Yanks (1979)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Colin Welland (story)
Colin Welland (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

September 1979 (UK)

Genre:

Romance | Drama | War

Tagline:

Love during wartime.

Plot:

During WWII, the United States set up army bases in Great Britain as part of the war effort. Against their proper sensibilities...

Plot Keywords:

WWII | Prejudice | Male Nudity | Jitterbug | Racism

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 9

5:10 AM

MAX

Cast

Richard Gere	...	Matt Dyson
Lisa Eichhorn	...	Jean Moreton
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Helen
William Devane	...	John
Chick Vennera	...	Danny Ruffelo
Wendy Morgan	...	Mollie
Rachel Roberts	...	Mrs. Clarrie Moreton
Tony Melody	...	Mr. Jim Moreton
Martin Smith	...	Geoff
Philip Whileman	...	Billy
Derek Thompson	...	Ken
Simon Harrison	...	Tim
Joan Hickson	...	Mrs. Moody
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Henry
Annie Ross	...	Red Cross lady

Also Known As:

Yanks - Gestern waren wir noch Fremde (West Germany)

Runtime:

138 min | UK:165 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA | West Germany | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | France:U | UK:15 | Netherlands:6 (2008) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Grand Hotel, Llandudno, Conwy, Wales, UK

Company:

CIP Filmproduktion GmbH

Trivia:

Olivia Newton-John was interviewed for a key role.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Helen plays the slot machine in the Officer's Club, in Ireland, there are some "Roosevelt dimes" in her payout. The scene is 1943-44, and the first Roosevelt dime wasn't minted until after the war, in 1946.

Quotes:

Danny: [naked in an uncovered exterior shower, watching the Red Cross trucks pass] That's the Red Cross...they only do it for officers.
Matt: If you don't put your uniform on, they'll never tell the difference.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "BBC Proms: Prom 2: Music from Great British Films (#1.7)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

I'll Be Seeing You

Evocative and entertaining

The film works for me because it concentrates on the three relationships and lets the war get on with itself. It was written from a British viewpoint and reflects the experiences of many people in war-torn Britain who came in to contact with American servicemen. The impact of the arrival of so many hearty, healthy and relatively wealthy young men was massive. The film struck a chord with many people in the UK, both of my parent's generation - who lived through the war, and my generation - who had heard all about it. The fact that the film was set in the north of England accentuated the gulf which existed in our common language. Many a GI must have been baffled by our slang. The three relationships in the film worked quite well because each one was different. How many times must these events have happened for real? The film isn't as good as THE WAY TO THE STARS of 1945, but it did recreate the war-time atmosphere quite well and evokes a period of history which is still vivid in the minds of many who lived near US bases in the UK in WW2.