The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle (1980): Cast & Plot
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle is a 1980 music documentary directed by Julien Temple, starring Malcolm McLaren as The Embezzler, Shinobu Kanai and Jean Warren. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 43m (103 min)
- Director
- Julien Temple
- Genres
- Music , Documentary , Comedy
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Boyd's Company
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle About?
The premise of The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The film offers a chaotic post‑breakup portrait of the Sex Pistols, presented as a documentary narrated by their manager Malcolm McLaren. He maintains—though widely disputed—that the band and the wider punk scene were an elaborate ruse he crafted to earn a million pounds, giving the story a self‑referential, provocative edge.
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle Themes & Keywords
· 22 tags- male nudity
- male frontal nudity
- male full frontal nudity
- pubic hair
- male pubic hair
- male explicit nudity
- male genitalia
- male objectification
- bathtub
- public nudity
- sex pistols
- punk
+10 more Show fewer
- british renaissance
- pirate
- female nudity
- nudity
- musical performance
- film in film
- satire
- music business
- rock music
- independent film
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle Cast & Characters
Malcolm McLaren leads the cast as The Embezzler, with Shinobu Kanai as Japanese Girl in Lonely Boy sequence (uncredited) and Jean Warren as Girl with ants on face (uncredited). Directed by Julien Temple; 37 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Julien Temple
- Malcolm McLaren as The Embezzler
- Shinobu Kanai as Japanese Girl in Lonely Boy sequence (uncredited)
- Jean Warren as Girl with ants on face (uncredited)
- Egbert Sen as Man with Case of Money (uncredited)
Also Starring in The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle
· 33 more- Steve Jones The Crook
- Mary Millington Mary, The Crook's girlfriend
- Irene Handl Cinema Usherette
- Liz Fraser Woman in Cinema
- John Snagge Cinema Newsreel Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
- Edward Tudor-Pole Tadpole (kiosk attendant)
- Ronald Biggs The Exile
- John Lydon The Collaborator
- Julian Holloway Man
- Jess Conrad Jess
- James Jeter Martin Bormann (uncredited)
- Sid Vicious The Gimmick
- Paul Cook The Tea-Maker
- Glen Matlock Ex-Pistol (uncredited)
- Johnny Shannon Nazi
- James Aubrey Record Executive
Show all 37 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Alan Jones Record Executive
- Ralph G. Morse Punk (uncredited)
- Peter Dean Nightclub Bouncer (uncredited)
- Helen Wellington-Lloyd Helen
- Nancy Spungen Nancy (uncredited)
- Pamela Rooke Girl wearing 'only anarchists are pretty shirt' (uncredited)
- Norman Gay Audience member (uncredited)
- Jordan Girl wearing 'only anarchists are pretty shirt' (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Debbie Wilson Girl in the chorus on the opening track (uncredited)
- Dave Dee Record Executive (uncredited)
- Debbie Juvenile Girl on the chorus at the opening track (uncredited)
- Faye Hart Secretary
- Judy Croll Catwoman (uncredited)
- Jerzimy French singer on the street (uncredited)
- Sophie Richmond McLaren's secretary (uncredited)
- Terrance Mustdoo Audience member (uncredited)
- Jill Searle The Gimmick's mom (uncredited)
More from Julien Temple
More films directed by Julien Temple, best-rated first: Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, The Filth and the Fury, Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten and London - The Modern Babylon.
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle Plot Summary
What happens in The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
This film offers a sly, stylised portrait of the Sex Pistols’ formation, rise, and breakup, drawn from the perspective of their self-styled manager and told through a sequence of sharp, self-contained set pieces. It opens with a bonfire of Sex Pistols merchandise, a provocative image that recurs as a through-line and backdrop for every volatile moment that follows. The Crook [Steve Jones] steps into the frame as a shady private investigator guiding us through a string of theatrical vignettes—each one peeling back the myth to reveal the messy truth behind the band’s ascent.
Full summary
The whole story of The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which punk band is the subject of The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle?
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle Also Known As
3 alternative titles, including “A Grande Trapaça do Rock & Roll” and “La grande truffa del rock'n'roll”.
- Also known as
-
- A Grande Trapaça do Rock & Roll
- La grande truffa del rock'n'roll
- 摇滚大骗局
Seen The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle?
Movies Like The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Cocksucker Blues, Mister Rock and Roll and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.
-
Cocksucker Blues 1972 -
Mister Rock and Roll 1957 -
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll 2010 -
Rock Star 2001 -
The London Rock and Roll Show 1973 -
The Rocker 2008 -
Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story 1999 -
Classic Albums: Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols 2002 -
Rock Around the Clock 1956 -
The Punk Rock Movie 1978 -
The Filth and the Fury 2000 -
Sex Pistols: Agents of Anarchy 2009
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle?
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).
When was The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle released?
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle was released on September 11, 1980.
Who directed The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle?
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle was directed by Julien Temple.
More films by Julien Temple Who is in the cast of The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle?
The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle stars Malcolm McLaren as The Embezzler, Shinobu Kanai as Japanese Girl in Lonely Boy sequence (uncredited) and Jean Warren as Girl with ants on face (uncredited), among 37 credited actors.
Does The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle have a post-credit scene?
No. The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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