A staged exposé of Soho's shadowy trade, narrated with a moralist's sneer.
WEST END JUNGLE
The sex-film that London Banned! Made in the actual places of vice!
In this 1961 documentary about the history and seedy reality of the sex industry in London's Soho. The documentary explains what happened when the streets were cleaned up, and it looks at what became of the so-called oldest profession as it continued to operate in Britain. The documentary claims that: “The streets of London have been swept, apparently, clean, but the dirt still remains out of sight.
From a time when moral outrage and prurience made fast friends at the cinema.
Pitched as a documentary but staged to titillate and scold in equal measure, West End Jungle parades Soho’s seedy underworld with a voiceover that could have been scripted by the vice squad. The film’s blend of faux-exposé, period detail, and prurient curiosity makes it a curious mix of condemnation and sly invitation.
— SassyFlix Programmer
West End Jungle is a 1961 British documentary directed by Arnold L. Miller that explores the history and underbelly of London's sex industry through staged re-enactments and narration.
- Director
- Arnold L. Miller
- Release
- 1961
- Runtime
- 55m
- Language
- English
- Genres
- Documentary
Synopsis
West End Jungle is a 1961 British film directed by Arnold Louis Miller and starring Andria Lawrence and Vicki Woolf. It focuses on the issue of prostitution.
Context
West End Jungle examined the consequences of the introduction of the Street Offences Act 1959. Until then, as many as 10,000 prostitutes lined the streets and alleys of Soho, facing a deterrent of only a small fine. The film explains what happened when the streets were cleaned up, and it looks at what became of the so-called oldest profession as it continued to operate in Britain.
The film claims that: “The streets of London have been swept, apparently, clean, but the dirt still remains out of sight. It's still there in the West End Jungle”; Labour peer Lord Morrison, in his position as president of the British Board of Film Censors, had West End Jungle banned, declaring that the film would bring London into disrepute.
Content
The scenarios and narration of West End Jungle are sensational, evoking the lurid pulp fiction of the time. The film warns, for example: “by getting in that car she is taking the irrevocable step to degradation and eventual self-disgust”. But the casualties are more often men. Either senior ones taken in by young women who secretly regard them with contempt, or gullible businessmen lured into clubs where hostesses working on commission cajole them into paying for overpriced drinks.
Why Cult
Peek into 1950s London’s sex trade, reconstructed with actors and period authenticity, for a portrait both critical and voyeuristic.
David Gell’s voice-over delivers stern warnings and sly moralizing, channeling midcentury anxieties with every intonation.
The film skirts censorship with suggestive disrobing and titillation, offering a glimpse of what passed for scandal in early ‘60s British cinema.
Fascinating street scenes and sleazy interiors serve as time capsules of a Soho that’s long vanished—or just retreated further underground.
Trailer
Scene Gallery
Questions from the Vault
What is West End Jungle about? +
West End Jungle is a 1961 British documentary that uses staged scenes and narration to examine the sex industry in London’s Soho, focusing on both its surface clean-up and ongoing underground activities.
When was West End Jungle released? +
West End Jungle was released in 1961.
Who directed West End Jungle? +
Arnold L. Miller directed West End Jungle.
How long is West End Jungle? +
West End Jungle has a runtime of 55 minutes.
What genre is West End Jungle? +
West End Jungle is a documentary.
Where can I watch West End Jungle? +
West End Jungle is available to stream on SassyFlix.
