Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire

Last updated

Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
BtKatGBV(NetworkDVD).jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Alan Clarke
Written by Trevor Preston
Produced bySimon Mallin
Starring Phil Daniels
Bruce Payne
Alun Armstrong
Don Henderson
Louise Gold
CinematographyClive Tickner
Edited byStephen Singleton
Music by George Fenton
Distributed by ITC Entertainment [1]
Release date
  • 9 May 1986 (1986-05-09)(UK) [2]
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£2.7 million [3]

Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire is a 1985 British independent musical fantasy horror comedy-drama sports film starring Phil Daniels and Alun Armstrong. The film was directed by Alan Clarke and written by Trevor Preston. The BFI has described it as "undoubtedly the only vampire snooker musical in cinema history". [4] The film is loosely based on the rivalry between the snooker players Ray Reardon and Jimmy White. [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Plot

Billy the Kid is a young, up-and-coming snooker player. His manager, T.O. (The One), a compulsive gambler, falls into debt with psychopathic loanshark the Wednesday Man, who offers to cancel T.O's debt if he can arrange a 17-frame grudge snooker match between Billy and the reigning world champion Maxwell Randall (popularly known as the Green Baize Vampire).

To ensure that both players will agree to the match, T.O hires a journalist, Miss Sullivan, to stir up trouble between them. She interviews Billy and the Vampire separately, asks them leading questions intended to elicit angry responses and provoke enmity, then prints the results. The match is set.

Unknown to T.O., the Wednesday Man has hidden motives regarding the match. The sinister loanshark has engineered a clause in the game's legal documentation to the effect that the loser will agree to never play professional snooker again. Though the Vampire is close to retirement, Billy is young, and such a clause—if he loses—would greatly disadvantage him. T.O. only agrees when the Wednesday Man suggests that the Vampire will "not be at his best"; a clear insinuation that he will be bribed, or threatened. It is only later that T.O. discovers that this is a lie and that the Wednesday Man is plotting with the Vampire, hates both him and Billy, and wishes to see them suffer.

The match goes very badly for Billy, but when T.O. finally confesses, during a break, of his underhand dealings with the Wednesday Man (and the Vampire himself) he manages to pull himself together and eventually win the match.

Cast

Songs

Production

The film was produced by Zenith Productions and released in the UK by ITC Entertainment. [8]

Casting

The casting of Phil Daniels and Alun Armstrong was confirmed in late February [9] and early March 1985. [10]

Filming

Although the original plan was for the film to be an all location street musical, ultimately it was filmed completely at Twickenham Studios in London. [11] Filming began in March 1985. [12]

Release

It was screened at the American Film Market in 1986 along with Robbery Under Arms and Blind Alley. [13]

Reception

Film critic, Geoff Andrew, has stated that the film is arguably Alan Clarke's "best". [14] Critic Michael Brooke stated that 'a critical and commercial failure that has since picked up a modest cult following, Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire undoubtedly deserves plaudits for sheer originality: for all its many faults, it was the first and will almost certainly remain the only vampire snooker musical ever made.' [15] Brooke also commented that 'the cast gave it their all' with 'Phil Daniels (then approaching the end of his surprisingly short-lived career as a major big-screen star) and Alun Armstrong' fleshing 'out the title characters with memorable vigour' and Bruce Payne giving the "stand out performance" in the film. [15] In Graeme Clark's view, the film is 'worth tracking down for its downright peculiarity'. [16] The Radio Times gave the film a score of 3 stars out of 5. [17] Nicolas Bonnes gave the film the same score. [18] Bonnes noted that the film is not a remake of the 1966 horror western film Billy the Kid Versus Dracula , rather it is given a contemporary setting in which director Alan Clarke opposes two very distinct worlds: the wealthy world whose representative is the vampire and the world of destitute and penniless proletarians, whose representative is Billy. [18] In his view, 'Clarke takes the opportunity to settle accounts with' the 'increasingly unequal society' of Thatcherite Britain. [18] Kevin Sturton also noted the 'political element' of the film 'with Maxwell representing the establishment and Billy the underclass'. [19] Beth Carroll noted that the film was not a financial success and lacked a clear audience. [20] John Pym has stated that the film is 'so utterly crazed in conception and so defiantly weird in execution that one can't help feeling a sneaking something for it'. [21] Marjorie Bilbow stated that Alan Clarke succeeded in 'establishing an ambience of seedy villainy: but the sardonic humour which enlivens the conflict between the snooker Establishment of Maxwell and his well-heeled cohorts and the upcoming Flash Harry of Billy gets lost in the cacophony of a book and lyrics too demandingly intelligent for instant acceptance'. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lew Grade</span> British media proprietor and impresario (1906–1998)

Lew Grade, Baron Grade, was a Russian-born British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 when he founded the Incorporated Television Company to distribute programmes, and following the success of The Adventures of Robin Hood decided to focus on bringing them to the American market. Grade had some success in this field with such series as Gerry Anderson's many Supermarionation series such as Thunderbirds, Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner, and Jim Henson's The Muppet Show. Later, Grade invested in feature film production, but several expensive box-office failures caused him to lose control of ITC, and ultimately resulted in the disestablishment of ATV after it lost its ITV franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell Caulfield</span> British actor

Maxwell Caulfield is a British actor. He has appeared in Grease 2 (1982), Electric Dreams (1984), The Boys Next Door (1985), The Supernaturals (1986), Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989), Waxwork 2 (1992), Gettysburg (1993), Empire Records (1995), The Real Blonde (1997), The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997), and in A Prince for Christmas (2015). In 2015, Caulfield toured Australia with his wife Juliet Mills and sister-in-law Hayley Mills in the comedy Legends! by Pulitzer Prize winner James Kirkwood. He voiced James Bond in the video game James Bond 007: Nightfire (2002). He most recently stars in the Netflix move The Merry Gentlemen (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pulman</span> English former professional snooker player, 8-time world champion (last 1968)

Herbert John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who was the World Snooker Champion from 1957 to 1968. He first won the title at the 1957 Championship and retained it across seven challenges from 1964 to 1968, three of them against Fred Davis and two against Rex Williams. When the tournament reverted to a knockout event in 1969, he lost 18–25 in the first round to the eventual champion John Spencer. After finishing as runner-up to Ray Reardon in 1970, Pulman never again reached the final, although he was a losing semi-finalist in 1977.

<i>Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)</i> British television series (1969–1970)

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Dennis Spooner and produced by Monty Berman, and was first broadcast in 1969 and 1970. In the United States, it was given the title My Partner the Ghost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Clarke</span> English director (1935–1990)

Alan John Clarke was an English television and film director, producer and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baize</span> Coarse woollen cloth, similar in texture to felt

Baize is a coarse woollen cloth, similar in texture to felt, but more durable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Daniels</span> English actor

Philip William Daniels is an English actor, musician and singer, most noted for film and television roles playing Londoners, such as the lead role of Jimmy Cooper in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Danny in Breaking Glass, Mark in Meantime, Billy Kid in Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks, and Grandad Trotter in the Only Fools and Horses prequel Rock & Chips. He is also known for featuring on Blur's 1994 hit single "Parklife".

<i>Lifeforce</i> (film) 1985 British science fiction horror film by Tobe Hooper

Lifeforce is a 1985 British science fiction horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, adapted by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby, and starring Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Mathilda May, and Patrick Stewart. Based on Colin Wilson's 1976 novel The Space Vampires, the film portrays the events that unfold after a trio of humanoids in a state of suspended animation are brought to Earth after being discovered in the hold of an alien space ship by the crew of a European Space Shuttle.

Bruce Martyn Payne is an English actor, producer, screenwriter, film director and theatre director. Payne is best known for portraying villains, such as Charles Rane in Passenger 57, Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame, and Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons and Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God.

<i>Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid</i> 1973 film by Sam Peckinpah

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is a 1973 American revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason Robards, Slim Pickens and Bob Dylan. The film is about an aging Pat Garrett (Coburn), hired as a lawman by a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid (Kristofferson).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alun Armstrong</span> English actor (born 1946)

Alan Armstrong, known professionally as Alun Armstrong, is an English character actor. He grew up in County Durham in North East England, and first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of characters from the grotesque to musicals... I always play very colourful characters, often a bit crazy, despotic, psychotic".

This is a summary of 1985 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

<i>Tentacles</i> (film) 1977 film by Ovidio G. Assonitis

Tentacles is a 1977 horror-thriller film directed by Ovidio G. Assonitis and starring John Huston, Shelley Winters, Bo Hopkins, Cesare Danova, Delia Boccardo and Henry Fonda.

<i>Call a Messenger</i> 1939 film by Arthur Lubin

Call a Messenger is a 1939 Universal Studios film that starred Billy Halop and Huntz Hall of the Dead End Kids and several of the Little Tough Guys. It was directed by Arthur Lubin.

Zenith Productions was a British independent film and television production company. Zenith created content for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and UKTV, including a number of series such as Inspector Morse for ITV and Byker Grove and Hamish Macbeth for the BBC. Through its subsidiary Blaze Television, Zenith produced the Saturday morning series SMTV Live and CD:UK for ITV featuring Ant & Dec. The company ceased trading in 2006.

Geoff Foulds is an English former professional snooker player. He is the father of fellow professional snooker player Neal Foulds.

Trevor Preston (1938–2018) was a British screenwriter. He wrote the series Out and created the series Ace of Wands. He also wrote a 1976 TV movie adaptation of James and the Giant Peach. in 1981 he received the Bafta Television Writers' Award for the TV series Fox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eve Ferret</span> British actress, comedian and singer-songwriter

Eve Ferret is a British actress, comedian, and singer-songwriter known for her work on the films Haunted Honeymoon (1986), Absolute Beginners (1986), and EastEnders (2019).

References

  1. ↑ Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire company credits at The New York Times
  2. ↑ Al Clark (editor), The Film Yearbook Volume 5, Virgin Books, London 1986
  3. ↑ "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 19.
  4. ↑ "Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire". BFI Player. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  5. ↑ Jolliffe, Tom. "Let's Get Weird! Cinematic Oddities". Flickering Myth. Retrieved 13 April 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ Kelly, Richard T. (2011). Alan Clarke. Faber & Faber. ISBN   9780571278862 . Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  7. ↑ Bilbow, Marjorie (6 April 1985). "Director Clarke praises Zenith, ITC for help on 'Billy The Kid' shoot". Screen International (491 ed.). p. 22.
  8. ↑ "Zenith at Cannes as the newest UK film, TV production company". Screen International (495 ed.). 4 May 1985. p. 128.
  9. ↑ "Set 'Billy' Topliners". Variety (318(5) ed.). 27 February 1985. p. 43.
  10. ↑ "'Billy The Kid' cast named". Screen International (486 ed.). 2 March 1985. p. 2.
  11. ↑ "Zenith's 'Baize Vampire' Rolling at Twickenham Under Director Clarke". Variety (318(11) ed.). 10 April 1985. p. 44.
  12. ↑ "Cameras roll on 'Baize Vampire'". Screen International (487 ed.). 9 March 1985. p. 201.
  13. ↑ "Green Baize Vampire leads three screenings for ITC". Screen International (536 ed.). 22 February 1986. p. 210.
  14. ↑ Andrew, Geoff (2001). Film: the critics' choice : 150 masterpieces of world cinema selected and defined by the experts. Billboard Books. ISBN   9780823017447 . Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  15. 1 2 Brooke, Michael. "BFI Screenonline: Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire (1985)". Screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  16. ↑ Clark, Graeme. "Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire". thespinningimage.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  17. ↑ "Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire". Radio Times . Retrieved 22 October 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. 1 2 3 Bonnes, Nicolas (8 September 2014). "When Thatcher had fangs". avoir-alire.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  19. ↑ Sturton, Kevin (15 March 2012). "Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire- Underrated". ascunnerdarkly.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  20. ↑ Carroll, Beth (2016). Feeling Film: A Spatial Approach. Palgrave. ISBN   9781137539366 . Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  21. ↑ Pym, John (2004). Time Out Film Guide. Time Out. ISBN   9781904978213 . Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  22. ↑ Bilbow, Marjorie (24 May 1986). "Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire". Screen International (549 ed.). p. 20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.