Box office The film was not a success at the box office.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Such merit as Charles Dyer's stage original possessed sprang from the fact that it was almost entirely a two-hander, a carefully modulated duologue between Percy and Cyrenne in which the humour almost counterbalanced the sentimentality. Here, everything has been conventionally opened out and coarsened. Harry Corbett grossly overplays the coy gaucherie; the Italian family (including sinister, black-shirted brother, lecherous stepfather and grieving mama) is pure melodrama; and the whole atmosphere of London sin is fetchingly ludicrous. Miraculously, though, by her astringent playing Diane Cilento almost achieves the impossible in creating a character out of nothing."
Leslie Halliwell said: "Archetypal farcical situation with sentiment added to string it out to twice its proper length. Production values modest but adequate."
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "Harry H Corbett strays into
Norman Wisdom territory in this disappointing comedy from the husband-and-wife team of Sydney and Muriel Box. In adapting his play for the big screen, Charles Dyer so overdoes the pathos that what few laughs there are seem rather cruel and out of place. As the innocent following his football team to
Wembley, Corbett is unconvincingly wide-eyed, although his scenes with prostitute Diane Cilento have a certain sweetness about them."
Sky Movies called it "a rather touching and at times richly amusing extended playlet about an 'innocent' football fan from the north, and the night he spends talking to a London prostitute in her flat. Not very plausible, perhaps, but winningly done. As Cyrenne, the streetwalker, Diane Cilento is persuasive and just right. And Harry H Corbett was able to break away completely from his
Steptoe image. Michael Medwin is also very good as Corbett's big-talking friend." ==References==