The Music Machine (film)

The Music Machine is a 1979 British musical drama film directed by Ian Sharp and starring Gerry Sundquist, Patti Boulaye and David Easter.[3]

The Music Machine
Directed byIan Sharp
Produced byBrian Smedley-Aston
executive
James Kenelm Clarke
Written byJames Kenelm Clarke
additional dialogue
Alan Drury
Roger Headey
Terry Wilton
StarringGerry Sundquist
Patti Boulaye
Distributed byTarget International
Release date
1979
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$500,000[1] or £125,000[2]

It was called the first all-British disco film.[1]

Plot summary

In a north London music hall, local kids dance at the disco, where the DJ is Laurie. A contest is held by an impresario (Hector Woodville) to find two dancers to star in a film. Gerry is a club regular who lives with his mum and dad (a projectionist). Gerry wants to impress another dancer (Mandy Perryment) and winds up dancing with Claire. He is double-crossed by manager Nick Dryden.

Cast

Production

Director Ian Sharp was working at the BBC as a documentary filmmaker. They gave him a three-month sabbatical to make the movie, which Sharp says ignited his interest in working in drama.[4]

The film's star Gerry Sundquist was best known for his work in the National Theatre and was cast even though he could not dance. "It all happened so quickly," he later said. "I couldn't believe it. I was a bit worried at first - it's not exactly Richard the Third is it?... It's about a boy who is really untogether at the beginning. He's got lots of energy and zitz and he wants to be the greatest in a dance competition. But he's like me - he's got two left feet."[1]

Sunquist did intensive training to be able to dance.[1] The film was shot over three weeks.[2]

Reception

The Guardian said the film "limps a bit" but "does have some life about it. It isn't as atrocious as it could have been... The trouble is the dancing is actually pretty awful."[2]

The Observer criticised the "poor music and the truly terrible dancing" but thought "several things combine to make it [the film] oddly likeable - the unglamorous view of teenage camaraderie, the unforced affection of Gerry's relationship with his parents, and some odd quirky scenes here and there."[5]

References
  1. England's Answer To Travolta Hall, William. Los Angeles Times 15 Apr 1979: k84.
  2. Chirpy as the Crickets The Guardian 14 June 1979: 10.
  3. BFI.org
  4. "Profile". Ian Sharp.
  5. The sound of Buddy: Cinema French, Philip. The Observer 17 June 1979: 14.


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