The Subterraneans

Jack Kerouac's Beat odyssey is well and truly beaten to a pulp in this sanitised Hollywood claptrap. Groovester Peppard falls not for the black girl featured in the original novel but for decidedly French waif Caron. Jazz musos passing through on their way to their connection include saxman Art Pepper and flugelhorn virtuoso Art Farmer. McDowall's words of youthful wisdom: 'Hey, life is a party and everyone else is a party-crasher!' Like profoundsville, daddy-o, and in 'Scope to boot. Hypnotically abominable.