Prince’s favourite movie of all time
There are a few musicians who are a little bigger than the industry they have championed, elevating their status by branching out into fashion, filmmaking and philanthropy after giving the world countless melodic hits. Stars like David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Bob Dylan, and Prince have each transformed the idea of a modern-day entertainment icon, creating a personality and talent that thrives on whichever stage they choose to inhabit.
When it comes to the world of cinema, few stars were better at translating their talents than Prince, who lent his music to countless productions whilst also appearing as an actor in a handful of movies. Something of a self-confessed cinephile, Prince appeared in 1986’s Under the Cherry Moon and, more famously, 1984’s Purple Rain, which was named after the release of his album of the same year.
When it came to the performer’s own favourite movie, however, he opted for the 1980 musical drama The Idolmaker, which had a significant influence on his later career.
Based on the life and times of rock promoter and producer Bob Marcucci, who discovered a number of prominent musicians, including Frankie Avalon and Fabian, the film starred the likes of Ray Sharkey, Peter Gallagher and Joe Pantoliano. Going pretty much under the radar for fans and critics alike, the movie earned itself a Golden Globe nomination for ‘Best Comedy or Musical’ but not much else in terms of attention.
Still, this didn’t stop Prince from appreciating the movie, which toyed with the image of Marcucci, a complex, narcissistic individual. Indeed, it wasn’t the film itself that the musician fell in love with. Moreso, he appreciated the core concept of the movie, poring over it endlessly with multiple viewings, constantly assessing and reassessing the story of a man whose own hubris dwarfs his stature.
The American guitarist Dez Dickerson, who played with Prince’s band The Revolution, recalled watching the movie with the iconic musician in an interview with The Current. “It’s well-known at this point in time that he loved the movie The Idolmaker,” Dickerson stated, “And I think that was just an idea that hit him and stuck, and he wanted to do the updated version of that. When he had an idea, he wouldn’t let go until he did it.”
It was in this movie that the fictional manager pseudonym of Jamie Starr was born, with Prince insisting that his new identity was a real person. “We all thought it was hilarious that people thought that Jamie Starr was a person because Jamie Starr was more a composite,” Dickerson added, “Prince primarily, but then you had Morris’s input, and I had a little bit of involvement, and there were a bunch of people who had a little bit of involvement. So at the end of the day, Jamie Starr was a creation of people’s imaginations. They believed what they wanted to believe.”
Whilst The Idolmaker was indeed Prince’s all-time favourite movie, he also held a particular fondness for both David Lynch’s curious indie horror Eraserhead and the British’ Mod’ movie Quadrophenia from director Franc Roddam.
