Frenzy filmed in London for the 1956 remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much"). The last film he had made in Britain before his move to America was "Jamaica Inn" (1939). The film was screened at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival, but was not entered into the main competition. Set in the early 1970s, the plot centres on a serial killer terrorizing London by raping and then strangling women with a tie. Bob Rusk (Barry Foster), a Covent Garden wholesale produce merchant, is the murderer. However, circumstantial evidence, partially engineered by Rusk, will implicate Rusk's friend Richard Blaney (Jon Finch),
The Who but the role went to Phil Daniels. Sting played Jimmy's friend and fellow mod, the Ace Face. The soundtrack was Jones' first appearance on a Who record, performing on newly written material not on the original album. The film was a critical and box office success in the UK and appealed to the growing mod revival movement. The Jam were influenced by the Who, and critics noticed a similarity between Townshend and the group's leader, Paul Weller. "The Kids Are Alright" was also completed in 1979. It was a retrospective of the band's career, directed by Jeff Stein. The film