Clockwise (1986)

Director:

Christopher Morahan

Writer:

Michael Frayn (original screenplay)

Release Date:

10 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

If you've ever been late... you'll know what this film is all about!

Plot:

An uncompromising British school headmaster finds himself beset by one thing going wrong after another.

Plot Keywords:

Headmaster | School | England | City | Country

Awards:

1 win

Cast

John Cleese	...	Brian Stimpson
Penny Leatherbarrow	...	Woman Teacher
Howard Lloyd-Lewis	...	Ted
Jonathan Bowater	...	Clint
Stephen Moore	...	Mr. Jolly
Alison Steadman	...	Gwenda Stimpson
Mark Bunting	...	Studious Boy
Robert Wilkinson	...	Streaker
John Bardon	...	Ticket Collector
Mark Burdis	...	Glen Scully
Nadia Sawalha	...	Mandy Kostakis (as Nadia Carina)
Dickie Arnold	...	Man at Station
Angus MacKay	...	First Class Passenger
Peter Needham	...	Porter
Peter Lorenzelli	...	Taxi Driver
Chip Sweeney	...	Paul Stimpson
Sharon Maiden	...	Laura Wisely
Joan Hickson	...	Mrs. Trellis
Constance Chapman	...	Mrs. Wheel
Ann Way	...	Mrs. Way
Ann-Marie Gwatkin	...	Petrol Station Cashier
Mohammed Ashiq	...	Manager
Pat Keen	...	Mrs. Wisely
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Mr. Wisely
Geoffrey Greenhill	...	Policeman with Mrs Wheel
Richard Ridings	...	Policeman at Crash
Geoffrey Davion	...	Policeman at Crash
Charles Bartholomew	...	Man in Telephone Box
Sheila Keith	...	Pat's Mother
Penelope Wilton	...	Pat
Christian Regan	...	Pat's Son
Alan Parnaby	...	Policeman at Telephone Box
Tony Haygarth	...	Ivan with the Tractor
Michael Aldridge	...	Prior
Ronald Sowton	...	Monk
Alan Granton	...	Monk
Susan Field	...	Woman in Lane
Leslie Schofield	...	Policeman Arresting Pat (as Leslie Scofield)
Mike Glynn	...	Policeman with Black Eye
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Headmaster
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Headmaster
Nicholas Le Prevost	...	Headmaster (as Nicholas le Prevost)
Peter Cellier	...	Headmaster
David Conville	...	Headmaster
Patrick Godfrey	...	Headmaster
Rupert Massey	...	Headmaster
John Rowe	...	Headmaster
Philip Voss	...	Headmaster
Jeffrey Wickham	...	Headmaster (as Jeffry Wickham)
Nick Stringer	...	Det. Sgt. Rice
Graeme Green	...	Detective Constable
Sydney Livingstone	...	Porsche Driver (as Sidney Livingstone)
Michael Percival	...	Man in Wood
Peter Jonfield	...	Det. Insp. Laundryman
Brian Portsmouth	...	Detective Constable

Directed by
Christopher Morahan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Frayn		original screenplay

Produced by
Michael Codron	....	producer
Nat Cohen	....	executive producer
Gregory Dark	....	associate producer
Verity Lambert	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George Fenton

Cinematography by
John Coquillon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Boyle

Casting by
Priscilla John

Production Design by
Roger Murray-Leach

Art Direction by
Diana Charnley

Costume Design by
Judy Moorcroft

Makeup Department
Kezia De Winne	....	chief makeup artist (as Kezia de Winne)
Michael Morris	....	chief makeup artist
Stephen Rose	....	chief hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tim Coddington	....	third assistant director
Tony Hopkins	....	first assistant director
Crispin Reece	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bruce Bigg	....	property master
Brian Harris	....	supervising props
Les London	....	supervising props
Bill McMinimee	....	construction manager
Lucy Morahan	....	art department runner
Michael G. Ploog	....	storyboard artist (as Mike Ploog)
Brian Read	....	production buyer

Sound Department
Pat Gilbert	....	assistant footsteps editor
Ray Merrin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chris Munro	....	sound recordist
Rocky Phelan	....	footsteps editor
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Sharpe	....	assistant dubbing editor
Don Sharpe	....	dubbing editor
John Stevenson	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Breeze	....	focus puller
Douglas Dawson	....	still photographer
Wick Finch	....	gaffer
Gary Hutchings	....	grip
Dickie Lee	....	grip
George Parrish	....	best boy
Gary Spratling	....	clapper loader
Alan Taylor	....	electrician
Malcolm Vinson	....	camera operator
John Ward	....	Steadicam operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karen Hore	....	wardrobe assistant
Keith Morton	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Keith Mason	....	second assistant editor
Kant Pan	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Keith Grant	....	music recording engineer

Other crew
Geoff Axtell	....	titles (as Geoff Axtell Associates Ltd)
Julie Baines	....	production coordinator
John Bernard	....	location manager
Vicky Burton	....	production runner
Jeremy Child	....	cutting room runner
Diana Dill	....	script supervisor
Graham Easton	....	production executive
Cherry Fiddaman	....	cashier (as Cherry Taylor)
Pauline Granby	....	assistant accountant
Bob Mercer	....	production associate
Catherine O'Brien	....	publicist
Terry Pearce	....	location manager
Krystyna Plater	....	secretary to producers
Iona Price	....	secretary to producers
Arthur Terry	....	production accountant (as Arthur Tarry)

Production Companies

• Canal+ Image UK
• Moment Films
• Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment (presents)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• América Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Studio Canal (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Thorn EMI Video Australia (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Thorn EMI (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bickers Action Enterprises  action vehicles supplied by
• Bickers Action Enterprises  car rigs supplied by
• British Horological Institute, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film (as The British Horological Institute Newark Notts)
• Cinefocus  cameras and lenses by moviecam supplied by
• Geoff Axtell Associates Ltd.  titles
• King Edward's School Edgbaston  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film (as King Edward's School Edgbaston Birmingham)
• Kodak  film stock supplied by
• Lee Lighting  lighting (as Lee Electric Lighting Ltd)
• Midland Film Services  transport
• Olympic Sound Studios  music recording at
• People and Authorities of Edgbaston, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• People and Authorities of Grimsby, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• People and Authorities of Kingston Upon Hull, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• People and Authorities of Much Wenlock, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• People and Authorities of Shrewsbury, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• People and Authorities of Stourport, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• People and Authorities of West Bromwich, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• Porsche Cars (G.B.)  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Seiko Time (U.K.)  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• Staff and Pupils of Menzies High School, West Bromwich, The  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• Take Five Catering  catering
• Tannoy  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• Technicolor Limited  processed by
• Technicolor  processed by
• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  post-production
• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  re-recording at
• WWAV Computer Division  the producers wish to thank the following for their invaluable contribution to the making of this film
• Willie's Wheels  transport

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Australia:G | Netherlands:AL | Denmark:A | Norway:7 (TV rating) | Finland:S | Norway:A | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Cottingham Road, Kingston-upon-Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Canal+ Image UK

Trivia:

The school where Stimpson is headmaster is named after Thomas Tompion (1639-1713), a famous clockmaker.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Laura's parents dash off to Norwich on the motorcycle, Laura's father is wearing a helmet, but not her mother. At the Head Master Conference, Laura's mother is carrying a yellow motorcycle helmet, similar to the one her husband is wearing, in her hands.

Quotes:

Brian Stimpson: The first step to knowing who we are... is knowing where we are and... WHEN we are.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Clockwatching with Mr. Cleese (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

This Is My Lovely Day

Right! Left? Right! No, left!

A scrupulously punctual headmaster in an English comprehensive school sets off for the Headmaster's Conference to deliver a keynote speech. One little slip sees him boarding the wrong train, which leads to a chain of consequences conspiring to keep him from his goal. This is one of the finest farces I've ever seen brought to the screen, written naturally enough by theatre farce-meister Michael Frayn. The frenetic energy of John Cleese in his prime really lifts this above the norm, as he hitches a ride with a student, bumps into and kidnaps an ex-girlfriend and winds up naked in a monastery. The climactic scenes at the HMC amount to perhaps the finest pay-off seen in farce. This is, indeed, a historic moment.