Grand Slam (1978 Film) - Production Notes

Production Notes

  • Many of the film's interior scenes were filmed at the BBC Wales club in Newport Road, Cardiff with filming in Paris taking place over several days in February 1977, when Wales' match with France took place at Parc des Princes during the second round of matches in the 1977 Five Nations Championship. The airport scenes were filmed at Cardiff Airport.
  • Wales' 16-9 defeat on the day of the match led to a rewrite of some of the film's closing scenes and a new scene with Mog and Maldwyn contemplating next year's Wales v France fixture at Cardiff Arms Park (which saw Wales beat France 16-7 to win the Grand Slam and the 1978 Five Nations).
  • The film is iconic in Wales, being broadcast many times since its original transmission on Friday 17 March 1978. It also marked the penultimate film or television role of actor Hugh Griffith, who died in 1980.
  • Originally intended to run for 75 minutes, the film was ordered to be cut down to an hour just a few days before its first network broadcast as a result of industrial action.

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