INCLUDES:
Intro
Semi-Fraudulent/Direct From Hollywood
Mystery Roach
Dance of the Rock & Roll Interviewers
Centerville
This Town Is A Sealed Tuna Sandwich
Lonesome Cowboy Burt
Magic Gingers
Lad Searches the Night for His Newts
Girl Wants To Fix Him Some Broth
Dental Hygiene Dilemma
Penis Dimension
She Painted Up Her Face
Janet's Big Dance Number
Half a Dozen Provocative Squats
Shove It Right In
Daddy, Daddy, Daddy
What Will The Evening Bring Me
Strictly Genteel

200 Motels is not just a movie. It's a whole concept that involves the music, the filming event, the characters, etc. It's about LIFE ON THE ROAD, and has a lot of CONCEPTUAL CONTINUITY in it.

This was Frank Zappa's first length-feature film. He had a lot of troubles because of it. First, he had to stick to the budget. He could not include the complete script as he planned it. In the middle of the shooting he fought with the director Tony Palmer, who left.

When he tried to perform the play live at the Royal Albert Hall, he was banned because of the lyrics and the concert was canceled. He sued the Albert Hall, but the authorities fight back and he wound up losing under obscenity charges.
In the midst of all his activities, Zappa managed to write and produce his first mayor movie.

It was photographed at Pinewood Studios, outside London, England, in 1970 in seven 8-hour days. It was edited in eleven 10-hour days. Of the original script, only one third (1/3) was actually filmed.

It was the first feature-length movie to be shot on VIDEO TAPE and later transferred to 35mm Technicolor film. According to FZ "it set the standards for the most advanced video techniques of its time".

The music was recorded live during performance, except "Penis Dimension". It was composed in a 5-year period mostly in motel or hotel rooms while touring.

The movie and the album were released through United Artists.

The total cost of the movie was $679.000. - The original master video tapes were later sold as used tape for $4000 (American dollars) to "balance the budget" by producer Jerry Goode. This way, the master and all the unused scenes were lost forever
Cast Of Characters:
Larry the Dwarf - Ringo Starr
Rance Muhammitz (the devil) - Theodore Bikel
The Hot Nun - Keith Moon
Lonesome Cowboy Burt - Jimmy Carl Black (The Mothers of Invention original drummer)
Jeff - Martin Lickert (see below)
The Industrial Vacuum Cleaner - Dick Barber (The Mothers road manager)
Rock & Roll Interviewer - Pamella Miller (see below)
Themselves - Don Preston, Motorhead Sheerwood, Mark Volman, Howard Kaylan (Musicians -see below)
Groupies - Miss Lucy Offerall, Miss Janet Neville (groupies, see below)
The perverted drummer - Aynsley Dunbar (Mothers' drummer)

Martin Lickert: his character, Jeff, was originally written for Jeff Simmons, The Mothers' bass player. Jeff (in the story) is a musician that tired of playing "Zappa's comedy music" decides to quit the group. It so happens that that was what actually happened in reality: Simmons quit the group unhappy with his part in the movie just before the shooting began! Noel Redding (bass player for Jimi Hendrix) audition for the part, but later English actor Wilfrid Brambell (who played the part of Paul McCartney's grandfather in A Hard Day's Night) got the job. But the old actor quit as well, somewhat not convinced with this whole madness. Desperate, Zappa was thinking for a new replacement until someone suggested Martin Lickert, who at the time was Ringo Starr's chauffeur. By chance, Lickert happened to play some bass. (Nowadays, he is a barrister in London).

Pamela Miller: perhaps the ultimate groupie, the most famous of them all. She used to work at Zappa's house as nanny for Moon and Dweezil. As Miss Pamela she was a member of the GTO's, the girl group that Zappa produced. As Pamela des Barres (her married name) she wrote two books about her life with famous musicians (the first one, I'm with the Band is recommended). She has her own page, too.

Lucy Offerall: another groupie that worked as nanny for the Zappa kids. As Miss Lucy she was also a member of the GTO's. (Offerall is obviously a nickname).

Janet Neville: As Janet Neville-Ferguson you can hear her singing on The Grand Wazoo.

As Howard Kaylan explains in The True Story of 200 Motels video, "he plays a version of himself as Frank sees him". It so happens with Don Preston and Mark Volman.