Still dancing, the spirit of a celebrated ’70s glam rocker provides the backdrop for Bolan’s Shoes, the directorial debut by Welsh-born actor/writer/director Ian Puleston-Davies.
Puleston-Davies has been a film, stage and television actor since the early 1980s; his extensive credits include roles in popular UK television series including EastEnders, Life on Mars, Coronation Street, Midsomer Murders, Lewis, Vera, Father Brown and Pennyworth. In 2005 Puleston-Davies co-wrote the television drama Dirty Filthy Love, winning a Royal Television Society award and a BAFTA nomination.
The next logical step for Puleston-Davies was to direct a feature film. He had plenty of ideas.
“I collect ideas for stories,” he explains. “When I feel there are enough pieces of the jigsaw, so the journey begins.”
His embryonic script idea focused upon protagonists with a strong passion and fandom for a timeless artist, ’70s rock hero Marc Bolan, of T. Rex. That band’s “Metal Guru” was the first single Puleston-Davies had bought as a youngster.
Guitarist and songwriter Marc Bolan launched his band Tyrannosaurus Rex in London in 1967. In its early days, Tyrannosaurus Rex released four albums of freaky psych-folk with titles like 1968’s My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows. But by 1970 they had shortened both their album titles and their name.
The newly-christened T. Rex also changed its sound, developing a glam rock sound with a visual persona to match. Working with producer Tony Visconti, they scored seven consecutive hit singles in the U.K., each rising to #1 or #2 on the charts. All told, T. Rex landed 17 singles on UK charts. Stateside, they earned a Top Ten hit for third single, “Get it On (Bang a Gong).”
In its later years, T. Rex found fans among the burgeoning punk scene. Bolan perished in a September 1977 auto accident, but T. Rex’s legend lived on. The band’s sound and visual style influenced a generation of rockers.
“Marc was not only a great performer, but also a wonderful, wild and imaginative wordsmith,” Puleston-Davies says.
He felt that both Bolan’s persona and his music would be right for his directorial debut.
“T. Rex’s music takes no prisoners,” he enthuses. “That raunchy, unapologetic guitar sound blows away any sense of sentimentality.”
A familiarity of Bolan’s life and music is helpful to appreciating his significance in the story, but the director stresses that “it’s certainly not in any way essential.” Bolan’s Shoes is not about the rocker. Instead, it centers a group of fans who have kept the light of their fandom burning more than 40 years after the rock star’s untimely death.
The back story concerns their upbringing in Children’s Homes in Liverpool, England. Bolan and T. Rex serve as effective and resonant touchstones to help connect the personal narratives with the larger world. The film explores the long-term consequences of bullying, and Puleston-Davies hopes that viewers will come away from the film appreciating that snap conclusions about others—even those we know well—aren’t always on target.
Production took place during the strictest periods of COVID lockdown. Puleston-Davies says that was a mixed blessing.
“The film probably wouldn’t have been made had there not been a pandemic,” he admits, “as I was meant to be filming Pennyworth for Warner Brothers.”
Puleston-Davies submitted Bolan’s Shoes for consideration for inclusion in the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, but admits that he never expected the film to be chosen. “I couldn’t believe it when they rang me,” he says.
“Bolan’s Shoes has a fascinating story with some tender moments that were beautifully written, filmed, and acted,” says Mattie Scariot, director of the festival.
Puleston-Davies singles out lead actors Timothy Spall and Leanne Best for special praise.
“They beautifully bring to life the characters that have lived in [my] head for so long,” he says. “But they also add so much more nuance, depth, complexity and humor to the parts. As an actor of 40 years myself, I have only now begun to appreciate that worth.”
Sat, 5:00pm, $10
Granada Theatre, Morgan Hill
Had the plesure of seening this being filmed in and around liverpool, had a good sjow with some pictures on daily mail online, pic cred activate digital, check out daily mail online, bolans shoes,
As a huge Bolan fan now living in Oz, Cant wait to see this down under ???♥️
Like Dave the Pap we also saw this film in Liverpool. 5 Stars out of 5. It is an emotional roller-coaster of a film. There are sad parts, some with will make the audience sit on the edge of their seats and others which are fabulously feel-good. As the leaseholders (via an in-perpetuity lease) of Marc Bolan’s Rock Shrine (as TAG CIC – a not-for-profit Community Interest Company) it was fabulous to see Marc’s Shrine featured in this film. Also, good to see T.Rex (The Music of Marc and Mickey) playing in the film. This band features Paul Fenton who joined T.Rex in 1973 and who along with Mickey Finn formed ‘Mickey Finn’s T.Rex in 1997. Mickey performed his last gig with the band for Marc Bolan’s 55th Birthday to a crowd of over 2,000 people. On stage with him that night was Marc Bolan’s Son Rolan Bolan and Marc Bolan’s original partner’s guitarist from his final band ‘Steve Took’s Horns’. Steve Peregrin Took was with Marc from June 1967 to September 1969 after which he was replaced by Mickey Finn.