Stardust (1974)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Michael Apted

Writer:

Ray Connolly (written by)

Release Date:

24 April 1975 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Remember the 60's?

Plot:

The rise and fall of the rock singer Jim Maclaine, in the mid 60s, with his manager, Mike, and his group, "The Stray Cats." |

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Rock Music | Singer | Sequel | Independent Film

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win

Cast

David Essex	...	Jim MacLaine
Adam Faith	...	Mike
Larry Hagman	...	Porter Lee Austin
Ines Des Longchamps	...	Danielle
Rosalind Ayres	...	Jeanette
Marty Wilde	...	Colin Day
Edd Byrnes	...	TV Interviewer
Keith Moon	...	J. D. Clover
Dave Edmunds	...	Alex
Paul Nicholas	...	Johnny
Karl Howman	...	Stevie
Richard LeParmentier	...	Felix Hoffman (as Richard Le Parmentier)
Peter Duncan	...	Kevin
John Normington	...	Harrap
David Daker	...	Ralph Woods

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor) | Color

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Sweden:11 | UK:15 (video rating) (1990) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

EMI Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Goodtimes Enterprises

Trivia:

Martin Balsam was first choice for the role of Porter Lee Austin.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The "Piano" they play is a Vox Continental organ and this model, single manual with drawbars in the middle and some presets, was only made in 1972-73.

Quotes:

Sally Potter: Are you a Stray Cat?
Mike: No, I'm a roadie.
Sally Potter: Roadie sounds like some sort of vagrant. What is that exactly?
Mike: It's like an army batman, only without the uniform. I make sure there's enough beer, chips and rubbers to go round. I supply the birds, the pills and the pot. And anything else that might be required to satisfy their lust...carnal, or otherwise.

Movie Connections:

Follows That'll Be the Day (1973)

Soundtrack:

You Kept Me Waiting

Excellent

This film is very worthwhile. You can pick out all your fave 60's references from "concept", "rock opera", "managers", dodgy sexual politics and the whole drugs thing. It works so very well because it is not based on one band. Not the Beatles, not the Stones, not the Beach Boys, Tommy Shondell or anyone. It's affectionate and damning of the whole process. It works very well as a "This Is Spinal Tap" without being a lampoon of the music business. Knowing without being smart-ass. A broad covering of its genre without being in broad strokes.