Lisztomania (1975)

Director:

Ken Russell

Writer:

Ken Russell

Release Date:

29 January 1976 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

The erotic, exotic electrifying rock fantasy... It out-Tommy's TOMMY.

Plot:

A send-up of the bawdy life of Romantic composer/piano virtuoso Franz Liszt, with ubiquitous phallic...

Plot Keywords:

Piano | Franz Liszt | Richard Wagner | Composer | Pope

Cast

Roger Daltrey	...	Franz Liszt
Sara Kestelman	...	Princess Carolyn
Paul Nicholas	...	Richard Wagner
Ringo Starr	...	The Pope
Rick Wakeman	...	Thor
John Justin	...	Count d'Agoult
Fiona Lewis	...	Marie d'Agoult
Veronica Quilligan	...	Cosima
Nell Campbell	...	Olga Janina
Andrew Reilly	...	Hans Von Buelow
David English	...	Captain
Imogen Claire	...	George Sand
Rikki Howard	...	Countess
David Corti	...	Daniel
Anulka Dziubinska	...	Lola Montez
Lucy Willers	...	Blondine
Felicity Devonshire	...	Governess
Murray Melvin	...	Hector Berlioz
Aubrey Morris	...	Manager
Andrew Faulds	...	Strauss
Ken Parry	...	Rossini
Kenneth Colley	...	Frederic Chopin (as Ken Colley)
Otto Diamant	...	Felix Mendelsohn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Fielder	...	Man Up Ladder (uncredited)
Georgina Hale	...	(uncredited)
Oliver Reed	...	Princess Carolyn's Servant (uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Russell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ken Russell

Produced by
Roy Baird	....	producer
Sanford Lieberson	....	executive producer (as Sandy Lieberson)
David Puttnam	....	producer

Original Music by
Rick Wakeman

Cinematography by
Peter Suschitzky

Film Editing by
Stuart Baird

Production Design by
Philip Harrison

Costume Design by
Shirley Russell

Makeup Department
Colin Jamison	....	hair stylist
Wally Schneiderman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard Green	....	unit manager
Peter Price	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonathan Benson	....	assistant director
Terry Needham	....	assistant director

Art Department
John Allenby	....	property master
Terry Apsey	....	construction manager
Tim Hutchinson	....	assistant art director
Ian Whittaker	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Ian Bruce	....	sound recordist
John Forsyth	....	sound coordinator
Charlie McFadden	....	boom operator
Terry Rawlings	....	dubbing editor
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Colin Chilvers	....	special effects
Chris Corbould	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Harris	....	camera operator
Jack Roche	....	camera grip
Laurie Shane	....	chief electrician
David Wynn-Jones	....	first assistant camera
Cedric James	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Burtenshaw	....	assistant costume designer
Richard Pointing	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Chris Ridsdale	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Alex Alec-Smith	....	music assistant
Jack Bruce	....	musician: bass guitar
Roger Daltrey	....	musician: piano
William Davies	....	musician: organ
John Forsyth	....	music coordinator
Dave Mattacks	....	musician: drums
George Mickie	....	music assistant
Frank Owen	....	music engineer
David Wilde	....	musician: piano

Other crew
Peter Brayham	....	fencing master
Paul Cadiou	....	production accountant
Imogen Claire	....	choreographer
Brenda Dale	....	assistant to producer
Jean Hall	....	production secretary
Ann Skinner	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Goodtimes Enterprises
• Visual Programme Systems

Distributors

• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1975) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1987) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Digital Classics (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (1976) (Netherlands) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (3 channels)

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Italy:VM18 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:X (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Bluebell Railway, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Goodtimes Enterprises

Trivia:

When Liszt (Roger Daltrey) changes into a dress at Carolyne's command, he changes behind a screen with a painting of royalty. The man in the painting is Pete Townshend, from the rock band The Who, of which Daltrey is the lead singer.

Quotes:

Richard Wagner:So you're the jid who only makes music on a cash register?
Felix Mendelsohn:Music, shmusic, it's a living, dear boy.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Horror of Dracula (1958)

Soundtrack:

Master Race

Brilliantly weird!

Where else are you going to find a movie about famous composers, Frankenstein, Thor, Hitler, Superman, a lich, cigars, vampires, philosophy, perversion, papacy, war, love, Charlie Chaplin, and heaven? And where else will you see a penis kick line? This movie removes the need for mind-altering drugs. Seeing it is a trip unto itself.