Quadrophenia (1979)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Franc Roddam

Writers:

Dave Humphries (screenplay) and
Martin Stellman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 November 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Music

Tagline:

Hell On Wheels!

Plot:

London, 1965: Like many other youths, Jimmy hates the philistine life, especially his parents and his job in a company's mailing division...

Plot Keywords:

Mods | Rocker | Scooter | 1960s | Pill

Cast

Phil Daniels	...	Jimmy
Leslie Ash	...	Steph
Philip Davis	...	Chalky
Mark Wingett	...	Dave
Sting	...	Ace Face
Ray Winstone	...	Kevin (as Raymond Winstone)
Garry Cooper	...	Peter
Gary Shail	...	Spider
Toyah Willcox	...	Monkey
Trevor Laird	...	Ferdy
Kate Williams	...	Mother
Michael Elphick	...	Father
Kim Neve	...	Yvonne
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Mr. Fulford
Daniel Peacock	...	Danny
Jeremy Child	...	Agency Man
John Phillips	...	Magistrate
Timothy Spall	...	Projectionist
Olivier Pierre	...	Tailor
George Innes	...	Cafe Owner
John Bindon	...	Harry
P.H. Moriarty	...	Barman at Villain Club
Hugh Lloyd	...	Mr. Cale
Cross Section	...	The Band
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Altman	...	John (uncredited)
Jesse Birdsall	...	Aggressive rocker (uncredited)
Loren Day	...	Girl with Steph (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Gary Holton	...	Aggressive rocker (uncredited)
Tom Ingram	...	Rocker in police van (uncredited)
Derek Lyons	...	Jimmy's Gang Member (uncredited)
Peter McNamara	...	Mod (uncredited)

Directed by
Franc Roddam

Writing credits
Dave Humphries		(screenplay) and
Martin Stellman		(screenplay) and
Franc Roddam		(screenplay)
Pete Townshend		uncredited

Produced by
Roy Baird	....	producer
Bill Curbishley	....	producer
Roger Daltrey	....	executive producer
John Entwistle	....	executive producer
Keith Moon	....	executive producer
John Peverall	....	associate producer
David Gideon Thomson	....	executive producer
Pete Townshend	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Brian Tufano

Film Editing by
Sean Barton
Mike Taylor

Casting by
Patsy Pollock

Production Design by
Simon Holland

Makeup Department
Simon Thompson	....	hair stylist
Gilly Wakeford	....	makeup artist (as Gilli Wakeford)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ray Corbett	....	assistant director
Kieron Phipps	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jack Carter	....	construction manager
Andrew Sanders	....	assistant art director
Terry Wells	....	property master
Ken Wheatley	....	set dresser
Adrian Start	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Albert Bailey	....	boom operator
John Ireland	....	sound editor
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer
Christian Wangler	....	sound recordist (as Christian Wrangler)
Jon Astley	....	sound engineer (uncredited)
Malcolm Hirst	....	second boom operator (uncredited)
Malcolm Hirst	....	sound maintenance (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Steve Hamilton	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Evans	....	electrical supervisor: Lee Electrics Ltd.
Dewi Humphreys	....	camera operator
Jeff Paynter	....	focus puller
Frank Connor	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Geoff Mulligan	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Ronnie Rampton	....	best boy (uncredited)
Derek Suter	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joyce Stoneman	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Roger Daltrey	....	musical director
John Entwistle	....	music producer
John Entwistle	....	musical director
Cy Langston	....	music re-mix engineer
Mike Shaw	....	music coordinator
Pete Townshend	....	musical director

Other crew
David Anderson	....	location manager
Peter Brayham	....	action arranger
Alen Fletcher	....	story consultant
Caroline Hagen	....	production assistant
Redmond Morris	....	location manager
Kevin O'Driscoll	....	production accountant
Melinda Rees	....	continuity
Christopher Stamp	....	story consultant (as Chris Stamp)
Pete Townshend	....	story consultant
Ken Tuohy	....	assistant to producer
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Gillian Gregory	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Richard Morrison	....	title designer (uncredited)

Thanks
Freddie Haayen	....	special thanks
James Swann	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• The Who Films
• Polytel

Distributors

• Brent Walker Film Distributing (1979) (UK) (theatrical)
• World Northal (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Valio-Filmi (1979) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Parafrance Films (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• Feature Film Company (1996) (UK) (theatrical) (reissue)
• Channel 5 Video Distribution (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Nordic Video (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• PolyGram Video (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1988) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  public relations
• European Captioning Institute  DVD subtitles
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Levi  jeans

Also Known As:

Quadrophenia: A Way of Life (UK) (reissue title)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | France:-18 (original rating) | Australia:R | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1979) | Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Finland:K-14 (1997) | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Alley off the west of East Street, Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

The Who Films

Trivia:

John Lydon (the former Johnny Rotten) was originally approached for the role of Jimmy and even screen-tested for the role. However the distributors refused to insure him for the part and he was replaced.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The double LP "The Who Sell Out" and "A Quick One" special edition was not released until 1974.

Quotes:

Steph: Going to be one of the faces?
Jimmy: What do you mean going to be? I AM one of the faces!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Drama Connections: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (#1.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

He's So Fine

"You've gotta be something, haven't you?"

One of the finest British films ever made, QUADROPHENIA is a gritty and compelling study of the early 1960s mod phenomenon, originally released in 1979 as bands like The Jam were engineering a comeback of the whole parkas and scooters style fetish. Talk about perfect timing. I was five when all that was happening, and I can still remember seeing vast gangs of teenagers chanting "We are the mods, we are the mods" on their way to school. This film had a huge impact - even moreso when it was screened alongside the harrowing borstal drama SCUM (1978) on one of the all-time greatest double bills. The film tells the story of Jimmy, a slightly paranoid, definitely angst-ridden and certainly hate-fuelled young man desperate to escape his complacent background and low-status job by riding with the local mod contingent. For one reason or another, Jimmy just doesn't fit in. When all his friends have found female companions at a wild party, Jimmy is reduced to smashing up the garden with his scooter to relieve his frustrations. He seems to have a very childish desire to be the centre of attention all the time - when all the girls in the ballroom are admiring the 'Ace Face', Jimmy takes a potentially fatal dive off the balcony and into the crowd below. The only time he feels like one of the crowd is when he is part of the huge, bloodthirsty throng of mods who converge on Brighton one weekend with a view to beating up as many rockers as possible and causing a vast amount of criminal damage. But when he returns to London, his life falls apart, and the final half-hour or so is absolutely riveting in its unflinching study of a very confused Jimmy finally coming apart at the seams. All the performances are top notch, and the film whips along at a devastating pace, fuelled by the Who's wonderful soundtrack and Franc Roddam's energetic direction. Despite a couple of anachronisms (notice the double reissue of 'The Who Sell Out'/'A Quick One' in the party scene, long before either album was even recorded!) this is a striking and vivid evocation of a time and place that remains frighteningly relevant today. SEE IT.