The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle backdrop
COMEDY . 1980 . 1h 43m . 6.2/10

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle_

A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds."

Starring Malcolm McLaren, Steve Jones, Paul Cook
6.2/10
Rating
1h 43m
Runtime
1980
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle poster

A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds."

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast
Malcolm McLaren stars as The Embezzler in The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.
Malcolm McLaren →
Year context
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle was released 46 years ago in 1980.
Overview
A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that...
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is a Comedy, Documentary, Music film with a runtime of 1h 43m.

CAST (20)

Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
The Embezzler
Steve Jones
Steve Jones
The Crook
Paul Cook
Paul Cook
The Tea-Maker
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
The Gimmick
John Lydon
John Lydon
The Collaborator
HW
Helen Wellington-Lloyd
Helen
Ronald Biggs
Ronald Biggs
The Exile
Liz Fraser
Liz Fraser
Woman in Cinema
Jess Conrad
Jess Conrad
Jess
Mary Millington
Mary Millington
Mary, The Crook's girlfriend
James Aubrey
James Aubrey
Record Executive
Julian Holloway
Julian Holloway
Man
Johnny Shannon
Johnny Shannon
Nazi
Edward Tudor-Pole
Edward Tudor-Pole
Tadpole (kiosk attendant)
FH
Faye Hart
Secretary
AJ
Alan Jones
Record Executive
Irene Handl
Irene Handl
Cinema Usherette
JC
Judy Croll
Catwoman (uncredited)
PD
Peter Dean
Nightclub Bouncer (uncredited)
DD
Dave Dee
Record Executive (uncredited)

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
103 min (1h 43m)
Country
Rating
6.2/10 (52 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle about?
A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds."
How long is The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle has a runtime of 103 minutes (1h 43m).
Who stars in The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?
The cast of The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle includes Malcolm McLaren, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Sid Vicious, John Lydon.
What is the rating of The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle has a rating of 6.2 out of 10 based on 52 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (3)

Comedy Documentary Music
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