ArseWEB - Arsenal at the Movies

This is one of those pages which started life in humble fashion, simply reproducing the cast list for "The Arsenal Stadium Mystery". Thanks to submissions from literally 10s of Arsenal fans, it is now the biggest collection of Arsenal references from variuous media anywhere in the world (probably). Entries are categorised as follows... Arsenal in Films Arsenal on Telly (& Radio) Arsenal in Music

Films

Following these there's a list of other films, with less central Arsenal mentions.

1939 GB (Ealing) 85minutes B/W

The cast includes...

Inspector Slade............ Leslie Banks Gwen Lee................... Greta Gynt Sergeant Clinton........... Ian Maclean Raille..................... Esmond Knight Inga....................... Liane Linden

The film was written by Theorold Dickinson & Donald Bull, from the novel by Leonard Gribble, and was also directed by Theorold Dickinson.

" This picture is as good to watch as either of the Thin Man films, and Dickinson gives us wit instead of facetiousness - wit of cunning and wit of angle. " [Graham Greene]

1997 GB (Channel4/Wildgaze Films) ??minutes COL

There's a Fever Pitch website. The film opens on April 4th. Please feel free to send your reviews to ArseWeb.

Glossary of terms used in the film (particularly handy for people not familiar with the language of football, Arsenal, and London).

Chris Parry has written a review, read it on his web site.

IMDB entry

Other films with peripheral Arsenal mentions/appearances of some kind

The Baby Juice Express, 2001

Hackers, 1995

It's the bloke who's shagging top hacker babe Angelina Jolie "Acid Burn" in the corner of the room at one point, only to be interrupted when some important computer-stuff needs to be done. He soon gets ditched for Jonny Lee "Crash Override", and in his few words makes it clear that he (alone in this film) isn't into computers. In the perverse world created by director Iain Softley, not being a computer-geek makes him the uncool one, despite the fact that he's wearing a Seaman-style keepers top (the one with the big black 5-pointed star).

See eg here.

There are various Full Monty sites, this is the Fox one, and this is a Sheffield-based one.

Lamb, 1985

Beautiful Thing, 1996

The Deerhunter, 1978

In one scene the gang of saboteurs are discussing a plot to plant a bomb in London. The main gang leader realises that someone is listening in to the plot and tries to disguise the conversation with a diversion that goes something like:

Gang member : "....I don't follow" (the plot) Gang leader : "No, you don't follow the Arsenal do you? You should, they are a jolly good bet"

The Young Americans, 1993

Harry Crawford writes...

"An undercover cop is sent in to investigate the violent, drug dealing goings on at Chadwell Town (fictional club for the film - if you've seen it you'll know why no club would put their name to it), decides he rather likes being a hooligan and ends up as some drugged up nutter. During the film he engages in "choice" conversation with a guy wearing an Arsenal shirt in a pub and Arsenal are also mentioned as being drawn against Pompey in an FA Cup draw they are listening to on the radio."

Notting Hill, 1998

In one of the scenes in Hugh's flat, when Julia goes to his place to clean up after he spilled something on her, there is a book about Arsenal on the shelf near a refrigerator. Something like The Glory Years of Arsenal."

Copkiller, 1983

Virtual Sexuality, 1999

Alex informs us that "Arsenal related word and jersey apear several times".

Looking For Alibrandi, 2000

When Saturday Comes. 1996

Muggers, 2000

"The Australian feature film Muggers (2000), produced by Clock End Films (see ImDB) features an extra at the start wearing an Arsenal scarf (I know this as I produced the movie and am also the extra in question), furthermore Arsenal FC are thanked in the closing credits, primarily for winning the Double in 98, the year we shot the movie, which kept me going during very tough times Down Under but also for being an abiding inspiration."

"Unfortunately the movie is not yet available in the UK though I am hopeful of persuading Winchester Films in London, who own the rights, to release it soon on both video and DVD. If Arseweb want to encourage website readers to lobby Winchester they can do so through the official Muggers website at www.muggers.com.au."

Coyote Ugly, 2000

See also music section below, and celebrity Gooners page for more on Joe Strummer and his Big Tone obsession.

Hope & Glory, John Boorman 1987

The Good The Bad and The Ugly

And some Arsenal TV moments...

Across the Andes by Frog, 1977

Day of the Triffids

Morecambe and Wise

Jamie Hunt remembers another reference: an episode from their inferior TV days when Roy Castle was a guest on the show.... Sitting in their flat, Eric was flicking through the Guinness Book Of Records...

Eric : There's a Des O'Connor cheque here for 47p!

(Laughter)

Eric : The World's Longest Yawner...who didn't stop yawning until Arsenal played their last match of the Season!

Neighbours

The Yob (1988)

Minder, the movie (?)

Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Episode 1 (just before the Vogons come and destroy the earth to make way for a by-pass)

Ford Prefect: Six pints of bitter, please. And quickly, the world's about to end.

Barman: Oh yes, sir? Nice weather for it. Going to watch the match this afternoon then?

Ford: No, no point.

Barman: What's that, forgone conclusion then you reckon? Arsenal without a chance?

Ford: No no, it's just that the world's about to end.

Barman: Oh yes sir, so you said. Lucky escape for Arsenal if it did.

Ford looks back at him, genuinely surprised.

Ford: No, not really.

Arthur Dent: This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.

Note: Arthur Dent is obviously not a football fan. What would Arsenal be doing playing on a Thursday afternoon?

Harry Enfield

Monty Python's Flying Circus

(more Python below)

The Fast Show

Saturday Night Live

S Club 7 TV series (Miami 7/LA 7)

Bradley reads an Arsenal magazine with Patrick Vieira on the front.

Bradley tells the group that someone gave him a Liverpool season ticket for Xmas, Paul asks why that's bad, and Bradley replies "I support Arsenal".

Bradley has an Arsenal scarf on his locker.

The Bill

Brookie

My Summer with Des, 1998

Monty Python's Flying Circus, episode 24

(pull out to reveal that he is talking to a five-foot-high filing cabinet)

Presenter: Ludovic, first of all, congratulations on the victory.

Mr Grayson (Terry Jones): (from inside filing cabinet) Thank you, David.

Presenter: It should send you back to Botty with a big lead.

Mr Grayson: Oh yes, well we're fairly confident, David.

Presenter: Well at the moment, Ludovic, you're crouching down inside a filing cabinet.

Mr Grayson: Yes that's right, David, I'm trying not to be seen.

Presenter: I see. Is this through fear?

Mr Grayson: Oh no, no, it's common sense really. If they can't see you, they can't get you.

Presenter: Ha, ha, ha, but of course they can still hear you. (the filing cabinet explodes) Ludovic Grayson, thank you very much for coming on the program tonight.

See here for full episode script.

There's another Arsenal reference in the credits to episode 42 (bottom of the page).

M*A*S*H

Anyone remember any more about the episode?

Pavlos Alexandrakis does...

"I don't remember it exactly but, a snooty British officer (played by the actor who was Dr. Bombay on Bewitched and then the idiot British colonel on Hogan's Heroes if that means anything to you) [Bernard Fox?] is visiting his men in the MASH unit and encouraging them to read out their letters from home...one of the wounded says "Arsenal beat Man United...we'll win the League (or Cup?) this year" or something of that sort...best MASH episode of all time."

On The Buses

Theo Michael writes, "Tony Spence is right, Bob McNab was in an episode of 'On The Buses'. I think they were organising a footy match against another depot, or something, and they got Bob in as a Ringer. I remember Reg being all pleased with himself and saying that 'Bob McNab was a team on his own' (or words to that effect) as they watched him doing Up-sies in the garage."

"Bob got injured before the match and so never got to play in it. Also, his acting was terrible. He seemed to have a permanent grin on his face (even when rolling around in agony). Pity Ginola wasn't around then to give him some tips!"

"There was an episode which went out in March 1973, simply called 'The Football Match'. Don't think you need to be a rocket scientist (or Arsene Wenger) to work out that that was the episode in which our left-back appeared."

Grange Hill

Men behaving badly

Maggie and Her

Bob Wilson - Anchorman (by HMHB)

"The superb Manc band Half Man Half Biscuit, on their recent 'Editor's Recommendation' EP, had a song called 'Bob Wilson - Anchorman'. If you haven't heard it, it's superb. It basically goes on about a load of extraordinary things that Nigel the singer has seen in his life (of course I'll be buggered if I can remember any of them now), but, he says, he has...

'never met the one who had the bright idea...Bob Wilson - anchorman'.

I mean, he's got a point.

There's a semi-explanation here"

Tony Adams (by Joe Strummer)

Dial Square (by Midway Still)

Some album by Iron Maiden..?

Emir Flilpovic writes to confirm. On the back of their 1986 album "Somewhere In Time" it says "West Ham 7 Arsenal 3". Emir says that the album has a futuristic theme, and rather than suggesting that the Irons could have beaten us by that score in the past, they might be imaginging some kind of bizarre nightmare (and highly unlikely) future in which such an event were possible.

This confirmed by looking at the picture itself. The score appears as a result on a scrolling sign in a (slightly) futuristic cityscape.

Your Arsenal (by Morrissey)

Thanks to Alistair, Eddie, Jeff, Colin, David G, Andy, Gareth, Geoff, Megan, Aileen, Lars, Jean-Francois, Tom, Gary, Ken, Andy, Chris, Grahame, Andy, Eli, & Rob, as well as all those mentioned in specific entries, for having done so.

If you like this page, you'll probably enjoy browsing the Celebrity Gooners page too.