Introduction by Geant-Vert

During the summer holidays not everyone wants to go to the beach for a sun tan while their shrimp is out to lunch (?!). Instead I decided to walk the Parisian streets and find where Julien Temple filmed Sid in Paris, April 1978, for The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle..

Back in 1978 Temple shot most of the scenes in a variety of locations, ranging from the highly touristy Rue de Rivoli, to quieter lower class areas. As a filmmaker Temple enjoyed filming his actors in real 'rough' places and ancient Paris was full of weird streets looking unchanged since the XIXth century.

Finding most of the original shooting places was not an easy job because the city has suffered heavy remodelling and some places now look very different with a new bourgeois style. Despite numerous street plates on almost every scene in the film, not a single one is readable because of the original low quality film image. It was often a real puzzle to find the exact location. For example the scene with the hooker and Sid shows a Hotel plate (Hôtel du Lion d’Or) but the real hotel is not here but on the opposite side of the street. I suppose Temple used the plate as an accessory or the hotel moved years before.

The location of the “My Way” filming was the Théâtre de l’Empire on Avenue de Wagram, close to the Champs-Elysées. The theatre was destroyed in a big explosion on 13th February 2005, and razed to the ground. Shortly afterwards a five star hotel took was built on the site and the manager denied me permission to take pictures inside because too many famous people stay here…

Shooting scenes in Paris with an actor wearing a swastika shirt wasn’t allowed and is still not allowed; the same for an actor dressed up like a policeman. Filming needs official authorization and even if the Swindle footage may look like it was shot 'on thr run', Julien Temple had to get official permission for filming.

The many tales about the filming taking place in the Jewish area of the city is simply not true. Nothing was filmed in the Jewish area of Paris.

Sid Exits The Underground: Châtelet Tube Station / Rue de Rivoli

The place where Sid exited the underground is the Châtelet tube station (way out #6) close to the Café Benjamin.

Nothing here has changed except the old “Pigier” advertisement that disappeared with time.

Café Benjamin

Sid is walking west in the Rue de Rivoli but the 'stolen' images with passers-by were shot in a different location North of Châtelet.

Sid And The Police: Place André Malraux - 75001

Sid Buys A Gun: Place André Marlraux - Darne Gun Shop / Daber Gallery

The Darne gun shop has been closed for 30 years but the bank on its left is still here.

When I phoned the last owner in his home town Saint-Etienne he gave me the original address when the shop opened in the 1900s. The problem was the name of the street changed in 1977!

The filming location can be found at Place André Marlraux, formerly Place du Théâtre Français.

Daber Gallery

When Sid left the shop and walked down the street – this was the Daber Gallery (avenue de Friedland) 3500 meters ahead of the shop. The Daber Gallery was already closed in 1978 but the name was still in place.

There was another better known Daber Gallery (Boulevard Haussmann) but this is not the same.

Drinking Parisians: Rivoli Park Café

The brief scene showing people drinking is the Rivoli Park Café close to the Brighton Hotel.

Sid Takes A Walk: Brighton Hotel

The Brighton Hotel varies in interesting detail in 2013 compared to 1978.

The pillar behind Sid’s right shoulder showed three bullet impacts from the August 1944 battle.

The 2013 pictures show unauthorized repairs having taken place (this kind of battle scare is part of history and should not be altered by law).

Sid And The Hooker: Hôtel du Lion d’Or, Rue de la Sourdière - 75001

Hôtel du Lion d’Or

Tthe real Hôtel du Lion d’Or is not in shot but is located on the opposite side of the street, Rue de la Sourdière - 75001.

Sid's Poster: Saint-Eustache North of Les Halles

The spot where Sid is looking at the poster looks exactly the same in 2013 other than the brand new poster support.

However, behind the camera lens, the location is not exactly the same – there is a giant hole in the ground up to 100 meters deep. If Sid kept walking east like he did in the film, he would disappear – never to return!

The church is Saint-Eustache North of Les Halles area.

Anarchie Pour l’U.K.: Place de l’Etoile, corner of Avenue Victor Hugo, Avenue Foch

The “Anarchie pour l’U.K.” scene is shot in three different locations in close proximity to Place de l’Etoile, corner of Avenue Victor Hugo, and Avenue Foch.

The accordion player is Marcel Azzola and the singer was a roadie working for the French hard rock band Trust.

The name 'Jersimy' is a misspelling of his family name.

Place de l’Etoile, corner of Avenue Victor Hugo, and Avenue Foch.

The actor playing the policeman wears a very bad made home uniform.

Everything is wrong!

My Way: Olympia / Théâtre de l’Empire

Julien Temple only shot the Olympia entrance and nothing was filmed inside the venue despite the neon sign on the image.

Eddie Barclay was close to the owner and asked him permission to put Sid Vicious’ name on the neon.

The Sid poster seen on the left of the sequence was not a normal poster but an accessory specially made for the movie. It was printed by hand on a very heavy cut board. Unfortunately somebody rolled the poster on and made it almost impossible to fix it properly on the wall. If you look closely, the poster bottom begins to roll itself up. The original accessory was stolen by a “passer-by” that sold it to a Parisian record dealer.

The author got permission to examine it in 2004 after his owner sold it for 1000 € to a Japanese collector.

All the other posters used for the Saint-Eustache Church scene are normal cheap paper.

Olympia entrance foyer

No filming was done beyond this point. 

Théâtre de l’Empire on Avenue de Wagram close to the Champs-Elysées

My Way Sequence

The interior filming took place here.
Location pictured 2013 - see Introduction for details.