Review of Where's Jack?

There are many legends of the real heroes of the people prior to our modern age of enlightenment, some I have never heard of, and am always fascinated to discover. In the case of Jack Sheppard, a British lad determined to keep his brother from coming face to face with the hangman's noose, I can see why he would be a hero of the people of his time, a victim of a seemingly honorable man (Stanley Baker) who is himself a criminal. Baker promises Jack (a well cast against type Tommy Steele) that he will help him, but that doesn't mean that his brother will go free. All Jack has to do to ensure that his brother isn't hung is to utilize his knowledge of locks so Baker can get into fine homes and rob them. But once Jack realizes that he has been lied to, it becomes a battle of wills between the two men, even if there is a sense of admiration between them up to the time where Baker and Steele discuss their own fate of possibly facing the hangman.

This isn't an elaborate period piece, and that makes the muck and poverty of the peasants all the more realistic. If the print that I saw of this film is any indication, this was done on a small budget, and it actually works for the mood of the film. Fiona Lewis is sexy, tough and touching as the barmaid whom Jack loves, and she gives to the men (and equally tough women) as much as she gets. The tough dialog Lewis is given is often quite funny in a way that makes its point and takes no prisoners. The conclusion leading to the hangman is very intense as the crowds get rowdier and the legend that becomes Jack Sheppard begins to grow. The title song has both a modern sound and a period mood to it, and really explains why the title of the movie was used.