within a year was starring in his own biopic, The Tommy Steele Story (U.S. title: Rock Around the World). Eventually outgrowing the "Britain's Elvis" tag, Steele branched out to the legitimate stage in 1960. His best theatrical showing was the title role in Half a Sixpence, a 1963 musical adaptation of H.G. Wells' Kipps. During the 1960s, Steele played to SRO houses in London and Vegas, and was starred in several American-financed movie musicals, including The Happiest Millionaire (1967), Half a Sixpence (1968) and Finian's Rainbow (1968). Though he hasn't made a film since 1969, Steele has kept busy with theatrical revues, club dates and TV specials. In 1974, Tommy Steele wrote his autobiography, My Life, My Songs.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Resident Alien: Quentin Crisp in America
Participant |
1990 | |||
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Quincy's Quest
Actor |
1979 | |||
| 1976 | ||||
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Twelfth Night
Performance |
1969 | |||
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Where's Jack?
Actor |
1969 | |||
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Finian's Rainbow
Actor |
1968 | |||
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Half a Sixpence
Actor |
1967 | |||
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The Happiest Millionaire
Actor |
1967 | |||
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It's All Happening
Actor |
1963 | |||
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Light Up the Sky!
Actor |
1960 | |||
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Skywatch
Actor |
1960 | |||
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Tommy the Toreador
Actor |
1960 | |||
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Kill Me Tomorrow
Actor, Songwriter |
1958 | |||
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The Duke Wore Jeans
Actor |
1958 | |||
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Rock Around the World
Actor |
1957 | |||
| 1946 |