Gimme Shelter (1970)

A harrowing documentary of the Stones' 1969 tour, with much of the focus on the tragic concert at Altamont.

Directors:

Albert Maysles, David Maysles,

Stars:

Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Keith Richards

Cast

Credited cast:
The Rolling Stones	...	Themselves
Mick Jagger	...	Himself
Charlie Watts	...	Himself
Keith Richards	...	Himself (as Keith Richard)
Mick Taylor	...	Himself
Bill Wyman	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marty Balin	...	Himself (as Jefferson Airplane)
Sonny Barger	...	Himself
Melvin Belli	...	Himself
Dick Carter	...	Himself
Jack Casady	...	Himself (as Jefferson Airplane)
Mike Clarke	...	Himself (as The Flying Burrito Brothers)
Sam Cutler	...	Himself
Spencer Dryden	...	Himself (as Jefferson Airplane)
Chris Hillman	...	Himself (as The Flying Burrito Brothers)

Storyline

In December of 1969, four months after Woodstock, the Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane gave a free concert in Northern California, east of Oakland at Altamont Speedway. About 300,000 people came, and the organizers put Hell's Angels in charge of security around the stage. Armed with pool cues and knifes, Angels spent the concert beating up spectators, killing at least one. The film intercuts performances, violence, Grace Slick and Mick Jagger's attempts to cool things down, close-ups of young listeners (dancing, drugged, or suffering Angel shock), and a look at the Stones later as they watch concert footage and reflect on what happened.

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Plot Keywords:

rolling stones | knife | stage | speedway | california | 

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Taglines:

The music that thrilled the world ... and the killing that stunned it!

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Maysles Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rolling Stones on Tour: Gimme Shelter

Filming Locations:

Altamont Speedway - 17001 Midway Road, Tracy, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$18,576 (USA) (11 August 2000)

Gross:

$252,570 (USA) (17 November 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Maysles Films, Penforta

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening scenes of the movie with the donkey are the photo shoot for what would be come the cover of "Get Yer Ya-Yas Out". Several earlier concert scenes filmed at Madison Square Garden made it onto that album. Albert Maysles and David Maysles filmed the Madison Square Garden shows; they form part of this movie.

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Quotes

Mick Jagger: [watching Tina Turner performing the opening of the concert] It's nice to have a chick occasionally.

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Connections

Referenced in Casino (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Love in Vain"
Written by Robert Johnson
Performed by The Rolling Stones

User Reviews

More suspense film than concert film

I've never seen a concert documentary that concerned itself more with building a feeling of dread and suspense than showing the hits. Even if you don't know the events surrounding Altamont, you get a sense that the end of this concert won't be a rousing finale, but death. I've never seen a stranger concert film, but ultimately it is an unforgettable experience, with an absolutely horrifying capture of a murder in front of the stage.