That'll Be the Day (1973)

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Long before Grease was even thought of, the British came out with That'll Be The Day, the story of a young man (David Essex) growing up in the dreary working-class world of Britain who comes of age and finds his proper outlet in the first outgrowths of the rock-and-roll world in Britain. This film… More Long before Grease was even thought of, the British came out with That'll Be The Day, the story of a young man (David Essex) growing up in the dreary working-class world of Britain who comes of age and finds his proper outlet in the first outgrowths of the rock-and-roll world in Britain. This film and its accompanying album were extremely successful in Britain. Along with an excellent (and nostalgic) soundtrack, it features acting performances by rockers David Essex, Billy Fury, Keith Moon and Ringo Starr. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Claude Whatham
Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics

In Theaters: Oct 29, 1973 Wide
On DVD: Nov 28, 2000

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Cindy I

Very similar to Quadrophenia (which I coincidentally saw right before this), but with a not quite so angry a tone. David Essex (of "Rock On" fame) plays Jimmy, a rather lost young man who has a dream of being a rock star in late 1950's Britain. He drops out of school to… More
Very similar to Quadrophenia (which I coincidentally saw right before this), but with a not quite so angry a tone. David Essex (of "Rock On" fame) plays Jimmy, a rather lost young man who has a dream of being a rock star in late 1950's Britain. He drops out of school to realize his dream, but finds out it's not nearly as simple as he anticipated. Ringo Starr -- yes, THAT Ringo -- has a nice role as Mike, Jimmy's carnival worker friend. He has a funny scene regarding a tattoo in a rather private place. Essex does a pretty good job in this film, although you don't find yourself really rooting for his success because he does a few things that make you want to punch him. The soundtrack is outstanding -- every great 50's hit you ever heard on those Time-Life CD commercials is here. Plus you get a taste of Keith Moon's drumwork. He plays the drummer -- yeah, I know, quite a stretch -- in a band called Stormy Tempest, who's lead singer is early Brit rocker Billy Fury. All in all, worth a nostalgic look. I'm told there's a sequel, called Stardust.