This is a good example of Hollywood turning a good book into a rotten film. George Peppard and Leslie Caron star in this story of life, love and jazz among the beat generation of the late Forties/early Fifties. There are a number of fundamental departures from Jack Kerouac's original book, not least of which is the fact that the Caron character was black. The ending was a lot different, too. This sanitised view of a generation now looks rather quaint and probably did at the time. Kerouac's comments on the film aren't recorded and probably wouldn't have been printable if they had been. On the plus side, the jazz is good and there's even a featured role for baritone sax great Gerry Mulligan. Sharp eyes will spot a young Arte Johnson as an effeminate writer - he was still a good few years from major fame in Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.

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