BILLY LIAR - Julie Christie - Richard Rodney Bennett

Billy Liar (1963), is a comedy drama directed by John Schlesinger from a Keith Waterhouse-Willis Hall stage play. Billy Fisher (Tom Courtenay) lives with his parents and works for humourless undertaker boss Shadrack (Leonard Rossiter). He often escapes from his mundane existence into the neverland of Ambrosia. Also, to alleviate the spirit-crushing tedium of his rigidly confined life he constructs an elaborate web of lies. His runaway mouth has also got him engaged to three different women: homely Barbara, (Helen Fraser) shrewish Rita (Gwendolyn Watts) and the free spirited Liz, (Julie Christie - in one of her first film roles). Furthermore, he also dreams of escaping life in his northern town (filmed in Bradford, Baildon and Leeds) in the hope that he might sell a script to pitiful comedian Danny Boon (Leslie Randall) and move to London.

Following this film adaptation, Billy Liar was transformed into a stage musical, and later resurfaced as a British TV series.

Trivia:
The director has an uncredited part as an officer in one of Billy's dreams.
The line "Borstal, here we come" was appropriated by The Smiths for their album 'Strangeways Here We Come'.
The line "A man can lose himself in London" was sampled by St Etienne on their album 'So Tough'.
Ride named the track 'Twisterella' after the dance hall number composed by Billy Fisher, and Yo La Tengo titled their track 'Tom Courtenay' in honour of the film's star.
"Twisterella" is sung in the film by Muriel Day.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Tom-Courtenay
• Julie-Christie
• Wilfred-Pickles
• Mona-Washbourne
• Ethel-Griffies
• Finlay-Currie
• Leonard-Rossiter
• Fraser
• Rodney-Bewes
• Leslie-Randall

[Eddy1340]

My father was the driver of the wool lorry owned by J. Ormondroyd & Co based in Nelson Street, Bradford. His wagon was picked out as one of the best kept in the region - he always said that it was his 'home' for 8 hours per day and he kept it cleaned out and polished weekly....believe it or not, but he used to bring it home to clean and polish it and I used to help him as a kid.

[Soundtrackcollector]

Excellent and unique comment.

Thanks for sharing this info.

[Soundtrackcollector]

Excellent and unique comment.

Thanks for sharing this info with us Eddie.

[directorient]

Does somebody know the name of the actor behind the window between 1:30 and 1:50?

[Soundtrackcollector]

@directorient actor in record shop David Scase.

[countingmx]

I had the good luck of catching this flick on the big screen back in the '80s. Thanks for the souvenir. Julie Christie is not only beautiful; she's natural and refreshing. (PS -- don't you want to smack that "It's all happening!" dude?)

[Soundtrackcollector]

Thanks for your comment.

The comedian openining the new supermarket, Danny Boon (Leslie Randall), always reminds me of a younger 'Bruce Forsyth' with his large number of catchphrases - trying to gain a wider audience.

[xwsftassell]

Nice. God I still really fancy Julie Christie.

Interested fact: The chick miming to the song "Twisterella" in this film is no less a personage than Muriel Day, later of Northern Soul "Nine Times Out of Ten" fame.

[ferocel]

The 'It's all happening!' geezer was my dad's best man at his second marriage. Met him a few times. Funny bloke.

[unclealand]

Even old lady Pauline Kael finally succumbed to the awesome beauty and talent of Julie Christie.

[jamiefrew]

i wonder if you'd be able to get a film still big enough to make a poster of Billy with the gun at breakfast! i'd love that!

[MrBillies12]

this is one of my fave scenes ever in a film - Christie skipping and swinging that groovy bag! what a great feeling...

[dirkbrad]

Classic.....funny how the centre of Bradford has a new hole in the ground to replace the one back in '63!

[KingofCrimeRequiem]

Anyone know the song starting at 2 mins in?

[potcock777]

where can you buy the tv episodes any one know?

[dirtydonki]

In my mind the most beautiful woman in my lifetime.

[elainebmack]

I enjoy the British films from the 50s and 60s. I guess because of the strong tradition of acting and the theater in that country, their movies were always so well done.

[leopictor]

I'm looking for the scene where Counsellor Ducksbury appears and there is a suggestion of "Lead Kindly Light." in the music.