The Long Good Friday (1980)

Director:

John Mackenzie

Writer:

Barrie Keeffe (writer)

Release Date:

2 April 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Who lit the fuse that tore Harold's world apart?

Plot:

Harold, a prosperous English gangster, is about to close a lucrative new deal when bombs start showing up in very inconvenient places...

Plot Keywords:

Informant | Blood | Drug Dealer | Anger | Homosexual

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins

Cast

Paul Freeman	...	Colin
Leo Dolan	...	Phil
Kevin McNally	...	Irish Youth
Patti Love	...	Carol
P.H. Moriarty	...	Razors
Derek Thompson	...	Jeff
Bryan Marshall	...	Harris
Bob Hoskins	...	Harold Shand
Helen Mirren	...	Victoria
Ruby Head	...	Harold's Mother
Charles Cork	...	Eric
Olivier Pierre	...	Chef
Pierce Brosnan	...	1st Irishman
Daragh O'Malley	...	2nd Irishman
Dave King	...	Parky
Karl Howman	...	David
Brian Hall	...	Alan
Alan Ford	...	Jack
Dave Ould	...	Don
Paul Kember	...	Ginger
Bill Moody	...	Boston
Alan Devlin	...	Priest
Eddie Constantine	...	Charlie
Stephen Davies	...	Tony
Bruce Alexander	...	Mac
Nigel Humphreys	...	Dave
Brian Hayes	...	Pool Attendant
Georgie Phillips	...	Eugene
Mary Sheen	...	Lil
Pauline Melville	...	Dora
Trevor Laird	...	Boy Under Car
Paul Barber	...	Erroll
Dexter Fletcher	...	Kid
Billy Cornelius	...	Pete (as Bill Cornelius)
Ryan Michael	...	Waiter Ricardo
Robert Walker	...	Jimmy
Nick Stringer	...	Billy
Gillian Taylforth	...	Sherry
Robert Hamilton	...	Flynn
James Ottaway	...	Commissionaire (as James Ottoway)
Roy Alon	...	Captain Death
Tony Rohr	...	O'Flaherty
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alan Talbot	...	Sniper (uncredited)

Directed by
John Mackenzie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Barrie Keeffe		writer

Produced by
Chris Griffin	....	associate producer
Barry Hanson	....	producer
George Harrison	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Denis O'Brien	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Francis Monkman

Cinematography by
Phil Meheux

Film Editing by
Mike Taylor

Casting by
Simone Reynolds

Art Direction by
Vic Symonds

Costume Design by
Tudor George

Makeup Department
Colin Jamison	....	hair stylist
Freddie Williamson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Brian Burgess	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew Binns	....	third assistant director
Simon Hinkly	....	assistant director

Art Department
Carlotta Barrow	....	assistant art director
Ron Coleman	....	construction manager
Glynn Kelly	....	assistant art director
Peter Palmer	....	property master

Sound Department
Russ Hill	....	sound editor
David John	....	sound recordist
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer

Special Effects by
Steve Hamilton	....	special effects technician
Ian Wingrove	....	special effects

Stunts
Roy Alon	....	stunt coordinator
Vic Armstrong	....	stunts
Marc Boyle	....	stunts
Tim Condren	....	stunts
Jack Cooper	....	stunts
Jim Dowdall	....	stunts
Terry Forestal	....	stunts
Frank Henson	....	stunts
Terence Plummer	....	stunts
Bill Weston	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Billy Brooks	....	chief electrician
Mike Proudfoot	....	camera operator
David Shillingford	....	camera focus (as Dave Shillingford)
Ken Wainman	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mike Jarvis	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Michael Feinberg	....	assistant editor (as Mike Feinberg)
Peter Spenceley	....	assistant editor
Frederick Wilson	....	post-production

Music Department
Graham Walker	....	music coordinator

Other crew
Richard Booz	....	unit car
Mary Comberbach	....	assistant to producer
Peter Elford	....	location manager
Penny Eyles	....	continuity
Sally Shewring	....	production assistant
Sue Wall	....	production accountant
Martin Denning	....	consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• British Lion Film Corporation
• Calendar Productions
• HandMade Films

Distributors

• Paramount British Pictures (1980) (UK) (theatrical)
• Embassy Pictures Corporation (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• CIC Video Ltd. (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Cannon Video (1987) (UK) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1997) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Equator Films (1999) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Film AB Corona (1982) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1992) (Finland) (TV) (MTV1)
• Nordic Video (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Paragon Video Productions (VHS)
• Sunfilm Entertainment GmbH (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• VTI Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Valio-Filmi (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Video Film Express (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (cut) (1981) (theatrical release) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1989) (VHS) | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | France:-12 | Norway:16 (1981) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Brixton, London, England, UK

Company:

British Lion Film Corporation

Trivia:

Pierce Brosnan's part was supposed to be completely silent but he improvised one line of dialog.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Savoy Court is the only street in the UK where vehicles must drive on the right. However, towards the end of the film, we see they are driving on the left.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Colin: Two large Bushmills, please, darlin'.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Coogan's Run: Thursday Night Fever (#1.4)" (1995)

Outstanding Brit flick that stays with you

The Long Good Friday was and still is a great piece of British Cinema. After watching the film after a good many years it still holds the power to shock, amuse and thrill.

Bob Hoskins pulled off a performance comparable to James Cagney's tour de force in 'White Heat' as the tough London gangster whose empire starts to tumble, as he's trying to seal a massive development deal with the aid of the US Mafia in London's Docklands.

Helen Mirren gives an impressive performance as Hoskin's love interest, who basically calls the shots in Hoskin's organisation almost as much as he does. Her cool, tough performance putting her in good stead for the 'Prime Suspect' mini series which followed in the early nineties in the UK, where she played Lynda Le Plante's tough female detective Jane Tennyson.

The usual seventies film actors who play crooks turn up in this film, as do some fine character actors, including Dave King who plays a bent copper on Hoskin's pay roll and Bryan Marshall as the crooked councillor. One of the most memorable of the support cast is Derek Thompson, who would later go on to play Charlie Fairhead in BBC's long running 'Casualty' drama, who takes the 'Introducing' credit.

Also, look out for the actor who played 'Denzel' in Only fools and Horses, and a mute role for Pierce Brosnan before he went to the States to play Remington Steele.

A fine film, thats quick in pace, and excellently directed by John McKenzie, who will probably be always most remembered for this film.