That’ll Be the Day – a film shot on location on the Isle of Wight starring David Essex, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Billy Fury – premiered in London 50 years ago today (12th April 1973).
The film tells the story of British teenager Jim MacLaine (David Essex), who rejects society’s conventions and pursues a hedonistic and sexually loose lifestyle. The cast featured several prominent musicians who had lived through the era portrayed (the late 1950s and early 1960s), including Ringo Starr, Billy Fury and Keith Moon.
In early 1940s England, young child Jim MacLaine, lives with his mother Mary and his grandfather. Jim’s seaman father returns, spends time with him, and works in the family’s grocery shop. However, Jim’s father finds himself unable to settle down, and soon leaves again for good, abandoning his wife and son. Mary continues to run the shop and raise Jim on her own.
The area in which the MacLaine family lived was shot on location at Meaders Road Ryde:
In the late 1950s. Jim has become a very bright but bored schoolboy in his final year at the local secondary school. Jim’s mother plans that he will do well on his final exams, qualify for university, and have many opportunities open to him.
Jim is far less enthusiastic about continuing his education, and prefers drawing, writing poetry, listening to rock n’ roll music, and pursuing girls – unsuccessfully.
Instead of going with his friend Terry to take his exams, Jim runs away to the coast to work as a deckchair attendant, disappointing and upsetting his mother. He moves on to a barman job at a holiday camp, where he befriends the experienced barman Mike.
Mike helps Jim hook up with willing women for his first sexual experiences. Jim is also drawn to the music and lifestyle of the resident singer, Stormy Tempest and his drummer, J.D. Clover.
Stormy Tempest (Billy Fury) and J.D. Clover (Keith Moon) at Shanklin Theatre:
Mike and Jim next get jobs at a funfair, supplementing their meagre pay by short-changing the customers. Jim quickly becomes a heartless fairground Romeo, having one-nighters with a wide variety of women.
Jim decides to return home after two years, finding his resentful mother struggling to run the grocery shop and care for her father, now an invalid. Jim helps his mother with the shop and starts dating his friend Terry’s sister Jeanette over the objections of her mother and Terry.
These are only a selection of the scenes shot on the Isle of Wight. Further locations include Wootton Bridge (where the fairground was set) and Vectis Hall, Melville Street Ryde (dancing scenes).
Director Claude Whatham said of the film:
“Filming was done on the Isle of Wight because the area still had a late 1950s look in the early 1970s.”
It is still possible to play on the crazy golf course used in the film, apparently. The course has been relocated to Rylestone Gardens, Shanklin.
If anyone knows anything further about locations in the Isle of Wight used in That’ll Be the Day, please let us know in the comments…
A great film, such a shame the new owners of Rylestone have changed
the crazy golf from the previous owners, it is now slightly different to that used
In the film.
I love the scene on Shanklin Pier when David Essex is drunk.
Shanklin seafront / sandown . Old ventnor cinema,monkton st Ryde,
Always found this film sleazy and depressing. Not great.
The roller skating scenes were filmed at Brambles Chine Holiday camp in the now demolished club house
cafe scene shot in cross street Ryde.
He was (in the film’ living in the fruit and veg shop called’Junes’ in st Johns Hill Ryde.
June looked like the guitar player in Slade !
Yes, June Abraham and her Dad, Mr Price, owned the shop. I remember the filming very well. I recall many ‘locals’ from Meaders Road and St. Johns Wood Road would hover during filming, hoping they would get into a shot.
I walked to school past that shop each day, and a little rounded boundary stone, just past the shop against the wall above the river always fascinated me there as a dog would always do a ‘pile’ on the top of that stone.
Amazing how easily we were amused with smart phones back then!
I wonder if it is still there, ‘the stone’ not the pile!
Any idea when the grocery shop closed down, or did another business take over.The film was shot in 1972, although it has a release date of1973.
I used to live in at puckpool in the same row of chalets used; n the film. Sadly all demolished now. And it was just as mental as it was in the film.
“Filming was done on the Isle of Wight because the area still had a late 1950s”
And it still does.
Imagine bumping into Keith Moon!
Whoever did were very lucky indeed.
Stormy Tempest was played by Billy Fury not Adam Faith
They filmed a scene at the old Rex Cinema in Ventnor. My dad who managed the island cinemas and the projectionist appear walking briefly in front of the cinema in the establishing shot because the director felt their clothes resembled 1950s garb!
I thought they also used Ventnor Winter Gardens?
Also filming was shot at green lane Shanklin, near the gasworks no longer there, and Shanklin railway station, plus they all stayed at Shanklin hotel, Keith Moon didn’t trash the hotel lol.
Shut up Jim boon who cares