Melody (1971)

Director:

Waris Hussein

Writer:

Alan Parker (original story and screenplay)

Release Date:

21 April 1971 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A tender love story for everyone who was ever ten years old.

Plot:

Two youngsters declare to their parents that they want to get married. Not sometime in the future but as soon as possible...

Plot Keywords:

Child Smoking Cigarette | Childhood | Love | Parenthood | Children

Cast

Mark Lester	...	Daniel
Tracy Hyde	...	Melody
Jack Wild	...	Ornshaw
Colin Barrie	...	Chambers
Billy Franks	...	Burgess
Ashley Knight	...	Stacey
Craig Marriott	...	Dadds
William Vanderpuye	...	O'Leary
Peter Walton	...	Fensham
Camille Davis	...	Muriel
Dawn Hope	...	Maureen
Kay Skinner	...	Peggy
Lesley Roach	...	Rhoda
Sheila Steafel	...	Mrs. Latimer
Roy Kinnear	...	Mr. Perkins
Kate Williams	...	Mrs. Perkins
Hilda Barry	...	Grandma Perkins
James Cossins	...	Headmaster
Ken Jones	...	Mr. Dicks
June Jago	...	Miss Fairfax
June C. Ellis	...	Miss Dimkins (as June Ellis)
Tim Wylton	...	Mr. Fellows
John Gorman	...	Boys' Brigade Captain
Petal Young	...	Betty
Robin Hunter	...	George
Tracy Reed	...	Television Film - Woman in hospital
Neil Hallett	...	Television Film - Man in hospital
Deborah Childs	...	Girls' Group
Heather Gibson	...	Girls' Group
Susan Hassell	...	Girls' Group
Sarah Maddern	...	Girls' Group
Stephanie Muldenhall	...	Girls' Group
Jacqueline Pullen	...	Girls' Group
Caroline Stratford	...	Girls' Group
Gill Wain	...	Girls' Group
Karen Williams	...	Girls' Group
Leonard Brockwell	...	Boys' Group
Billy Ferguson	...	Boys' Group
Robin Hopwood	...	Boys' Group
Nigel Kingsley	...	Boys' Group
Peter Lewis	...	Boys' Group
Stephen Mallett	...	Boys' Group
Ken Robson	...	Boys' Group (as Kenny Robson)
Tommy Skipp	...	Boys' Group
Wayne Thistleton	...	Boys' Group
Roy Wain	...	Boys' Group
Ricky Wales	...	Boys' Group
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Keith Barron	...	Mr. Latimer - Daniel's father (uncredited)

Directed by
Waris Hussein

Writing credits
Alan Parker		(original story and screenplay)

Produced by
Adrian Gaye	....	associate producer
David Hemmings	....	producer
Ronald S. Kass	....	executive producer
David Puttnam	....	producer

Cinematography by
Peter Suschitzky		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Victor-Smith		(as John Victor Smith)

Casting by
Mary Selway

Art Direction by
Roy Stannard

Makeup Department
Betty Blattner	....	makeup supervisor
Susie Hill	....	hair stylist (as Sue Hill)

Production Management
Gavrik Losey	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrew Birkin	....	second assistant director
Mike Gowans	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jack Carter	....	construction manager
Bruce Grimes	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Gerry Humphreys	....	dubbing mixer
Tony Jackson	....	sound recordist
Garth Marshall	....	boom operator
Clive Smith	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Atherton	....	clapper loader
Peter Evans	....	focus puller
Roy Larner	....	gaffer
Tommy Lee	....	best boy
Jack Roach	....	key grip
Ron Robson	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Diane Jones	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Peter Boyle	....	assistant editor
Peter Pierce	....	assembly editor

Music Department
Richard Hewson	....	composer: additional music
Richard Hewson	....	music arranger

Other crew
Zelda Barron	....	continuity
Edgar Bronfman Jr.	....	production assistant
Graham Cottle	....	location manager
Joyce Herlihy	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• Hemdale Productions (as Hemdale Group)
• Sagittarius Productions
• Goodtimes Enterprises (in association with)

Distributors

• Astral Video (1985) (Canada) (VHS)
• British Lion Film Corporation (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• Levitt-Pickman (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Nippon Herald Films (1971) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Pony Canyon (2004) (Japan) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Polydor  soundtrack
• Trickfilm Studios  titles

Also Known As:

S.W.A.L.K.
To Have Somebody (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Finland:S | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Archbishop Temple school, Lambeth Road, Lambeth, London, England, UK

Company:

Hemdale Productions

Trivia:

Jack Wild was playing an 11-year-old, despite being 17 at the time of filming.

Quotes:

Maureen: Do you kiss boys, Muriel?
Muriel: Sometimes, if I like him enough.
Melody: Aren't you frightened?
Muriel: Oh, why should I be frightened? It's quite nice when you get used to it.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Soundtrack:

First of May

Wonderful charmer, love it.

I first saw this film in the early '80s on WBBM-TV Channel 2 Chicago. They were showing it at 2 AM on a Saturday (insomnia). I was familiar with it because I remember the TV ads from '71, Mark Lester sets his dad's newspaper on fire. A friend of mine saw it at the time and said he loved it. What did he know? he was only 14, I was 10 at the time. Anyway when I finally saw it I had to agree. It was like a magical trip to childhood, or in most of our cases a trip back. Although the movie was shot an ocean away from me, I felt like I was reliving my own childhood; the pain of first love, the joy of finding friendship despite social barrier (Middle class vs. lower class), and the wonder of experiencing the world for the first time without your parents. And of course that wonderful soundtrack, when the Bee Gees sang good songs: "To love somebody" and the sadly forgotten "First of May", not Disco. Also, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's "Teach Your Children". WBBM used to show this movie about twice a year(They had a rather poor film library), usually at 2 in the morning. But then they got crazy with infomercials and the parent company, CBS, decide to have its own all night news program so 'Melody' virtually disappeared. Sadly I didn't tape the film when I had the chance. I thought I'd just buy a copy, WRONG! Hey! maybe we could get Redford to show it in his Sundance channel. How about it? you overage pretty boy.