Sex Pistols Forgotten Movie Screenplay Resurfaces

A long-lost screenplay for a Sex Pistols film has re-emerged 33 years after it was written and has been published online.

The story was penned by American motion picture critic and screenwriter Roger Ebert in the summer of 1977, at the height of the Pistols' fame, and was to be directed by the infamous Russ Meyer -- he of sexploitation movies 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!' fame and the rest. The film, titled 'Who Killed Bambi?,' was instigated by Sex Pistols manager, Malcolm McLaren, who acted as producer.

In the wake of McLaren's recent death, Ebert posted a full transcript of the screenplay on his blog. He describes the script as "for the benefit of future rock historians."

He continued, "It was tailored for the historic punk rock band the Sex Pistols, and was to be directed by Russ Meyer and produced by the impresario Malcolm McLaren. It still carried its original title, 'Anarchy in the U.K.,' although shortly after I phoned up with a suggested title change, which was accepted: 'Who Killed Bambi?'

"Discussions with Meyer, McLaren and Rene Daalder led to this draft. All I intend to do here is reprint it. Comments are open, but I can't discuss what I wrote, why I wrote it, or what I should or shouldn't have written. Frankly, I have no idea."

Filming of 'Who Killed Bambi?' was scrapped after two days because of financial issues, and shortly after, the band split up. The film appeared lost to history until now, although some of the footage did turn up in Julien Temple's 1980 film 'The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.'