McVicar (film)
Encyclopedia
McVicar is a British drama film released in 1980 by The Who Films, Ltd., starring Roger Daltrey
of The Who
in the title role of John McVicar
. John McVicar was a 1960s armed robber turned writer whom Scotland Yard
publicly announced to be Public Enemy Number One and wanted dead or alive. The film was directed by Tom Clegg
, and was based on a non-fiction book written by John McVicar detailing several months of his experiences with prison. Bill Curbishley
and Roy Baird acted as producers. The film is noted as a gritty, reality-based example of British crime drama, and received a 1981 nomination for Best Picture at MystFest, the International Mystery Film Festival of Cattolica.
and half whilst McVicar is on the run in London. The film features 'motors' (cars), 'birds' (women), 'blags' (armed robberies), and London villains.
Despite its 'pop' leanings - with Roger Daltrey (lead singer with the Who) and sixties pop star and actor Adam Faith
, playing the two lead roles—as well as a fine support cast that includes Billy Murray
, Brian Hall
, Steven Berkoff
and Cheryl Campbell
as his wife Sheila—McVicar seems to succeed in recreating a fairly 'realistic' account of Durham prison in the 1960s/early 1970s. Relations between 'screws' (prison officers) and 'cons' (convicts) are portrayed as being fairly unrelentingly antagonistic; prison officer brutality makes a couple of brief appearances and there is a fairly even-handed portrayal of the Durham prison 'riot' when the inmates took over E wing and presented the authorities with their demands for improvements in the 'lifers' (prisoners serving a life sentence) regime.
The second half of the film is set in London after McVicar has escaped from Durham. Here he re-establishes relationships with his partner and child and eventually decides to try and escape from his life of crime. Arguably the point of the film is that McVicar had to break out of prison to stand any chance of being 'rehabilitated'. Whilst in the 'lifers' wing at Durham he was locked into an unprofitable conflict between staff and cons. Re-establishing family relations provided the spur to reform and the closing titles tell us that after being recaptured and sent back to prison McVicar obtained a degree in Sociology and, subsequently, early parole. Roger Daltrey commented at completion of the film that he wanted to make the film to show what a waste resulted from a life of crime.
, performed by Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend
, John Entwistle
and Kenney Jones
of The Who
, besides other musicians, conducted by Jeff Wayne
. The songs are:
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
in the title role of John McVicar
John McVicar
John McVicar is a British journalist and one-time convicted armed robber.-Career:In the 1960s, he was an armed robber who was tagged "Public Enemy No. 1" by Scotland Yard. He was apprehended and given a 23-year jail sentence. He escaped from prison on several occasions and after his final...
. John McVicar was a 1960s armed robber turned writer whom Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
publicly announced to be Public Enemy Number One and wanted dead or alive. The film was directed by Tom Clegg
Tom Clegg (director)
Tom Clegg is a British television and film director. He was born in Lancashire in 1934.-Selected filmography:Television* Special Branch * The Sweeney * A Captain's Tale * Sharpe ...
, and was based on a non-fiction book written by John McVicar detailing several months of his experiences with prison. Bill Curbishley
Bill Curbishley
Bill Curbishley is a music producer and band manager, best known for his work with English rock groups The Who and Judas Priest as well as artists Jimmy Page and Robert Plant....
and Roy Baird acted as producers. The film is noted as a gritty, reality-based example of British crime drama, and received a 1981 nomination for Best Picture at MystFest, the International Mystery Film Festival of Cattolica.
Plot synopsis
The action is set about half in Durham prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
and half whilst McVicar is on the run in London. The film features 'motors' (cars), 'birds' (women), 'blags' (armed robberies), and London villains.
Despite its 'pop' leanings - with Roger Daltrey (lead singer with the Who) and sixties pop star and actor Adam Faith
Adam Faith
Terence "Terry" Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith was a Teen idol English singer, actor and later financial journalist. He was one of the most charted acts of the 1960s. He became the first UK artist to lodge his initial seven hits in the Top 5...
, playing the two lead roles—as well as a fine support cast that includes Billy Murray
Billy Murray (actor)
Billy Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...
, Brian Hall
Brian Hall (actor)
Brian Charles Hall was an English actor perhaps best known for his role in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers where he played the hotel chef Terry.-Career:...
, Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
and Cheryl Campbell
Cheryl Campbell
Cheryl Campbell is an English actor of stage, film and television.-Early years:Cheryl Campbell was educated at Francis Bacon Grammar School, St Albans; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
as his wife Sheila—McVicar seems to succeed in recreating a fairly 'realistic' account of Durham prison in the 1960s/early 1970s. Relations between 'screws' (prison officers) and 'cons' (convicts) are portrayed as being fairly unrelentingly antagonistic; prison officer brutality makes a couple of brief appearances and there is a fairly even-handed portrayal of the Durham prison 'riot' when the inmates took over E wing and presented the authorities with their demands for improvements in the 'lifers' (prisoners serving a life sentence) regime.
The second half of the film is set in London after McVicar has escaped from Durham. Here he re-establishes relationships with his partner and child and eventually decides to try and escape from his life of crime. Arguably the point of the film is that McVicar had to break out of prison to stand any chance of being 'rehabilitated'. Whilst in the 'lifers' wing at Durham he was locked into an unprofitable conflict between staff and cons. Re-establishing family relations provided the spur to reform and the closing titles tell us that after being recaptured and sent back to prison McVicar obtained a degree in Sociology and, subsequently, early parole. Roger Daltrey commented at completion of the film that he wanted to make the film to show what a waste resulted from a life of crime.
Cast
- Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
as John McVicar - Adam FaithAdam FaithTerence "Terry" Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith was a Teen idol English singer, actor and later financial journalist. He was one of the most charted acts of the 1960s. He became the first UK artist to lodge his initial seven hits in the Top 5...
as Walter Probyn - Cheryl CampbellCheryl CampbellCheryl Campbell is an English actor of stage, film and television.-Early years:Cheryl Campbell was educated at Francis Bacon Grammar School, St Albans; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
as Sheila McVicar - Billy MurrayBilly Murray (actor)Billy Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...
as Joey David - Georgina HaleGeorgina HaleGeorgina Hale is an award-winning English actress notable for many stage, film and television appearances; often in the works of director Ken Russell and writer Simon Gray...
as Kate - Steven BerkoffSteven BerkoffSteven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
as Ronnie Harrison - Brian HallBrian Hall (actor)Brian Charles Hall was an English actor perhaps best known for his role in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers where he played the hotel chef Terry.-Career:...
as Terry Stokes - Peter Jonfield as Bobby Harris
- Matthew ScurfieldMatthew ScurfieldMatthew Scurfield is an actor and the eldest child of the late author George Scurfield and his wife Cecilia in Cambridge, England....
as Streaky Jeffries - Leonard Gregory as Jimmy Collins
- Joe Turner as Panda
- Jeremy Blake as Ronnie Johnson
- Anthony Trent as Tate
- Terence Stuart as Sid
- Harry FielderHarry FielderHarry Fielder is an English actor and supporting artist who has worked extensively in British films and television since the 1960s.Fielder was born in Islington, London...
as Harry 'Aitch'
- Ian HendryIan HendryIan Hendry was an English film and television actor. He is best known for his work on several British TV series of the early 1960s such as The Avengers, and for his roles in 1970s films such as Get Carter .-Career:Hendry was born in Ipswich, Suffolk and educated at Culford School...
as Hitchens - Malcolm TierneyMalcolm TierneyMalcolm Tierney is an English actor who has appeared in many film and television roles.His roles include the part of Tommy McArdle in Brookside between 1983 and 1987, Charlie Gimbert in Lovejoy, Geoffrey Ellsworth-Symthe in A Bit of a Do, Patrick Woolton in House of Cards and Chief Const. Raymond...
as Frank - Robert Walker, Jr. as Codriver
- James MarcusJames MarcusJames Marcus is an English actor.He is best known for his performance as Georgie, one of the droogs in Stanley Kubrick's controversial film A Clockwork Orange . Before becoming an apprentice printer, he spent the majority of his teenage life performing gigs...
as Sewell - Tony HaygarthTony HaygarthTony Haygarth is an English television, film and theatre actor.-Career:At the age of eighteen, Haygarth worked unsuccessfully as a lifeguard in Torquay, and also tried escapology, equally unsuccessfully...
as Rabies - Anthony MayAnthony MayAnthony May is a British stage, television and film actor. He attended Ottershaw School, Surrey. May trained at R.A.D.A. from 1965 to 1967....
as Billy - Charles Cork as Martin
- Paul Kernber
- Stanley Lloyd as Magistrate
- Ronald Herdman as Nobby
- Tony Rohr as Bootsie
- Michael Feast as Cody
- Richard Simpson as Douglas
- Malcolm Terris as Principal Officer
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack was released as McVicarMcVicar (Roger Daltrey album)
McVicar Roger Daltrey's fourth studio album, and also the soundtrack album of McVicar, the film of the same name. The film was a bio-pic of English bank robber John McVicar, was produced by Daltrey and also featured him in the starring role...
, performed by Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
and Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, besides other musicians, conducted by Jeff Wayne
Jeff Wayne
Jeffry "Jeff" Wayne, born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, is a musician best known for Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, his musical version of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds...
. The songs are:
- "Bitter and Twisted", written by Steve SwindellsSteve SwindellsSteve Swindells is an English singer-songwriter, keyboardist, party organiser, club promoter and journalist.Swindells grew up in the Bath and Bristol area, dropping out of art college to play keyboards with the rock band Squidd. Relocating to London in 1973 and living in squats, he recorded his...
- "Just a Dream Away", written by Russ BallardRuss BallardRussell Glyn Ballard is an English singer, songwriter and musician.-Career:Ballard was initially a guitarist with Buster Meikle & The Day Breakers in 1961, together with Roy Ballard, Russ's older brother on piano and Bob Henrit on drums...
- White City Lights", written by Billy NichollsBilly NichollsBilly Nicholls is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and musical director, who first gained fame in the 1960s while still a teenager with his Pet Sounds influenced album, Would You Believe, originally released on Immediate Records.Nicholls' compositions have been covered by many...
and Jon Lind - "Free Me", written by Russ Ballard
- "My Time Is Gonna Come", written by Russ Ballard
- "Waiting for a Friend", written by Billy Nicholls
- "Without Your LoveWithout Your Love (Roger Daltrey song)"Without Your Love" is a song by Roger Daltrey of The Who written by Billy Nicholls and was a hit for him on his album McVicar. The song was written for the soundtrack of the film McVicar, a bio-pic of English bank robber John McVicar, that was produced by Daltrey and also featured him in the...
", written by Billy Nicholls - "McVicar", written by Billy Nicholls