Synopsis

Set in a stark, futuristic society modeled on George Lucas' *THX 1138*, the video presents Queen as both observers and rebels under constant surveillance. Freddie Mercury is arrested after violating the regime's rules by showing affection toward a woman. Robot police subject him to interrogation and conditioning before confining him in a circular cage. Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon organize a rescue, attack the control center, disable the mechanical authorities, and escape with Mercury as the controlled society collapses behind them.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video is an overt parody and homage to George Lucas' 1971 science-fiction film *THX 1138*. Its white costumes, clinical sets, surveillance systems, robot police, and repression of human emotion all echo the film.

• The storyline reverses the song's broadly romantic and inclusive message into a tale about forbidden affection and resistance to authoritarian control.

• Roger Taylor wrote "Calling All Girls," and the track appeared on Queen's 1982 album *Hot Space*. It became the first Taylor composition to appear as an A-side for a Queen single.

• The single was released in selected territories, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, rather than in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it reached number 60.

• Brian May and Roger Taylor later expressed dislike for the video in commentary connected with *Greatest Video Hits 2*. Taylor particularly objected to the science-fiction concept, feeling that the song's message had little to do with robots.

• The ambitious concept was reportedly made on a modest budget, which contributes to its deliberately theatrical, low-tech science-fiction appearance.

• The clip was rarely seen for many years. Its inclusion on Queen's *Greatest Video Hits 2* DVD in 2003 helped bring it to a much wider audience.