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1980 film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
McVicar is a British drama film released in 1980 by The Who Films, Ltd., starring Roger Daltrey of the Who playing the 1960s armed robber and later writer John McVicar.
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| McVicar | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | Tom Clegg |
| Written by | John McVicar Tom Clegg |
| Produced by | Roy Baird Bill Curbishley Roger Daltrey |
| Starring | Roger Daltrey Adam Faith Cheryl Campbell |
| Edited by | Peter Boyle |
| Music by | Roger Daltrey Various Artists |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Brent Walker Film Distributors Ltd. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £717,786 (UK rentals)[1] |
The film was directed by Tom Clegg, and was based on the non-fiction book McVicar by Himself, which McVicar wrote to describe several months of his experiences in prison. Bill Curbishley and Roy Baird acted as producers, and the film received a nomination in 1981 for Best Picture at MystFest, the International Mystery Film Festival of Cattolica.
The film is set in two halves, the first in Durham prison and the second half while McVicar is on the run in London. The first half of the film focuses on relations between the prison officers and inmates and also McVicar's plotting and eventual prison escape.
The latter half of the film is set in London after McVicar has escaped from Durham. Here he re-establishes relationships with his wife and young son and he eventually decides to try to escape from his life of crime by trying to fund a new life in Canada.
Eventually, however, McVicar is forced to fund his family's relocation plan by returning to crime. Soon the Metropolitan Police are hard on his heels and he is eventually recaptured when one of his colleagues in the crime world informs the police officer in charge of McVicar's recapture of his whereabouts.
McVicar is returned to prison and his sentence is increased, but during this time he studies for a BSc in sociology and he is eventually released.
The film had its premiere at the Rialto cinema in Leicester Square in London on 27 August 1980. It also opened the following day in three other London cinemas and grossed £29,133 in its opening week, placing second in London.[2]
The film's soundtrack, a Roger Daltrey solo album, was released as McVicar and featured contributions by the other three extant members of The Who, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Kenney Jones, along with other musicians. The music was conducted by Jeff Wayne. The songs are:
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] | 87 |
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