THE TRUE STORY OF FRANK ZAPPA’S 200 MOTELS

JANUARY 31ST 1989

Includes footage from:

  • Vienna, Austria, c. October 12, 1968
  • Royal Festival Hall, October 25, 1968 (parts from Uncle Meat, 1987)
  • Uncle Meat shooting, c. May, 1970 (including some outtakes)
  • Zappa House, 1970 (from Frank Zappa, VPRO, 1971)
  • Fillmore West, November 5-7, 1970 (from Frank Zappa, VPRO, 1971)
  • New York, c. November 13-14, 1970
  • Pinewood Studios, January-February, 1971 (from Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels, VPRO, 1971)
  • 200 Motels editing room, London, 1971
  • Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, December, 1973
  • Village Recorders, LA, c. April, 1979
  • Palermo, Sicily, c. July 14, 1982
  • Interview with Richard Hart, Zappa House, c. August, 1982

The music heard:

  • Bogus Pomp (from London Symphony Orchestra Vols. 1 & 2)
  • The Jimmy Carl Black Philosophy Lesson (from Ahead Of Their Time)
  • Do You Like My New Car? (from Fillmore West, November, 1970)
  • Do You Like My New Car? (from Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels)
  • Progress? (from Ahead Of Their Time)
  • Like It Or Not (from Ahead Of Their Time)
  • Sleeping In A Jar (from Playground Psychotics)
  • The Girl Wants To Fix Him Some Broth (from Pinewood Studios, January-February, 1971)
  • Mystery Roach (from Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels)
  • Penis Dimension (from Fillmore West, November, 1970)
  • Dummy Up (from Roxy & Elsewhere)
  • Night School (from Jazz From Hell)
  • Strictly Genteel (from London Symphony Orchestra Vols. 1 & 2)

Total running time: 

59 min.

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 Goode

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)