The Sunderland and South Shields girls who starred in the mega musical film Bugsy Malone 50 years ago
‘They spent seven weeks rehearsing and shooting scenes at Pinewood Studios’
What a fantastic claim to fame these four Wearside and South Tyneside girls had 50 years ago.
The four local schoolgirls took up an unusual pastime in their summer holidays of dancing in an American “speakeasy”.
But we wonder if they had any inkling at the time that it would go on to be a mega hit which millions of people have watched over the decades.
The girls, one from Sunderland, one from Washington, and two from South Shields, were among nine dancers chosen from 1,000 to take part in the film “Bugsy Malone”, a musical comedy about American gangsters during the prohibition days.
The stars of the film included Jodie Foster, Scott Baio (later of Happy Days fame), and John Cassisi.
A Sunderland Echo and Shields Gazette report from the time said: “All the North East girls are from the Ethel Hardy School of Dancing, South Shields.
“They leave the North on Sunday to spend seven weeks rehearsing and shooting scenes at Pinewood Studios.
“The girls all started dancing before they were five. In the film, they will perform three dance routines.
“The four are Beverley Horn, 14, of Sunderland; Caren Lumsdale, 11, of South Shields; Geraldine Cobb, 13, of South Shields; and Joanna Garbutt, 13, of Washington.”
We would love to hear from anyone of the stars who travelled to the USA or from anyone who remembers sharing time with them at the Ethel Hardy School of Dancing, South Shields.
To give you a reminder of what else was in the news back then, here are some reminders;
There were five new arrivals at Seaburn’s Ocean Park. They included four pumas that were born at the park and a chimpanzee which arrived from Scarborough Zoo.
Seaham Colliery, which last month lost an appeal for more investment to extend its life by developing a new seam, produced 61cwt output a man shift to break its previous best of 50.6cwt created in June 1969.
Sunderland’s new-look Black Cat Club, which was given a £200,000 facelift, attracted almost 1,000 members before it opened next to the Roker Park ground.
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