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Honky Tonk Filmmaking

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EMI Films and the Limits of British Cinema
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Abstract

This chapter charts EMI’s withdrawal from big-budget Hollywood filmmaking in the wake of two critical and commercial disasters, Can’t Stop the Music and Honky Tonk Freeway, the latter of which lost the company over $20 million. Using documents from the BBFC and the private papers of some of the key directors and producers during this period, the chapter analyses the various problems faced by the company until its eventual takeover by Thorn.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Walker, A. (1986), National Heroes, London: Harrap, 1986, p. 194.

  2. 2.

    Chapman, J. (2008). ‘From Amicus to Atlantis: The lost worlds of 1970s British cinema’, in Shail, Robert (ed.) Seventies British Cinema. London: Palgrave, p. 61.

  3. 3.

    Sweeney! (26 March 1976). London: BBFC.

  4. 4.

    Letter from Euston films to the BBFC (3 November 1977). London: BBFC.

  5. 5.

    Letter from the BBFC to Euston films (14 November 1977). London: BBFC.

  6. 6.

    Sweeney 2 (Undated, c. 1978). London: BBFC.

  7. 7.

    Deeley, M. (2008), p. 139.

  8. 8.

    Deeley, M. (2008), pp. 139–140.

  9. 9.

    Walker, J. (1985). The Once and Future Film, London: Methuen, p. 83.

  10. 10.

    Deeley, M. (2008), p. 143.

  11. 11.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 196.

  12. 12.

    Deeley, M. (2008), p. 183.

  13. 13.

    Harper, S. and Smith, J. (2012), ‘Key Players’, in Sue Harper and Justin Smith (eds.) British Film Culture in the 1970s: The Boundaries of Pleasure. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 119.

  14. 14.

    Deeley, M. (2008), p. 185.

  15. 15.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 199–201.

  16. 16.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 201.

  17. 17.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 280.

  18. 18.

    Minutes of EMI meeting (15 January 1981). Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  19. 19.

    Delfont, B. (1990). East End, West End, London: Macmillan, p. 195.

  20. 20.

    Grade, L. (1987). Still Dancing: My Story. London: William Collins & Sons, p 252.

  21. 21.

    Delfont, B. (1990), p. 210.

  22. 22.

    Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), London: BBFC.

  23. 23.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 163.

  24. 24.

    Although there is some dispute about the provenance of the story idea, with the film’s screenwriter, Ed Clinton, also making a claim for being the author of the original concept.

  25. 25.

    Boyd, D. Undated press cutting. John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  26. 26.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 159.

  27. 27.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 159.

  28. 28.

    Walker, J. (1985), p. 142.

  29. 29.

    Letter from Michael Relph to John Schlesinger (27 November 1978). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  30. 30.

    Letter from John Schlesinger to Michael Oliver (5 December 1978). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  31. 31.

    Letter from John Schlesinger to Michael Oliver (5 December 1978). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  32. 32.

    Undated first draft script, John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI, p. 42.

  33. 33.

    Undated first draft script, pp. 85–86.

  34. 34.

    Shooting script (24 December 1979). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  35. 35.

    Undated letter to Don Boyd. Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  36. 36.

    Letter from Jim Clark to John Schlesinger (8 September 1979).

  37. 37.

    Letter from Jim Clark to John Schlesinger (8 September 1979).

  38. 38.

    Letter from John Schlesinger to Ed Clinton (8 February 1979). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  39. 39.

    Letter from Ed Clinton to John Schlesinger (3 February 1979). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  40. 40.

    Letter from Ed Clinton to John Schlesinger (Undated). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  41. 41.

    Letter from John Schlesinger to Ed Clinton (Undated). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  42. 42.

    Hume Cronyn to John Schlesinger (1 October 1979). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  43. 43.

    Craven R. (Undated circa February 1979). Honky Tonk Freeway Report of Production Recce. Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  44. 44.

    Letter from Don Boyd to Brecher and Co (8 February 1980). Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  45. 45.

    Honky Tonk Freeway budget statement (22 August 1980). Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  46. 46.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 162.

  47. 47.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 162.

  48. 48.

    Letter from Bob Mercer to John Schlesinger (21 October 1980). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  49. 49.

    Telegram from Don Boyd to John Schlesinger (Undated). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  50. 50.

    Telegram from Barry Spikings to John Schlesinger (Undated). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  51. 51.

    Letter from Barry Spikings to John Schlesinger (21 October 1980). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  52. 52.

    Letter from Michael Maslansky to John Schelsinger (1 September 1981). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  53. 53.

    Honky Tonk Freeway (22 July 1981). London: BBFC.

  54. 54.

    Letter from Don Boyd to Barry Spikings (4 June 1981). Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  55. 55.

    Reed, R. (15 July 1981). ‘“Honky Tonk Freeway” Artistic Comedy’, The Daily News. Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  56. 56.

    Christ, J. (September 1981). ‘Honky Tonk Freeway’, Saturday Review. John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  57. 57.

    Williamson, B. (October, 1981). ‘Honky Tonk Freeway.’ Playboy. John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  58. 58.

    Knight, A. (20 August 1981). ‘Honky Tonk Freeway.’ The Hollywood Reporter. John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  59. 59.

    Benson, S. (21 August 1981). ‘Honky Tonk Freeway.’ The LA Times. John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  60. 60.

    Norman, B. (19 October 1981). ‘Honky Tonk Freeway.’ Radio Times. John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  61. 61.

    Memorandum from Jack Box to William Soady (8 July 1981). Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  62. 62.

    Memorandum from Jack Box to William Soady (8 July 1981). Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  63. 63.

    Leach, F. (25 March 1983). Honky Tonk Freeway Financial Statement. Don Boyd Collection. Exeter: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

  64. 64.

    Letter from Michael Maslansky to John Schlesinger (1 September 1981). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  65. 65.

    Letter from Bob Mercer to John Schlesinger (3 September 1981). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  66. 66.

    Letter from John Schlesinger to Bob Mercer (9 September 1981). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  67. 67.

    Walker, A. (1986), p. 164.

  68. 68.

    Letter from Michael Bromhead to Don Boyd (3 February 1983). John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  69. 69.

    Walker, J. (1985), p. 142.

  70. 70.

    Walker, A. (4 January 1983), ‘EMI’s film chief quits’. Evening Standard. John Schlesinger Collection. London: BFI.

  71. 71.

    EMI Exhibition Accounts, 1977–1983 (1983). London: BFI.

  72. 72.

    Park, J., British Cinema: The Lights That Failed. London: BT Batsford, p. 135.

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Moody, P. (2018). Honky Tonk Filmmaking. In: EMI Films and the Limits of British Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94803-4_9

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