There are many great films with narcissists as the lead character. There
are films about characters behaving poorly because society says it's
not only allowed but encouraged. We at See Hear felt that rock and
roll cinema has its share of narcissistic characters who behave
poorly with society's blessing....so we've picked not one, but two
films that highlight this behaviour.
Welcome to episode 139 of See Hear podcast.
In the early 70s, nostalgia for the 50s was getting started. George
Lucas was releasing one of the handful of films he made that didn't
involve robots, walking carpets, and mysterious men in robes. That
film was American Graffiti and it was set to a soundtrack of early
rock and roll. In 1973, producer David Puttnam and writer Ray
Connolly put together a story set in the same time period, but with a
far grittier storyline. That story became That'll Be The Day, a film
about a working class teenager Jim Maclaine who like many British
youth caught the rock and roll bug. He quits school and leaves home
(where he's desperately needed) to take a series of mundane jobs all
in the name of his freedom. He proceeds to treat everyone he knows
like dirt, all in the name of his personal freedom. He's far from
sympathetic, yet we're fascinated by him.
We also look at the film's 1974 sequel Stardust which has a Faustian
premise – be careful what you wish for. Maclaine becomes a rock and
roll star, and still treats those around him poorly....but he has
none of the freedom he thought being famous would bring him. If
That'll Be The Day was a 70s version of the kitchen sink drama,
Stardust is a rock biopic about a character who didn't exist, and
well before biopics became common. The films are stylistically very
different, but very much two halves of the one story.
Playing our anti-hero is pop star David Essex. By the time Stardust was
released, he was a bona fide pop sensation, and the films may have
served as a warning to him to treat people better than his character.
Providing support is Ringo Starr (in what is often cited to be his
greatest acting role), Keith Moon, Adam Faith, pre-JR Larry Hagman,
and many others. These films were huge in their day, with soundtracks
that sold in large numbers but are seemingly forgotten in the 21st
Tim, Kerry and I were rapt to be joined by co hosts of Stinking Pause and
Reel Britannia, Scott, Charlie, “Shakin'” Steven and Paul. These
films are SO British, we couldn't NOT do them without their
contributions to the conversation. 7 people on a podcast chat? Trust
me, it worked....and hopefully you'll find it entertaining. We talk
about kitchen sink dramas, nostalgia, rock and roll versus trad jazz
in England representing the class wars, rock musicians who live in a
state of arrested development, letting a record company's back
catalogue dictate the soundtrack (sort of) rather than the writers,
England's David Cassidy, and so much more. We forgot to talk about
how when Ringo turns the other cheek, it's not the ones on his
face......so I mention it here....
Our huge thanks go to the fine gents of Stinking Pause and Reel Britannia for joining in a lively conversation and educating us in British film history. You can find them at:
https://stinkingpause.libsyn.com/ or at https://reelbritannia.libsyn.com/ or on the podcast app of your choice. We're looking forward to our next collaboration with the chaps.
Check your streaming service to see if the films are available....or go and
track down a double DVD set from Studio Canal with both films.
See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com
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You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).
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