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Absolute Beginners

Year:

1986

Duration:

108 min

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

IMDB rate:

5.5

Director:

Julien Temple

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 1986-04-18

Filming Locations: Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Earnings

Opening Weekend: $83,743 (USA) (20 April 1986)

Gross: $909,960 (USA) (22 June 1986)

Cast

Actor

Character

Gary Beadle

Jess Conrad

Patsy Kensit

Suzette

Eddie O'Connell

Colin, Photographer / Narrator

David Bowie

Vendice Partners

James Fox

Henley of Mayfair, Dressmaker to the Queen

Ray Davies

Arthur, Colin's Dad

Mandy Rice-Davies

Flora

Eve Ferret

Big Jill

Tony Hippolyte

Mr. Cool

Graham Fletcher-Cook

Wizard

Joseph McKenna

Fabulous Hoplite (as Joe McKenna)

Steven Berkoff

The Fanatic

Sade

Athene Duncannon (as Sade Adu)

Edward Tudor-Pole

Ed the Ted (as Tenpole Tudor)

Bruce Payne

Flikker

Alan Freeman

Call-Me-Cobber

Anita Morris

Dido Lament, Gossip Columnist

Paul Rhys

Dean Swift

Julian Firth

The Misery Kid

Chris Pitt

Baby Boom

Lionel Blair

Harry Charms, Record Producer

Robbie Coltrane

Mario

Smiley Culture

D.J. Entertainer

Ronald Fraser

Amberley Drove

Slim Gaillard

Party Singer

Irene Handl

Mrs. Larkin

Peter-Hugo Daly

Vern, aka Jaws

Amanda Jane Powell

Dorita

Johnny Shannon

Saltzman

Sylvia Syms

Cynthia Eve

Ekow Abban

Santa Lucia Club Owner

Robert Austin

Slim Brother

Gerry Alexander

Ton-Up Vicar

Jim Dunk

Slim Brother

Johnny Edge

Trader Horn

Carmen Ejogo

Carmen

Paul Fairminer

Eddie Sex

Hugo First

Maltese Lodger

Pat Hartley

Ms. Cool Snr

Astley Harvey

Mr. Cool Snr

Colin Jeavons

Pamphleteer

Alfred Maron

Bert the Tailor

Zoot Money

Chez Nobody Barman (as G.B. Zoot Money)

Sandie Shaw

Baby Boom's Mum

Bruno Tonioli

Maltese Lodger

Roland Alexander

Dancer

Shaun Alexander

Dancer

Ayo Antaeus

Dancer

John Aron

Dancer

Hoyle Baker

Dancer

Chris Baldock

Dancer

Andrée Bernard

Trad Gang Leader

Warren Bird

Dancer

Richard Bodkin

Dancer

Timothy Brennan

Dancer

Mo Bright

Dancer

Roland Brine

Dancer

Kelvin Carter

Dancer

Imogen Claire

Dancer (as Imogen Clare)

Clive Clarke

Dancer

Kirsty Davide

Dancer

Vince Debono

Dancer

Dennis Elcock

Dancer

Sylvia Ellis

Dancer

King Masher Fontaine

Dancer

Wayne Fowkes

Dancer

David Foreman

Dancer

Lucille Gaye

Dancer

Elliot Gilbert

Dancer

John Gordon

Dancer

Lorna Gray

Dancer

John Greaves

Dancer

Robert Grimsey

Dancer

Robert Grose

Dancer

Michael Ho

Dancer

Isobel Hurll

Dancer

Johnny Hutch

Dancer

Kim St. James

Dancer

Peter Jessup

Dancer

Clive Johnson

Dancer

Chua Kaa-Joo

Dancer

Val Joeph

Dancer

Trevor Kelly

Dancer

Tony Kemp

Dancer

Chrissie Kendall

Dancer (as Chrissie Kendal)

Olivia Komlosy

Dancer

Viv Law

Dancer

Madeleine Lawrence

Dancer

Paul Leonard

Dancer

Kenny Linden

Dancer

Tom Lock

Dancer

Tricia Lockhart

Dancer

Jerry Manley

Dancer

Peyton Martin

Dancer

Robin Martyne

Dancer

Jack Migdalek

Dancer

Bob Newent

Dancer

Albin Pahernik

Dancer

Neil Patterson

Dancer

William Perrie

Dancer

Shanti Ruchpaul

Dancer

Corinne Russell

Dancer

Les Saxon

Dancer

Gary Sellars

Dancer

Alan Spencer

Dancer

Chris Sullivan

Dancer

Paul Telford

Dancer

Michelle Thorne

Dancer

Christina Thornton

Dancer

Carl Trevors

Dancer

Oke Wambu

Dancer

Anthony Wellington

Dancer

Elizabeth Wendon

Dancer

John Willet

Dancer

Sabra Williams

Dancer

Barrie J. Wilkinson

Dancer

Glen Wilkinson

Dancer

Barrie Young

Dancer

David Morgan Young

Dancer

Lynne Hazelden

Teddy Girl (uncredited)

Derek Lyons

Teddyboy (uncredited)

Eric Sykes

Arcade intendant (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The character of "Harry Charms" was based on a real-life British manager and impresario of the period, Larry Parnes, who was famous for hiring unknown singers and giving them extravagant stage names (his most famous client was Billy Fury). In 1960 he hired an unknown Liverpool band called The Beatles to accompany one of his lesser stars, Johnny Gentle, on a tour of Scotland, but he decided not to take the Beatles on as clients because he was only interested in handling solo singers, not groups.

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After submitting the film for a 15 certificate producer Stephen Woolley was contacted by the BBFC and told that Patsy Kensit had revealed a nipple in one of the film's scenes. Despite Woolley's assurance that this was not the case because Kensit had been insistent during filming about not revealing her body, UK censor James Ferman painstakingly trawled through the movie using a BBFC "freeze frame" machine until he was finally convinced that the original information was incorrect. Only then did he grant the film an uncut certificate.

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The last feature film of Irene Handl

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Goofs

When Harry Charms is auditioning young singers with Colin, there is a boom mic visible when Harry and Colin first enter the studio.

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During the riot scenes, in one shot a double decker bus is on fire. In the next shot, it isn't burning. In the next shot, it is. (During the T.V. announcers speak to the viewing public about the 'race riots').

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Quotes

Colin: Sell things to people who don't want them?

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Colin: [narrating] I remember that hot, wonderful summer. When the teenage miracle reached full bloom and everyone in England stopped what they were doing to stare at what had happened. The Soho nights were cool in the heat, with light and music in the streets. And we couldn't believe that this was really coming to us at last. Nobody knew exactly why. But after so many dreary years of bombs and blitz and slow rebuilding; no sugar, no jam, nothing sweet anywhere; with the whole English world dressed in gray, it seemed, forever. Suddenly life broke out in warm colors again, so young and beautiful that a lot of people couldn't stand to look at it. For the first time ever, kids were teenagers. They had loot, however come by, and loot's for spending. And where there's loot, trouble follows.

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Dido Lament: [Flirting] I do love anger. You know, you and I ought to argue sometime.

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