User reviews

ITV have just shown the Jim Maclaine(David Essex) films of which this is the first and Stardust is the second and as an avid supporter and fan of sixties and seventies British cinema i thought i had to check it out.

It doesn't disappoint with its gritty evocation of a fifties childhood with a lack of a father figure. Jim then turns to the Rock and Roll world when he buys a guitar from a pawn shop at the end. His rise and fall is taken up in Stardust with Adam Faith taking the Ringo Starr role as Mike.

Great, forgotten film with superior performances from Essex and Ringo Starr and a good cameo from Keith Moon and Billy Fury.

David Essex got the lead role, through two films, in this story of a wanabee pop star who leaves his family and home life for a shot at the big time. Abandoned by his father as a child, Jim lets history repeat itself simply for his ambition - through 'That'll Be The Day', which establishes him as a musical talent with room to grow, through to the bleak 'Stardust' which focuses on the ups and downs of fame.

Ray Connolly's script for TBTD is ironic and clever, and gives scope to a large number of characters you remember - Rosemary Leach and Rosalind Ayres good as Jim's mother and girlfriend, Ringo Starr much better than expected as Mike who works on the fairground and takes the impressionable and cocky Jim under his wing. Mike would develop into Jim's manager in 'Stardust', where he was played by Adam Faith.

Billy Fury plays TBTD's biggest concession to a 'real pop star' as the unlikeable Stormy Tempest, while Keith Moon and Karl Howman, both in the 'Stardust' band appear briefly. Also involved in the film was the great Bonzo vocalist Viv Stanshall.

'That'll Be The Day' is often cited as the better film of the two Jim MacLaine feature, but I personally prefer the overblown, stoned, egotistical character we see in the sequel. David Essex is excellent throughout the two movies, though. The soundtrack album - a huge four-sider groaning with 50s period hits and pastiches - is still well worth a listen, although precious little of it appears in this film.

David Essex takes on the lead role of Jimmy McLaine, a young man living in working class Britain during the late 1950s, when American rock 'n' roll was King of England. Growing up with a good deal of angst after his dad walked out on the family when Jimmy was still only a boy, McLaine finds himself fed up with school and the more conventional way of life and decides to abandon his struggling mother, striking out on his own. Settling for odd jobs here and there, Jim finds a sidekick in the humorous and more experienced Mike (played by ex-Beatle Ringo Starr) and the pair of delinquents engage in petty crime in between bedding down as many local ladies as they can get their hands on. When Jimmy begins to have a change of heart he returns home to mom and settles down, only to find that he must make the ultimate decision on whether to confront his responsibilities or indulge his passion for being a rock and roll star.

David Essex is good as Jim, and Ringo Starr gives maybe the finest performance of his occasional acting career as Mike, who becomes Jimmy's mentor and room mate. It's amazing how well the 33-year-old former Beatle pulls off the role of a young kid, and the same may be said for an over-aged Essex. The film perfectly captures the climate of England in the late 1950s and benefits from a huge array of classic American oldies on the music soundtrack, from artists like Ritchie Valens, Del Shannon, The Big Bopper, Bobby Darin and others.

After I saw this I read that it's been said that this story was patterned after a young John Lennon, and while I can agree (with the benefit of hindsight) that there are some similarities between John's life and the Essex character here, even as a die-hard Beatles fan I didn't pick up on this during my actual viewing of the film. It is loosely based on Lennon at best (John's dad also left him, he loved rock music, and he had a wreckless nature as a youth). *** out of ****

It's late 50's Britain. Jim MacLaine (David Essex) is a smart restless teen. His father came home after the war but left the family when he was a kid. He grew up with his mother (Rosemary Leach) and grandfather who has a small general store. He quits school and runs away to a nearby coastal vacation town. He works odd jobs and befriends fellow worker Mike (Ringo Starr). The aloft teenager becomes a lady's man working at the carnival.

Some considers this a fictional story inspired by pre-Beatles John Lennon. I think the involvement of Ringo Starr had led people to make that connection. I have to say that this is no John Lennon. He's a sad angry character. In fact, I wondered if the film was going to push him over the edge to become a serial killer. More than anything, he doesn't play an instrument until the last scene suggests it. He writes some poetry which could be song lyrics but I envision Lennon to be much more musical than this.

This is simply a dark coming-of-age story. His restlessness fits both the 50's and the 70's. There is something compelling about David Essex's performance and something off-putting. It's compelling. The story meanders but so does Jim. This is a fascinating British film.

Probably the best portrayal of the '50s rebel culture has working-class Brit Jim MacLaine (David Essex) with a chip on his shoulder - due to his father abandoning the family - and doesn't care about school; he's into rock 'n' roll. His friend Mike (Ringo Starr) is no more responsible but gets Jim some jobs. But after everything, Jim sees fit only - and I mean ONLY - to play music.

Aside from the fact that this was a really good movie, I should identify that there was a sequel called "Stardust". I've never seen that one, as it's never been released on DVD. WHY NOT?! Considering how good this one was, why can't the latter get released on DVD?!

That'll Be the Day is directed by Claude Whatham and written by Ray Connolly. It stars David Essex, Ringo Starr, Rosemary Leach, Rosalind Ayres and Robert Lindsay. Cinematography is by Peter Suschitzky.

It's 1958 Britain and Jim MacLaine (Essex), fed up with school and his home life, leaves home and takes a series of dead-end jobs and is introduced to crime and sex. Even this isn't enough to off set his feeling of a hum-drum existence, could the upcoming Rock "N" Roll boom be his saviour?.

With perfect cast decisions, including rock star cameo's, a top grade music soundtrack - and director Whatham having a brilliant sense of teenage life in late 50s Britain, there's plenty to enjoy here.

Said to be based on the early life of John Lennon, it's important to note that this is actually not a rock movie. This is more of a kitchen sinker than anything else, which is ok of course, just be prepared if you haven't seen it before. 6.5/10

Set in post austerity Britain of the 1950's,this film brings alive the feeling and the vibe of that time vividly to to the screen.David Essex plays( or underplays )the laconic hero Jim Mclean.Jim's a bright boy but stepping on to the career ladder holds no interest for him.Rock'n'roll has broken through and for Jim there's only one vocation in life.To rock'n'roll.

The film perfectly captures the staid,constraint and carefree days of Britain in the 1950's.Along with a great soundtrack Jim makes the break from home and sets out to find his dream.

He finds it a tough world out there but eventually finds work in a holiday camp.Here he meets Mike (brilliantly played by Ringo Starr) who's been there, seen it,done it or so he claims.Mike introduces Jim to the ways of the adult world,so therefore throwing of the constrictions of the social strait-jacket that was '50's Britain.

The strong point of the film is it's realism.Why have I never heard of it's directors' other work? One of the best British films of the 1970's;this is a must see for film fans and rock'n'roll fans alike.It's sequel 'Stardust' which charts Jims rise to fame should not be mentioned in the same breath.

This could have been a great movie, the subject is a good one and it had enough real pop stars to make it work, but it didn't. David Essex looks the part but his acting is wooden and unconvincing. Ringo Starr was much better and could have had a career in acting. What is disturbing is the distasteful content that others have mentioned. The lead character is not a nice person but maybe he reflects how some ambitious would be pop stars are? Having watched this over 40 years ago and watching it now, it shows how tolerant society was back then regarding some very distasteful issues. Showing the films lead character raping an underage girl with no consequences would be unthinkable today, and quite rightly so.

Classic tail of adolescent male on leaving school refusing to get stuck in a dead end job, working in a corner shop if I recall rightly. Picks up a guitar and works his way to stardom. Rejecting his family, childhood girlfriend anc baby on route. David Essex is great as Jim MacLaine as is Ringo Starr his partner in crime when working the waltzers and Wong man when pulling the birds. The 50's soundtrack original songs produced by David Edmunds.

Overall it's a great taste of life in the early 60s.

Saw this a few nights ago. It's okay. I got bored very quickly. A bit of a "hangout" movie, like Tarantino.

Ringo Starr is surprisingly a good actor.

Give this a go. Make your own mind up.

'Jim MacLaine" (David Essex) is a restless teenager in 1950s Britain. He leaves home and best friend "Terry" (Robert Lindsay) and gets a cheap room at a seaside resort when he makes a living renting out deck chairs - not the most fulfilling job as the rain pours down! He's quite a bright lad, though, and despite his increasing penchant for one-night-stands, he realises that he must sort out his future - and with a bit of help from new-found friend "Mike" (Ringo Starr) a career in music becomes his goal. It's not very realistic, no - serendipity plays an unlikely hand all too often as this young man manages to swim against the tide of mediocrity just a little too successfully, but as a piece of social commentary set against a backdrop of limited post-war opportunities for young folk it has some resonance, Essex is an handsome man and plays the cheeky, troubled, character well and, of course, we get to see Mr. Starr's posterior tattoo! This film is not great, indeed it's not really very good - but it moves along well enough and features a soundtrack that gets your toes tapping too.

The film was okay. David Essex was quite old when he did this, playing a young lad.

A character we're supposed to be invested in does many questionable things, which makes us uncertain whether we should be invested at all (especially one scene in particular. If you know, you know!).

The music was great, and Ringo held himself well. I wasn't keen on the pacing of the film. It seemed to drag a bit from time to time.

Give it a watch by all means.

David Essexs acting skills are very limited and do not extend to convincing me that he is 16,or that a teenager would run away from school or home.The story meanders around getting nowhere fast.It includes a totally gratuitous and unnecessary underage rape scene.Any sympathy one might have for the main character is totally lst..

This so a film made in the 70s about the end of the 50s. Looking at it through modern eyes it could look dated, but it's not, it's A well made film that captures an atmosphere and a class at a specific time and place in history.

It has its flaws though, not least of which the lead character is simply awful, no real redeeming features and apart from the opening about his father leaving, it doesn't really show why he suddenly changed his attitude from talented good boy to total greaser drop out.