Quadrophenia

Factual error: In the Brighton street scenes the parading air cadets are wearing service issue pullovers. These were not introduced as part of the uniform until the mid seventies. During the sixties air cadets would have been wearing battledress tunics.

Factual error: There is a view from Phil Daniels window where a High Speed Train (first operated in about 1975) goes past - the film is set in mid 1960s.

Factual error: In the scene where jimmy visits Pete at his breakers' yard, the grafitto 'NF' can be seen scrawled on the corrugated fence. NF stands for 'National Front', a far right political party with racist agenda that wasn't formed until 1967.

Factual error: Routemaster buses have the late 1970s white London Transport logo, not the gold lettering they should have for the mid 1960s when the film is set.

Factual error: When Jimmy gives Steph a lift home from work on the back of his scooter, they pass a Mk3 Ford Cortina & Renault 5. These were not produced until the mid-seventies.

Factual error: The police vans used in the riot scene are Austin-Morris J4 models, with B registrations, dating them to 1964. The Austin-Morris badge on the front of these vans was only fitted to vans made between 1971-1975. If it is a 1964 van the badge on the front should read Morris Commercial.

Factual error: The bikes are all wrong. Rockers at that time went in for the 'Cafe Racer' style with clip-on handle bars, rear set footrests, bum stops etc. The bikes in the shots en route to Brighton had high bars; five years too early.

Factual error: This error occurs throughout the film, but is most noticeable in the sequence where the mods have arrived at Brighton, and Jimmy & Steph are walking along with the scooters parked behind them. One can see Lambretta models that are yet to be produced. There is an abundance of SX and GP models. SX's were not produced until 1966 and GP's were not seen until 1969. Look carefully and one can see an Indian produced GP that didn't reach the UK until 1970.

Factual error: During the party scene, as Jimmy changes the record that's playing to My Generation, a copy of The Who Sell Out can be seen in the background. This LP wasn't released until 2 years after Quadrophenia was set, in 1967. The actual version shown is an early 1970s re-issue, so it's actually around 10 years too early.

Factual error: Time travel abounds! As the Air Cadets are seen parading along the seafront they pass a cinema which is showing the mid 70's movie "Heaven Can Wait".

Factual error: When Leslie Ash is at the checkout she has to check a Cadbury's drinking chocolate tin but it is the wrong aged tin - a 1970's one not 1960's.

Factual error: The station scene shows a Class 50 Locomotive which did not work from Victoria. Looks more like Paddington Station. Victoria is the main station for the Brighton line.

Factual error: In the scene where Jimmy and Steph are outside the cafe following the fight, the police arrive and they both run away. A modern pedestrian crossing button can be seen.

Squonk

More mistakes in Quadrophenia

Steph: Going to be one of the faces?
Jimmy: What do you mean going to be? I AM one of the faces.

More quotes from Quadrophenia

Trivia: Michael Elphick and Phil Daniels play father and son in this film. In real life, Elphick was only twelve years older than Daniels.

More trivia for Quadrophenia

Question: Was Steph, played by Leslie Ash, supposed to be a mod girl or just a girl who hung around with with mods?because her clothes which was mainly dresses and skirts and a leather coat wasn't really mod girl clothes, her hair was long and in no particular style and wore very little eye make up.A classic mod girl would would have worn ski pants, have a short hairstyle like a bob and would wear dark eye make up like other girls in the film.

Answer: Your description of "Mod" is too limited. It included a wider range of fashion styles beyond what you've described and included mini-skirts, geometric-patterned dresses, casual hip-hugger pants, leather coats and jackets, and so on. The same with hairstyles which varied from short, angular bobs, to beehives, and long tresses with feathered bangs. The "natural" look was also in style then, along with the more extreme make-up type. Steph certainly fit into the overall Mod style and culture.

raywest

More questions & answers from Quadrophenia

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