The Guardian UK reported today that there was almost a version of A Clockwork Orange that starred Mick Jagger, with a soundtrack by the Beatles!
In a letter uncovered this week, we learn of the Clockwork Orange conceived back before Stanley Kubrick came on board and made his film with Malcolm McDowell. It reveals that Mick Jagger wanted to play the psychotic thug Alex, while the Beatles were interested in providing the soundtrack.
In the letter, executive producer Si Litvinoff tells John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man), who was considering directing the movie: “After you’ve read the script and novel I’m sure you will see the incredible potential we all see in this project.
“This film should break ground in its language, cinematic style and soundtrack. [And] the Beatles love the project.”
One might wonder at how cool that movie would have been, though I doubt even the Beatles and Mick could have beaten Kubrick’s incredible version. Still, perhaps they could have given Warhol a run for his money–his adaptation of the novel, renamed Vinyl, is considerably shorter and has the production values you’d expect from an early Warhol film (I still dig it, though):
P.S. Thanks to DJ Algonquin for the heads up!
Although the image of Malcolm McDowell as Alex with his one great eyelash, sipping drug-laced milk at the Korova is iconic and made quite an impact on my junior high brain, I don’t think “A Clockwork Orange” is one of Kubrick’s best efforts. After reading the book in college I realized all of the great places the film could’ve ventured but didn’t. It makes me sick that the Mick Jagger/Beatles/Schlesinger version never came to fruition!