Get Carter 1971, based on Ted Lewis' book 'Jack's return home', written in 1969. Mike Hodges, director, also wrote the screenplay. Follow up book called 'Jack Carter's law' and third in the series 'Jack Carter and the Mafia pigeon'.
Hodges finished the script in January 1970 and started production in Feb 1970. The film took 32 weeks to make from pre-production to release in October, the filming taking just over 40 days. Michael Caine was chosen for the part of Jack Carter, a small time London gangster wanting to dish out revenge on the killers of his brother Frank who lived 'up north'.
Newcastle and Gateshead in the UK was chosen for the location as they had many suitable landmarks, such as the 'Iron Bridge', the multi-storey car park (now know as the Carter car park to the locals), the Newcastle race course, the ferry landing at wallsend, various bars, Dawdon Colliery, and the Hawthorn Leslie Shipyard.
MGM, the distributor, wanted many American actors alongside Caine to make it more financially viable in the US. Yet Hodges got his way and a number of 'Geordie' (word to describe the locals in Newcastle/Gateshead) actors from the small screen got the other parts, with the New York Times describing them as a 'fruity cast of supporting players'.
The ending of the film also angered MGM where an assassin kills Carter after he killed a character called Eric Pace. MGM saw the chance for a sequel dashed as the lead was wiped out. Hodges saw this as the appropriate ending as, although justice had been done (Carter finding the killers of his brother Frank and gaining revenge), crime doesn't pay. Carter was portrayed as a ruthless killing machine that wouldn't stop at anything to get what he wanted. Carter kills 4 people and is responsible for more.
The screenplay, by Hodges, is still seen as classic groundbreaking British cinema today with memorable quotes such as
'You're a big man, but your in bad
shape, and for me it's a full time job. Now, behave yourself' and
'You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like.
They're still the same, piss holes in the snow' and when Carter
is standing naked with a gun after being caught at it, one of his
enemies says 'Put it away Jack, you know you won't use it' and is
accomplice says 'the gun he means'.
Another part of the film that is still celebrated today is the Soundtrack by Roy Budd. The theme tune is most popularly interpreted over a bass-driven funk riff with an inspired choice of tablas as percussion. It's a great mixture of 'Jazzy funk'. Great songs include 'Getting nowhere in a hurry', 'Looking for someone' and 'Love is a four letter word'. Original posters of the film can fetch enormous sums as original stills, lobby cards and poster prices go up and up, due to the film receiving more and more interest due to the re-release and the remake. The original British 30X40 cinema poster costs around £900 with one going at auction in sotherbys for $1400. Another noteworthy poster is the US advanced poster costing around £900.
