In the early 1960s, Jim MacLaine (David Essex) tours Britain with his band the Stray Cats, hoping to make it big although playing cover versions of hits by other, more successful people seems to be all the audiences want to hear. He encourages his old friend from his fairground days Mike (Adam Faith) to accompany the band as manager, and soon Mike has them playing bigger venues, and they secure a record contract. However, there are growing tensions and growing success when singer Johnny (Paul Nicholas) is forced out by Mike's canny conniving and Jim takes his place at the head of the band.
"Stardust" is a R&R, rags to riches drama, written by Ray Connolly as the sequel to the late nineteen-fifties-set "That'll Be The Day", tracing Jim MacLaine's path to stardom and eventual downfall in the manner of a rock star which would be a cliché if it was not unfolding in that fashion for a select few talents in real life, and would continue to do so. All the expected elements are present: the arguments between the band members, the groupies, the price of fame, the drug abuse and the growing pretension in the musical styles from the rock star. In fact, so many of the tropes are used that once you've watched the beginning of the movie, you can predict exactly what's going to happen with reasonable accuracy.
But is the hackneyed plotting less to do with lazy writing, and more to do with the pattern that bands got into once the Beatles had exploded onto the scene? It seems that way, although MacLaine never comes across as a serious rival to the Beatles musically: his songs (written and performed by Dave Edmunds, who also appears as one of the Stray Cats) sound like a seventies idea of what sixties pop and rock sounded like, and what few genuine hits of the era there are on the soundtrack show them up. But as far as that success story goes, MacLaine's lifestyle is all too familiar as he is manipulated and squeezed dry of every last drop of musical ability until there really is no more to give.
As the lead character, Essex gets by with his natural star quality, here more reactive than in the first movie as if he is being led by events around him instead of the other way around, although McLaine's irresistibility and talent have to be taken on trust. You do miss Ringo Starr, but Faith's interpretation of Mike meant the real acting honours go to the ex-sixties crooner as the manager, who is sly and Machiavellian, but the best friend MacLaine has as his bandmates and his girlfriend fall away to be replaced by money men like record executive Larry Hagman who is no less dangerous to Jim, but far less of a friend. As had been the case before, casting real music performers in the film pays off, especially with a returning Keith Moon being himself.
Eventually, in a fit of ego MacLaine creates a soulless rock opera about the "deification of women", a performance of which is beamed around the world's television sets in a nod to the Fab Four's famed "All You Need Is Love" broadcast. After that, he has nowhere to go and retreats to a huge castle in Spain to become a recluse, with his fans wondering if he will make a comeback when we can tell creatively he is a spent force. It's no surprise what happens then. While well crafted overall, "Stardust" is hard to enjoy due to its deadening, morose tone; there are excellent scenes, such as the uncomfortably realistic near-riot at a concert (Essex was enjoying genuine pop idol status himself) and MacLaine's mother's funeral being overtaken by his screaming fans which results in his wife ordering him out of her life and that of his son forever, but it all leaves a bitter taste which of course was the intention all along.
But before we get to the main feature, let's enjoy...
The Pre-Show:
First up, a song which is fun to belt out at a professional sports game: "Sweet Caroline". For sure, it is how many people today have been introduced to the song. Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" was released in May of 1969. His recording reached #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and became a million-seller. We'll enjoy two versions by Neil, one on TV and one, in later years, live. Don't miss the short interview where he talks about Elvis. Which, obviously, leads us to the King's version. Elvis sang "Sweet Caroline" in concert on serveral occassions. One performance in August 1970 at the International Hotel in Las Vegas was used in the documentary: "Elvis - That's The Way It Is". Having enjoyed the full power of the song through both performers, a little taste of what it means to be in one of those professional sport events and this song comes on full blast through the loudspeakers (especially for all of us who do not live in the States).
Next, a short documentary on the famous Slapback Echo Machine present in so many songs that were crafted in a small recording studio down in Memphis, Tennessee: The Memphis Recording Service, later better known as: Sun Records.
And we continue with our second episode concerning the CMT series: Sun Records. If we had the chance of being introduced to Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash in the first episode, sit tight and fasten your seatbelts as the killer himself: Jerry Lee Lewis is about to make an entrance in this our second helping!
To end our pre-show for this week, time to call the kids in - or better still, recall the kid we used to be and sing along to the wonders of Mahna Mahna!! A little surprise at the end!
The Main Feature:
Title: Stardust
Director: Michael Apted
Cast: David Essex / Adam Faith / Keith Moon / Marty Wilde / Edd Byrnes / Dave Edmunds
Release Date: 24th October 1974
Country: United Kingdom
On Your Way Out:
As usual, hopefully, a wonderful time has been had by all concerned. As the room lights are coming back on, and I'm thinking of the course of Jim MacLaine's life, from "That'll Be The Day" to "Stardust" - I dunno if I should cheer and cry out: "So Good!!!", "So Good!!!" or just let myself out with the unquestionable Mahna, Mahna chant!! By the way, don't forget to grab your goodies before you leave the theatre. A token to remind today's evening!
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