Absolute Beginners


1h 48m 1986
Absolute Beginners

Brief Synopsis

A young photographer seeks media stardom to keep the love of a beautiful model.

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Musical
Release Date
1986
Production Company
Camera Effects; Goldcrest; Goldcrest Films International; Palace Pictures; Peter Govey Film Opticals; Twickenham Film Studios; Twickenham Studios; Virgin Vision
Distribution Company
Orion Pictures; Orion Pictures; Palace Pictures
Location
London, England, United Kingdom

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 48m

Synopsis

An adman corrupts a photographer who loves a fashion designer in riotous 1958 Soho London.

Cast

Eddie O'connell

Colin Young

Patsy Kensit-healy

Crepe Suzette

David Bowie

Vendice Partners

James Fox

Henley Od

Ray Davies

Arthur

Eve Ferret

Big Jill

Anita Morris

Dido Lament

Lionel Blair

Harry Charms

Steven Berkoff

Fanatic

Graham Fletcher-cook

Wizard

Mandy Rice-davies

Mum

Bruce Payne

Flikker

Tenpole Tudor

Editor The TEditoritor

Tony Hippolyte

Mr Cool

Alan Freeman

Call Me Cobber

Chris Pitt

Baby Boom

Paul Rhys

Dean Swift

Julian Firth

The Misery Kid

Joe Mckenna

The Fabulous Hoplite

Ronald Fraser

Amberley Drove

Irene Handl

Mrs Larkin

Sylvia Syms

Cynthia Eve

Eric Sykes

Salt Beef Man

Peter Hugo Daly

Vern

Johnny Shannon

Saltzman

Amanda Jane Powell

Dorita

Robbie Coltrane

Mario

Gary Beadle

Johnny Wonder

Jess Conrad

Cappuccino Man

Smiley Culture

D J Entertainer

Slim Gaillard

Party Singer

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

Mrs Cool Snr

Astley Harvey

Mr Cool Snr

Colin Jeavons

Pamphleteer

Alfred Maron

Bert The Tailor

Zoot Money

Chez Nobody Barman

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

Andree Bernard

Dancer

Warren Bird

Dancer

Richard Bodkin

Dancer

Timothy Brennan

Dancer

Mo Bright

Dancer

Roland Brine

Dancer

Kevin Carter

Dancer

Imogen Clare

Dancer

Clive Clarke

Dancer

Kirsty Davide

Dancer

Vince Debono

Dancer

Dennis Elcock

Dancer

Sylvia Ellis

Dancer

King Masher Fontaine

Dancer

Wayne Fowkes

Dancer

Dave 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

Val Joseph

Dancer

Trevor Kelly

Dancer

Tony Kemp

Dancer

Chrissie Kendal

Dancer

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

Corrine 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

Crew

Ekow Abban

Song

Ekow Abban

Song Performer ("Santa Lucia")

Tony Aherne

3rd Assistant Director

Laurel Aiken

Song

Laurel Aiken

Song Performer ("Landlords And Tenants")

Steve Allen

Song Arranger ("Rock A Bye Baby")

Lynda Armstrong

Makeup Assistant

Graham Attwood

Stills

Edward Barber

Song ("Scorpio")

Gary Barnicle

Song Performer ("Napoli")

Clive Barrett

Assistant Editor

John Beard

Production Designer

Richard Bedford

Editor

Matthew Binns

Location Unit Manager

Sue Blane

Costume Designer

Tim Booth

Song

Elaine Bowerbank

Chief Hairdresser

David Bowie

Song ("That'S Motivation" "Absolute Beginners")

David Bowie

Song Performer ("Volare" "Absolute Beginners" "That'S Motivation")

Michael Bradsell

Editor

Chris Brown

Producer

J Bruton

Song ("Teddy Bears' Picnic")

Peter Bryant

Supervisor

Richard Burridge

Screenwriter

Roger Burton

Costume Consultant

Al Clark

Executive Producer

Michael Clifford

Music Editor

Eric Coates

Song ("Sleepy Lagoon")

Tim Coghlan

Assistant (To Producers)

Paul Conway

Assistant Editor

Ray Corbett

Assistant Director

Jane Cotton

Dance Stage Manager

Valerie Craig

Production Coordinator

Paul Cridlin

Sound Maintenance

Smiley Culture

Lyrics

Smiley Culture

Song Performer ("So What")

Jerry Dammers

Song ("Riot City")

Jerry Dammers

Song Performer ("Riot City")

Ray Davies

Song

Ray Davies

Song Performer ("Quiet Life")

Leo Davis

Casting

Miles Davis

Song ("So What")

Stuart Dejong

Assistant Editor

Robert Devereux

Executive Producer

Bob Devine

Construction Manager Assistant

Dick Dicker

Supervisor

Mary Dockwrey

2nd Assistant Editor

W Donaldson

Song ("My Mammy")

Tracy Drew

Title Design

Arthur Egnoian

Song ("Bongo Rock")

Helen Eley

Assistant Editor

Preston Epps

Song ("Bongo Rock")

Gil Evans

Music Conductor

Gil Evans

Song ("The Naked And The Dead" "Va Va Voom")

Gil Evans

Music Arranger

Gil Evans

Music; Music Director

Susie Figgis

Casting

Peter Frampton

Chief Makeup

Slim Gaillard

Song

Slim Gaillard

Song Performer ("Selling Out")

Stuart Game

Other

Leonard Green

Assistant Editor

David Grimsdale

Sound Editor

Gerry Hambling

Editor

Michael Hamlyn

Screenplay Development

Jack Hammer

Song ("Great Balls Of Fire")

Wee Willie Harris

Song Performer ("Rocking At The 21'S")

William Harris

Song ("Rocking At The 21'S")

Frank Heeney

Gaffer

Derek Holding

Sound Editor

Mary Holdsworth

Script Supervisor

Gerry Humphreys

Sound Rerecording Mixer

Jonas Hurst

Song Performer ("Little Girl (You'Ve Never Had It So Good)")

Luis Jardim

Music Arranger ("Here Comes The Bride")

David John

Sound Recording

Terry Johnson

Additional Dialogue

Terry Johnson

Writer (Dialogue)

Terry Johnson

Screenplay

Ray Jones

Supervisor

Eddy Joseph

Sound Editor

J Kennedy

Song ("Teddy Bears' Picnic")

Patsy Kensit-healy

Song Performer ("Having It All")

Patsy Kensit-healy

Song

Geoff Kingsley

Construction Manager

Peter Kohn

Production Manager

Clive Langer

Music Mixer; Music Recording

Clive Langer

Song Performer ("Napoli")

Clive Langer

Song; Song Arranger ("Rock A Bye Baby")

Clive Langer

Music Producer

Matthew Lannay

Boom Operator

Howard Lanning

Sound Editor

Mark Latimer

Assistant Editor

S Lewis

Song ("My Mammy")

Lee Electric Lighting

Lighting Equipment

Russell Lloyd

Editor

Cynthia Lole

Music Coordinator

Sue Love

Hairdresser Assistant

Nick Lowe

Song ("Little Cat (You'Ve Never Had It So Good)")

Colin Macinnes

Source Material (From Novel)

Don Macpherson

Music Coordinator

Don Macpherson

Screenwriter

Colin Manning

Grip

Roger Mayne

Original Period Photography

Franco Migliacci

Song ("Volare")

Charles Mingus

Songs ("Boogie Stop Shuffle (The Rough And The Smooth)" "Better Git It In Your Soul (The Hot And The Cool)")

Domenico Modugno

Song ("Volare")

Ian Moore

2nd Assistant Editor

David Morgan

Other

Angela Morley

Music Extracts ("Hancock'S Half Hour (A Sunday Afternoon At Home)")

Tom Morley

Song Performer ("Napoli")

R Palmer

Song ("Hey Little School Girl")

Daniel Parker

Makeup Assistant

David Perry

Costume Designer

Chris Phillips

Song

Kieron Phipps

2nd Assistant Director

Amanda Pirie

Assistant (To Julien Temple)

Jenny Pollitt

Assistant (To Producers)

Ken Powell

Supervisor

Nik Powell

Executive Producer

Mike Proudfoot

Camera Operator

Colin Purbrook

Music Associate

Beatrice Reading

Song

Beatrice Reading

Song Performer ("Rock Baby Rock")

Stuart Rose

Art Direction

Barbara Rutter

Costume Designer Assistant

Daniel Secunda

Music Coordinator

Mary Selway

Casting

Jennifer Collen Smith

Unit Publicist

L Stabbins

Songs ("Killer Blow" "Rodrigo")

Oliver Stapleton

Director Of Photography

Adrian Start

Supervisor

Amy Stears

Assistant Editor

Joyce Stoneman

Wardrobe Supervisor

Kathy Sykes

Production Coordinator

Chris Taylo

Hairdresser Assistant

Tot Taylor

Song ("Selling Out")

Julien Temple

Songs ("Ted Ain'T Ded" "Selling Out" "Napoli")

Jonathan Thornton

Choreography Assistant

Sue Thornton

Dance Stage Manager Assistant

David Toguri

Choreography

Edward Tudor-pole

Song Performer ("Ted Ain'T Ded")

Edward Tudor-pole

Song

Richard Wagner

Music ("Wedding March" From Opera "Lohengrin")

Peter Walpole

Props Buyer

Paul Weller

Song (""Have You Ever Had It Blue")

Ken Wheatley

Art Direction

Derek Whorlow

Supervisor

Christopher Wicking

Screenwriter

Arthur Wicks

Property Master

Ray Williams

Executive Music Supervisor

David Wimbury

Associate Producer

Alan Winstanley

Music Producer

Alan Winstanley

Sound Recording Mixer

Alan Winstanley

Music Mixer

Joanne Woollard

Set Dresser

Stephen Woolley

Producer

J Young

Song ("My Mammy")

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Musical
Release Date
1986
Production Company
Camera Effects; Goldcrest; Goldcrest Films International; Palace Pictures; Peter Govey Film Opticals; Twickenham Film Studios; Twickenham Studios; Virgin Vision
Distribution Company
Orion Pictures; Orion Pictures; Palace Pictures
Location
London, England, United Kingdom

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 48m

Articles

Absolute Beginners (1986) - Absolute Beginners


A young photographer seeks media stardom to keep the love of a beautiful model.
Absolute Beginners (1986) - Absolute Beginners

Absolute Beginners (1986) - Absolute Beginners

A young photographer seeks media stardom to keep the love of a beautiful model.

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Spring April 18, 1986

System 35

Super Techniscope

Released in United States Spring April 18, 1986