Cast & Crew

Cast (mostly in order of appearance, playing themselves):

Janet Neville-Ferguson
Miss Lucy
FZ
Jimmy Carl Black
Ian Underwood
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Art Tripp
Mark Volman
Howard Kaylan
Jeff Simmons
Aynsley Dunbar
Moon Unit Zappa
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Martin Lickert
Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood
Bunk Gardner
Dick Barber
Gail Zappa
Roy Estrada
Don Preston
Tony Palmer
Keith Moon
Jerry Good
Roelof Kiers
David Van Asch
Phyllis Bryn-Julson
Ringo Starr
George Duke
Ruth Underwood
Theodore Bikel
Brena
Peter Bos
Phyllis Altenhaus
Napoleon Murphy Brock
Bruce Fowler
Tom Fowler
Ralph Humphrey
Chester Thompson
Steve Vai
Warren Cuccurullo
Al Malkin
Ike Willis
Jeff Hollie
Pamela Miller
Elgar Howarth
Dweezil Zappa
Dick Kunc

Credits:

Roelof Kiers—director of the original documentary
Peter Bos—photography of the original documentary

Written, produced & directed by FZ
Edited by Raymond Bush and Booey Kober
Associate producer: Jill Silverthorne

Audio: Bob Stone
Assistant: Arthur Sloatman

Additional Photography:
Haskell Wexler ("Uncle Meat")
Hermann Jauk (Vienna)
Barry Feinstein (Roxy)
P.M. Magazine (video interview)

 

Release Information

1989
Barfko-Swill/MPI #MP 4003
(VHS PAL and NTSC)

Video was packaged with Honker "No-D" Glasses (source: Ulrich)

From: Patrick Neve

It was brought to my attention that a laserdisc of this title was advertised as "for sale" by video dealers www.facets.org. Jim, my informant, recieved a print catalog with this listing. Searching their website came up with the following info:

True Story of 200 Motels

A one-hour documentary on the making of Frank Zappa's bizarre 1971 comic musical. Vintage private footage from Frank's personal archives plus behind-the-scenes of the actual shooting and recording. With Ringo Starr, Theodore Bikel, Keith Moon and such songs as "Sleeping in a Jar," and "Strictly Genteel." The inside history of the first feature-length film to be shot on video in 6 days. 60 mins.

Item# LD: LD70196
Price $39.98
Qty To Order
OUT OF STOCK TEMPORARILY- Expected to ship within 4 weeks.

My informant's print catalog had no indication that it was out of stock, it was listed as a regular item. I called the company, and after speaking with a few different reps I got the information that their last order for the item was from MPI in 1995, and that they had never recieved a copy of it. Furthermore it was one Facets rep's opinion that the title had been announced to vendors, with a catalog number and everything, but that for some reason distribution was cancelled at the last minute.

 

Notes & Comments

From: Richard Fox

A 1 hour look at how 200 Motels was made. It is very informative and includes outtakes from the movie plus a look at the filming of the movie. There are interviews and also some live concert footage from 1970 and 1973 (Dummy Up from Roxy and Elsewhere!!!). It was released in 1989 and is a nice little look at what making 200 Motels was like.

"Jeff's wife Breena"

Charles Ulrich, May 23, 2014

It had occurred to me that his wife's name might be short for Sabrina, and thus spelled Brina. So I asked Jeff.

It turns out that it's actually Brena. Apparently she had dropped the d from Brenda.

David Alexander, Assistant Director

 

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IAN UNDERWOOD MOTORHEAD SHERWOOD & DICK KUNC In an out-take from "UNCLE MEAT"

Locations, Cast & Music

Time	Location	Cast	Notes	Music
00:00-00:02	Pinewood Studios		FZf200M
00:02-00:13	Pinewood Studios	Miss Janet, Miss Lucy; David Alexander (assistant director)	FZf200M
00:11-00:54	Zappa House	FZ (shirtless)	FZVPRO	Overture (Bogus Pomp, LSO, 1983)
00:53-01:20	Pinewood Studios	orchestra, chorus
01:20-01:53	Royal Festival Hall, 1968	JCB, Ian Underwood	UM	Progress? (1968)
01:52-05:58	Fillmore West	MOI	FZVPRO	Do You Like My New Car? (1970)
05:58-06:24	Pinewood Studios (rehearsals)	Howard, Mark, Martin Lickert, FZ	FZf200M	Centerville (Bogus Pomp, LSO, 1983)
06:24-08:06				Do You Like My New Car? (1971)
08:06-10:22	Royal Festival Hall, 1968	Motorhead, Ian, Bunk, FZ		Progress?/Like It Or Not (1968)
10:22-11:42	Vienna, Austria, 1968	FZ, Gail; JCB, Motorhead; Roy, Don Preston, Bunk, Ian, Art Tripp
11:42-11:59	Royal Festival Hall, 1968	Art Tripp
11:59-12:30	Los Angeles, 1982	FZ
12:30-13:40	Editing room, London	Tony Palmer, etc.
13:40-14:29	Pinewood Studios	Tony Palmer	FZf200M
14:29-15:00	Pinewood Studios	FZ, Keith Moon, Janet, Lucy, Tony Palmer	FZf200M
15:00-15:25	Pinewood Studios	Tony Palmer	FZf200M
15:25-15:58	Pinewood Studios	Jerry Good	FZf200M
15:58-16:16	Zappa House	FZ	FZVPRO
16:16-16:21	Airplane	FZ	FZVPRO	Sleeping In A Jar (Playground Psychotics, 1971)
16:21-16:31	NYC streets	FZ	FZVPRO
16:31-16:58	Fillmore West	MOI	FZVPRO
16:41-16:58	Pinewood Studios (rehearsals)	FZ, Dick Barber
16:58-17:06	Airport (outside)	FZ, Aynsley Dunbar
16:58-17:06	Zappa house (piano room)	FZ (shirtless)
17:06-17:21	Zappa house	FZ
17:06-17:10	Airplane	Howard, Jeff, Mark
17:10-17:14	Airport (boarding)	FZ (red jacket)
17:14-17:21	Airport (corridor)	FZ, Mark
17:21-17:29	Fillmore West	MOI	FZVPRO
17:21-18:03	Pinewood Studios (rehearsals)	FZ, Dick Barber, Motorhead
17:29-17:46	Car	FZ (red jacket)
17:48-18:03	Pinewood Studios	Jerry Good; Tony Palmer	FZf200M
18:03-18:30	Pinewood Studios (rehearsals)	FZ, Dick Barber, Motorhead		Touring Can Make You Crazy (Bogus Pomp, LSO, 1983)
18:29-19:37	Zappa house (piano room)	FZ (shirtless)
19:36-20:19	Pinewood Studios (rehearsals)	Orchestra, chorus		The Pleated Gazelle (1971)
20:18-21:25	Zappa house (piano room)	FZ (shirtless)
21:25-21:46	Pinewood Studios (rehearsals)	Orchestra, chorus		The Pleated Gazelle (1971)
21:45-22:14	Zappa house (piano room)	FZ (shirtless)		Progress? (Prologue) (Bogus Pomp, LSO, 1983)
22:14-23:07	Los Angeles, 1982	FZ
23:07-23:22	Pinewood Studios	Orchestra; David Alexander	FZf200M	Dance Of The Rock & Roll Interviewers (200 Motels, 1971)
23:22-23:46	Pinewood Studios (fake motel room)	MOI	FZf200M	Mystery Roach (1971)
23:44-24:04	Los Angeles, 1982	FZ
24:04-24:08	Pinewood Studios (fake motel room)	MOI	FZf200M
24:08-24:38	Pinewood Studios	Howard Kaylan	FZf200M
24:38-25:15	Pinewood Studios (fake motel room)	MOI	FZf200M
25:15-25:42	Pinewood Studios	FZ	FZf200M
25:42-26:02	Fillmore West (backstage)	Aynsley, girl, FZ, etc.	FZVPRO
26:02-23:12	Pinewood Studios	FZ	FZf200M
26:12-27:14	Pinewood Studios	Lucy, Dick Barber	FZf200M	Centerville (Bogus Pomp, LSO, 1983)
26:55-27:22	Zappa house	FZ (shirtless), Lucy	FZVPRO
27:22-27:50	Pinewood Studios	Jerry Good	FZf200M	Lucy's Seduction Of A Bored Violinist (200 Motels, 1971)
27:50-28:21	Pinewood Studios (rehearsals)	JCB; Motorhead; Ringo		Progress? (Prologue) (Bogus Pomp, LSO, 1983)
28:21-28:43	Pinewood Studios	John Williams & guitar ensemble, Ruth, orchestra	FZf200M
28:43-31:01	Pinewood Studios	Theodore Bikel, Howard, Mark, FZ; David Alexander, Ringo	FZf200M
31:01-32:15	Pinewood Studios	Mark	FZf200M
32:15-32:25	Fillmore West (backstage)	Jeff	FZVPRO
32:25-34:49	Fillmore West	MOI	FZVPRO	Penis Dimension (1970)
34:49-35:17	Airport (corridor)	Howard, Mark, Jeff, Brena
35:17-36:07	Pinewood Studios	FZ	FZf200M
36:07-36:31	Pinewood Studios	Martin Lickert, Mark	FZf200M
36:31-36:50	Pinewood Studios	FZ	FZf200M
36:50-37:01	Pinewood Studios (corridor)	Martin Lickert, Ian Underwood	FZf200M	Strictly Genteel (1971)
37:01-37:39	Pinewood Studios	Martin Lickert, Don Preston	FZf200M
37:39-38:05	Zappa House (Uncle Meat shooting)	Phyllis Altenhaus, Don Preston, Motorhead
38:05-38:34	Pinewood Studios	Mark, Martin	FZf200M
38:34-41:33	Roxy, 1973	FZ, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Jeff Simmons, George Duke, Bruce Fowler, Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, Chester Thompson, Ralph Humphrey		Dummy Up (1973)
41:33-41:58	Palermo, Sicily, 1982	Steve Vai
41:57-42:31	Village Recorders, 1979	Warren Cuccurullo, Al Malkin, Ike Willis, FZ, Jeff Hollie
42:29-42:57	Pinewood Studios	Ringo	FZf200M
42:57-43:42	Pinewood Studios	Ringo, Keith Moon, orchestra	FZf200M
43:42-44:35	Pinewood Studios (make up room)	Keith Moon, Gail	FZf200M
44:35-45:27	Hollywood Ranch Market, 1970	Janet, Lucy	UM
45:27-45:59	Pinewood Studios	Janet, Lucy, Keith Moon	FZf200M
45:59-46:28	Pinewood Studios	Howard	FZf200M
46:28-51:13	Pinewood Studios	Ringo, Elgar Howarth, Ruth, Keith Moon; FZ, Janet; Martin, Howard; Lucy, Ian; Pamela, Don Preston; Mark, Aynsley, George, JCB; orchestra; David Alexander		Night School (Jazz From Hell, 1987)
51:12-51:38	Pinewood Studios	Howard	FZf200M
51:35-55:35	Zappa House	Peter Bos, Roelof Kiers, Moon, FZ; Lucy, Dweezil; Gail		Strictly Genteel (LSO, 1983)
55:35-55:44	Editing room	FZ (print shirt)
55:43-58:25	Zappa House (Uncle Meat shooting)	Motorhead, Ian Underwood, Dick Kunc, Janet, Lucy
56:34-57:12	Editing room	FZ (print shirt)