Cilla [DVD] [2014]

Sheridan Smith delights as Cilla Black. She’s such a wonderful actress. Her singing scenes inside The Cavern Club are joyous. There at age 17 Cilla is just starting out. But from the beginning we see the charm, charisma and talent that made her special. The boys in the bands around her know it too: they want her on stage with them for a number or two. One of these bands was popular locally yet largely unknown beyond Liverpool. They were called The Beatles. But Brian Epstein, a local talent scout, manager and entrepreneur would change all that — both for The Beatles and Cilla Black. He made and shaped their careers. He emerges here as an extraordinary but tragically complex person (played beautifully by Ed Stoppard).Cilla’s name was actually Pricilla White. She was a working-class girl from the Scotland Road area of Liverpool and no person could have foretold early on where life would take her. Or maybe only one could. Epstein saw her perform and recognised her talent almost immediately. It gave him ideas how to shape her image and develop her talent. She thought of herself as a female version of the Teddy Boy, a rough-and-tumble singer of rock ’n’ roll-based R&B standards. She had the voice and strength for it. But Epstein saw something different in her, something he thought could be extraordinary. She had the fresh face, background and demeanour of the girl next door. If he could get the music right for her, he thought millions would fall for her. He was right and they did.Epstein saw her as the lovestruck-lovelorn singer of ballads, songs that could touch the hearts of all sorts of people. If Dionne Warwick could do it in America, Cilla could do it in Britain as well. Just as he shaped The Beatles (Fab Four, matching suits, lovable mop tops) he perfected an image of Cilla he wanted the world to see. First to go was her name. Pricilla White, too prosaic and dowdy, would be disastrous on stage. He wanted gravitas in the name, so White became Black and Pricilla Cilla. Subliminally or not, Epstein was tapping into the roots of R&B and rock ’n’ roll with that name. The girl next door, yes, but no lightweight, no puff piece. In fact, far from it. Any torment in her love songs came straight out of the blues. Cilla had soul and Epstein had heard it. It would be implicit in everything she sang. Epstein was an alchemist who made gold. He had the Midas touch, turning talent into success.But Epstein wasn’t alone in shaping Cilla’s career. Just as important was Bobby Willis, the local boy who loved her and wouldn’t let go, a lad who wrote songs and dreamed of singing and recording them someday too. He was her first manager, though more a chancer, really, getting her spot gigs to sing a few numbers with Teddy Boy bands. She was popular and that’s how Epstein first spotted her. Luckily, Bobby was bright enough to know Epstein was a pro, ceding power to him when he swooped in with lavish contract terms for Cilla. They would go to London where all the record labels were and make their stand there. That was in 1963.Epstein was shrewd, nearly always playing his cards right. But he was decent too — kind, generous, even compassionate. He saw what Cilla meant to Bobby, knew that he loved her, and realised his love could be a source of strength for her. He also saw that Cilla leaned on this love, even if she couldn’t bring herself to admit it, stubborn as she was. Bobby thus came onboard. He would be Cilla’s road manager, look after her needs, especially her emotional ones. She was young, only 20 in 1963 when “Anyone Who Had a Heart” first broke. London was daunting, formidable, the centre of everything, including the entertainment industry. And here she was, this young provincial, a hometown girl confronting it.Bobby meant home and her roots. He would sustain her, give her the strength to believe in herself. Meanwhile Epstein did all the hustling and negotiating, selling Cilla in the cutthroat world of music. He took all the rejections from record companies in stride, this being one of his many strengths. He would not be beaten. He had the ear and knew it, understood quality and knew how to market it. He willed himself to win.The contract he secured for Cilla was with the record producer George Martin at Parlophone. He convinced Martin through demos that he needed to hear Cilla sing live. Martin agreed. An audition was arranged at the famed Abbey Road Studios. Nervous, Cilla nevertheless sang her heart out. Martin heard what Epstein had heard. Cilla was a diamond in the rough. She could be polished, her northern accent modified for mass consumption. Epstein and Martin got on well, seeing eye to eye musically. These two men, with Bobby’s support, made her a star.Her journey is breathtaking. Embellished here and there, it’s nonetheless honestly handled, the story believable, her spirit un-compromised.Epstein’s personal life is dealt with honestly too. He was a divided man, an extrovert professionally, an introvert privately. The hustler, gambler and master at swinging deals was also secretive and introspective. His sexuality haunted him. He preferred men, not women, and was tormented by not knowing why. The times then were not as now, not as open, accepting, supporting. And so he suffered. We see him at times in the film with his face bruised and swollen. Whatever his love life consisted of, it does not appear to have been gentle and pleasant.At the end of the summer of 1966 The Beatles refused to tour any longer. They were exhausted and unhappy, tired too of being managed and controlled by Epstein. They wanted greater autonomy and felt they had earned it. Perhaps they were right. They were stars now and could make decisions for themselves. At least they thought so. No longer anchored by the band, Epstein began to drift without it.When stress from his professional life and turmoil from his private one came together, he started to unravel. No one may have properly seen this, though we’re made aware of it in one heartrending scene in the film. It probably takes place some time in the spring or early summer of 1967. Cilla, Bobby and Brian are dining at a swank London restaurant. Epstein looks awful — worn, haggard, bruised, desperate. He begins to cry, hugs Cilla, and says she is all he has anymore. He feels abandoned, even betrayed by The Beatles, takes the loss of their faith and trust in him hard.Arms around Cilla, he begs her to reconsider his next idea, an idea that both Cilla and Bobby have rejected. Epstein is worried about Cilla’s career. The days of hits on Top of the Pops are ending because they can’t be sustained. Tastes and trends are changing and her music will be left behind. Reinventing herself in music is not the way to go. The way forward for her is through television. She is so charming, photogenic, friendly. She can sing on TV and the people will love her. Her time has come.Cilla and Bobby say no. They are locked into the old paradigm, the only one they know, the one that has worked for them in the past.The future rarely failed Epstein. He saw it clearly. The Beatles and Cilla Black did not. Within three years The Beatles were finished and Cilla Black would have no more hit records. Epstein died in London, aged 32, in August 1967. We’ll never know with certainty if the overdose of sleeping pills he took was taken deliberately or accidentally. In the hotel room where he died a six-page contract was found. It was complete, or nearly so. All that was missing was Cilla’s signature on it. The contract was for her own TV show, one that the BBC would produce.She signed. It changed her career. She became even more wealthy and famous, a household name throughout Britain.By and large this is a happy, celebratory film, despite the fate of Brian Epstein. Liverpool in the early 1960s was vibrant, infused with American rock ’n’ roll. The sound that emerged was called Merseybeat, a sound The Beatles would make famous throughout the world. Cilla Black was in the middle of it. She knew them all intimately — Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Gerry and the Pacemakers, John Lennon and the Quarrymen. Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) was one of her best mates at school. She sang on stage at the Cavern Club with The Beatles, who confessed she was a better singer than any of them. She was the female face of Merseybeat and became an enormous star. But, maybe thanks to Bobby, she never lost her sense of place and the spirit it made in her. After Epstein’s death Bobby became Cilla’s full-time manager. They married in 1969 and had four children, three of whom (all boys) lived into adulthood (their daughter died in infancy). Bobby died in 1999, aged 57. Cilla was celebrated widely in 2013 for her 50 years in show business, an icon of the British entertainment industry. She died in Spain in 2015, aged 72.The genius of Brian Epstein almost always got things right. One wonders if he is thanked enough for giving the world Cilla Black and The Beatles. This lovely film tries its level best to do just that. Though it is called Cilla, and of course is about Cilla Black, it’s also very much about Brian Epstein. Without him no one beyond Scotland Road would have known her. Demons are never nice and his were terrible to him.

I was never a great fan of Cilla but this is a terrific production and helps me understand her and respect her more. (and the long suffering Bobby)Sheridan Smith's performance is superb as usual and I prefer her singing to that of Cilla.I love the way it brings the early 60s to life especially the life of Liverpool, the Cavern Club and many of the characters of the time.I had seen the production on tv some time ago but watched it all in one go last night and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience

Interesting story of famous personality

Many thanks ⚒️

An enjoyable biopic

Really good Series

Having watched the series when shown on TV earlier this year, I couldn't wen brought up as a child of the 50s and 60s, wait for the DVD release and am delighted to now own a copy of this wonderful production. i have to say that in my personal opinion, this if the finest piece of television drama to be shown on British screens in many, many years. Having been brought up during the 50s/60s I was eerily transported back to the days of my youth, the sets, the entire 'feel' of the programme being so realistic and making me feel very young once again. Not only Sheridan Smith, but the entire cast were entirely believable in their roles, with Ed Stoppard giving a superb performance as the tragically tortured genius, Brian Epstein. 'Ringo' was perfect, right down to the voice and his particular mannerisms while performing. Aneurin Barnard was simply brilliant as Bobby Willis, Cilla's eventual husband, who in the early days did virtually everything to help her develop her career as a singer. This was TV drama the way it used to be, rivetting and entertaining, and certainly a dvd that I will be happy to watch over and over again. The fact that the actors all played their own instruments and sang in their own voices in some superb renditions of the music of the early 60 all added to the sheer brilliance and professionalism of this production. Without doubt, this is a fitting and brilliant tribute to one of our best known icons of the 60s. I can receommend this to anyone, whether a Cilla black fan or not!

Watched this on TV some time ago interesting to watch

Cilla war sehr gut gefilmt und authentisch. Ich kenne Cilla Black aus meiner Kindheit und Jugend in England. Sheridan Smith hat sie sehr genau porträtiert, man konnte manchmal denken, sie wäre wirklich Cilla! Der Filmset in Liverpool war toll gemacht, so kannte ich die Stadt meiner Großeltern damals in den 60-er. Diesen Film könnte ich immer wieder ansehen.

I caught this 3 part series on Canada Vision TV. Then I ordered the DVD but did not realize it would not play here in Canada. I tried to obtain a Canadian DVD and then Vision wrote me to say I could probably be able to play this on my computer. And sure enough, I was able to change the area from Canada to the UK. Thank goodness because I sat watching the whole thing through from beginning to end and enjoyed it even more than having to wait from week to week. My mother was from England and was an avid fan of Coronation Street so I was taken. Sheridan Smith was wonderful and her voice was magical. Loved the DVD. Thankyou.

I was impressed with the speed I got the delivery from the UK.

ビートルズと同じ頃にデビューし、その後イギリスの国民的女性歌手となったシーラ・ブラックさんの心暖まるサクセス･ストーリーです。何と言っても主演のシェリダン･スミスさんの人間味に溢れた表情・演技に思わず惹き込まれてしまいます・・地元の人気ビート･グループとの共演・最初のオーディションでの失敗デビュー2作目でNO.1ヒットを知らせる公衆電話でのシーン・・・そしてロックスターにありがちな栄光の後の「影」が無いのは後に結婚して生涯を共にする、ロード･マネジャーのボビー・ウィリスさんの存在によるものであるのは間違いないと思います。（エンディングで「本物の」お二人の結婚式の写真が映ります）なんでも、2014年のイギリスのTVドラマで最高の視聴率だったとか・・観ている誰もが応援したくなる爽やかなドラマでした。

I have been a fan of Cilla's for years despite the fact that I grew up in the US and that she was not as visible here as she was in the UK. I heard about this miniseries in 2014 and I was lucky to be able to watch it on You Tube but I knew I wanted to own it. I inquired if it would ever be available in Region 1 format and was told no. It was then I decided to get an all region DVD player and I ordered "Cilla". Sheridan Smith is wonderful in it and I'm glad Cilla lived long enough to see what a great job she did. I highly recommend this DVD for any Cilla fans or fans of "British Invasion" music.