RPM [Revolutions Per Minute] (1970, Anthony Quinn, Ann-Margret, Gary Lockwood, Paul Winfield) – Classic Movie Review 12,676

Stanley Kramer’s 1970 film RPM is set against the political turmoil of the 1960s, and stars Anthony Quinn, Ann-Margret and Gary Lockwood. Hollywood tackles the time of revolt, with a script by the author of Love Story, Erich Segal. 

The impeccably liberal-minded producer-director Stanley Kramer’s 1970 film RPM [Revolutions Per Minute] is set against the political turmoil of the 1960s, and stars Anthony Quinn, Ann-Margret, Gary Lockwood, and Paul Winfield. Hollywood tackles the time of revolt, with a script by the author of Love Story, Erich Segal.

An understandably uncomfortable-looking Quinn plays Professor F.W.J. ‘Paco’ Perez, an idealistic professor reluctantly elected by the Board of Trustees to head his campus, despite his radical beliefs and close relationship with the students, after radical student activists occupy the university’s administration building with a list of 12 demands.

He comes up against radical students who force him, against his principles, to call the cops when they threaten a revolution.

RPM is a poorly conceived and handled liberal-minded comedy drama with a shaky script from Love Story writer Segal and uncertain handling by Judgment at Nuremberg director Kramer. Miscast Ann-Margret and Lockwood also seem unhappy as Rhoda and Rossiter.

It means well, but RPM is a bad film now amusingly dated in a bad way. Maybe, like the poster, it is a brave try but misguided and misfiring,

Also in the cast are Alan Hewitt, Graham Jarvis, Ramon Bieri, John McLiam, Don Keefer, Donald Moffat, Norman Burton, John Zaremba, and Ines Pedroza.

The title is short for revolutions per minute, a familiar term for the variable speed of a record player’s turntable.

It was shot at the main campus of the University of the Pacific (UOP) in Stockton, California. The students were actual members of the student body.

It was Ann-Margret’s first film in America for a number of years.

The songs are written by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. They wrote ‘We Don’t Know Where We’re Goin’ with Melanie, who sings it and ‘Stop! I Don’t Wanna Hear It Any More’ on the soundtrack album.

The cast are Anthony Quinn as Professor F.W.J. ‘Paco’ Perez, Ann-Margret as Rhoda, Gary Lockwood as Rossiter, Paul Winfield as Steve Dempsey, Graham Jarvis as Police Chief Thatcher, Alan Hewitt as Hewlett, Ramon Bieri as Brown, John McLiam as the Rev Blauvelt, Don Keefer as Dean George Cooper, Norman Burton as Coach McCurdy, John Zaremba as President Tyler, Ines Pedroza as Estella, Linda Meiklejohn as Student, David Ladd as Student, Jose Brad as Student, Henry Brown as Student, and Frank Alesia as Student.

RPM runs 92 minutes, and is distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Release date: September 16, 1970.

Erich Segal (June 16, 1937 – January 17, 2010) wrote the bestselling novel Love Story (1970) and its hit film adaptation Love Story.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,676

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

RPM [Revolutions Per Minute] (1970, Gary Lockwood).