The Long Good Friday
Directed by	John Mackenzie
Produced by	Barry Hanson
Written by	Barrie Keeffe
Starring	Bob Hoskins Helen Mirren Dave King Bryan Marshall Pierce Brosnan Paul Freeman
Music by	Francis Monkman
Cinematography	Phil Meheux
Distributed by	British Lion Films Handmade Films Paramount
Release date(s)	November 1980 2 April 1982
Running time	114 min.
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

The Long Good Friday is a British gangster film starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. It was completed in 1979^[1] but, because of release delays, it is generally credited as a 1980 film. Image File history File links Long_good_friday_DVD.jpg Licensing This image is of a DVD cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the DVD or the studio which produced the DVD in question. ... John Mackenzie (born 1932) is a British film director. ... Robert William Bob Hoskins Jr. ... Dame Helen Mirren, DBE (born July 26, 1945), is an English stage, television and film actress. ... Bryan Marshall is a British-born actor, with a number of major credits in film and television to his name. ... Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE[1] (born May 16, 1953) is an Irish actor and producer best known for portraying James Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. ... Paul Freeman (born January 18, 1943) is a British actor. ... Francis Monkman is a successful British rock, classical and film composer whose work includes the soundtrack to the British film The Long Good Friday. ... British Lion Films Corporation is a film production and distribution company active under several forms since 1919. ... Handmade Films was a British film production company set up by the Beatle George Harrison and his business partner Denis OBrian in 1979, originally to finance the Monty Python film Life of Brian after the original financers pulled out. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Gangster film is a film genre which features gangster characters, such as members of the Mafia and inner city street gangs. ... Robert William Bob Hoskins Jr. ... Dame Helen Mirren, DBE (born July 26, 1945), is an English stage, television and film actress. ... // Events March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

Plot

The film's protagonist is Harold Shand (Hoskins), an old fashioned 1960s-style London gangster who is aspiring to become a legitimate businessman, albeit with the financial support of the American Mafia. The storyline weaves together current events of the time, including low-level political and police corruption, IRA gun-running, the displacement of traditional British industry with property development and the emerging free market economy. A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ... For other uses, see Gangster (disambiguation). ... This article is about the criminal society. ... World map of the Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, which measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. High numbers (green) indicate relatively less corruption, whereas lower numbers (red) indicate relatively more corruption. ... Police corruption is a specific form of police misconduct sometimes involving political corruption, and generally designed to gain a financial or political benefit for a police officer or officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy...

Harold is the undisputed ruling kingpin of the London underworld, when his world is suddenly torn apart by a series of murders and exploding bombs from an unseen foe. Uncovering his enemy's identity forms much of the film's subsequent plotline.

The story seems to hinge upon an act of betrayal by one of Harold's closest aides, the implications of which only become clear near the film's climax, when the solution to the mystery is suggested though not spelled out.

Production

The film was directed by John Mackenzie and produced for £930,000^[2] by Barry Hanson from a script by Barrie Keeffe, with a soundtrack by the composer Francis Monkman; it was screened at the Cannes, Edinburgh and London Film Festivals in 1980.^[3] John Mackenzie (born 1932) is a British film director. ... Francis Monkman is a successful British rock, classical and film composer whose work includes the soundtrack to the British film The Long Good Friday. ...

The original story had been written by Keefe for Hanson when the latter worked for Euston Films,^[2] a subsidiary of Thames Television. Euston did not make the movie but Hanson bought the rights from Euston for his own company Calendar Films.^[2] Although Hanson designed the film for the cinema and all contracts were negotiated under a movie, not a TV agreement, the movie was eventually financed by Black Lion, a subsidiary of Lord Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment for transmission via Grade's Associated TeleVision (ATV) on the ITV Network.^[3] The film was commissioned by Charles Denton, at the time both Programme Controller of ATV and Managing Director of Black Lion.^[2] After Grade saw the finished film, he allegedly objected to what he perceived as the glorification of the IRA^[1] and it was scheduled for transmission with heavy cuts on 24th March 1981.^[3] Euston Films was a British film and television production company. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Lew Grade, Baron Grade (birth name Louis Winogradsky) (December 25, 1906 - December 13, 1998) was an influential showbusiness impresario and television company executive in the United Kingdom. ... The ITC Entertainment logo The Incorporated Television Company (ITC) was founded by television mogul Lew Grade in 1954. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Charles Denton is a British film and television producer and executive. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ...

In late 1980, Hanson attempted to buy the film back from ITC to prevent ITV screening the film with these cuts which he said would be "execrable".^[2][3] and added up to "about 75 minutes of film that was literal nonsense".^[1] It was also reported at the same time that Bob Hoskins was suing both Black Lion and Calendar Films to prevent their planned release of a US TV version in which Hoskins' voice would be dubbed by British Midlands actor David Daker.^[3] United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... David Daker is a British actor. ...

The rights to the film were eventually bought from ITC before the planned ITV transmission by George Harrison's company Handmade Films for around £200,000 less than the production costs.^[1] They gave the movie a cinema release. For other persons named George Harrison, see George Harrison (disambiguation). ... Handmade Films was a British film production company set up by the Beatle George Harrison and his business partner Denis OBrian in 1979, originally to finance the Monty Python film Life of Brian after the original financers pulled out. ...

Locations

The film was shot on location around London including:

• Heathrow Airport.
• St Katharine Docks - Harold's yacht is moored on the Thames there.
• St George in the East (CofE) Church - used for exterior shots of the church where Harold's mum goes to a service and when his Rolls Royce is blown up in the churchyard.
• St Patrick’s Church (RC), Greenbank, Wapping - used for the interior scenes of the Church service.
• Canary Wharf/West India Docks is the venue for Harold's proposed marina development. The future location of One Canada Square is clearly visible as his yacht tours the site. There is also a small model of the proposed development in Harold's yacht.
• Paddington train station.
• King George V Dock in the Royal Docks, now the site of London City Airport - Harold has a meeting here.
• The Savoy Hotel.
• Wigmore Street.
• The Salisbury pub, 1 Grand Parade, Green Lanes, Harringay - used to represent Fagan's Pub in Belfast.
• The Governor General pub, Northover, Downham, S.E.London - now a petrol station - used to represent gangster's nightclub in S.E. London.

Heathrow redirects here. ... St Katharine Docks were one of the commercial docks serving London, on the north side of the river Thames just east (downstream) of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... St George in the East is one of six Hawksmoor churches in London. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... Rolls-Royce car may refer to vehicles produced by: Rolls-Royce Limited (1906-1973) Rolls-Royce Motors (1973-2003) Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (2003-present) // Rolls-Royce cars Rolls-Royce Limited vehicles 1904-1906 10 hp 1905-1905 15 hp 1905-1908 20 hp 1905-1906 30 hp 1905-1906... Statue of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (died March 17, 462, 492, or 493), is the patron saint of Ireland. ... The correct title of this article is . ... Wapping Old Stairs, one of many points of access to the foreshore in the area. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The West India Docks are a series of docks on the Isle of Dogs in London. ... One Canada Square, a skyscraper in London; it is the tallest habitable building in the United Kingdom, at 235 m (771 ft) and 50 storeys (reduced from original plans for 60). ... Paddington Station, March 2005 during rush hour Paddington station or London Paddington station is a major National Rail and London Underground station complex in the Paddington area of London. ... The Royal Docks comprise three docks in east London - the Royal Albert Dock, the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock. ... London City Airport (IATA: LCY, ICAO: EGLC) is a single-runway airport, intended for use by STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) airliners, and principally serving the financial districts of London. ... Savoy Hotel, Strand entrance, 1911 The Savoy Hotel is a five-star hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London that opened in 1889. ... Wigmore Street is a London street which runs for about 600 yards parallel to Oxford Street from Portman Square to Cavendish Square. ... Green Lanes, or the A105, is a main road in north London that runs from Newington Green near Stoke Newington forming the border between Hackney and Islington, up to Finsbury Park, through Harringay and ends at the junction of Turnpike Lane. ... , Harringay is an area of north London in the United Kingdom and part of the London Borough of Haringey. ... This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ... Downham is a district spanning the boundary between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Bromley. ...

Early roles for famous actors

The film includes a large number of performances by young actors who later became famous.

• Paul Barber (Denzil in Only Fools and Horses and Horse from The Full Monty) plays a police informant who is visited by Harold and his scary associate "Razors".
• Pierce Brosnan, in his first film role, appears as a hired assassin.
• Dexter Fletcher is the boy who asks for money to watch Harold's car.
• Karl Howman (Jacko in Brush Strokes) appears as one of Harold Shand's gang.
• Kevin McNally star of many films including High Heels and Low Lifes and latterly seen as one of Johnny Depp's sidekicks in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and as a corrupt Police Chief in TV's Life On Mars has an early role in a Belfast bar scene.
• P. H. Moriarty ("Razors") and Alan Ford appear as members of Shand's gang. Both would later play the chief villains in Guy Ritchie films.
• Daragh O'Malley, who plays Sergeant Patrick Harper in the series of TV movies based on Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series of historical novels, appears as Brosnan's fellow assassin.
• Gillian Taylforth, later of EastEnders fame, appears briefly as a young woman who finds a man nailed to the floor of a disused warehouse.
• Derek Thompson, who went on to find fame as Charlie Fairhead in medical drama Casualty appears as Harold's right-hand man, Jeff.

Paul Barber (born 1952) is a black British actor, best known for playing Denzil in Only Fools and Horses and Horse in The Full Monty. ... Only Fools and Horses is a British television sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan, and made and broadcast by the BBC. Seven series were originally broadcast in the UK between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003. ... This article is about the film. ... Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE[1] (born May 16, 1953) is an Irish actor and producer best known for portraying James Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. ... Jack Ruby murdered the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in a very public manner. ... Dexter Fletcher on the set of GamesMaster, of which he hosted only one series. ... Karl Howman (born 13 December 1952) is an English actor. ... Brush Strokes was an Esmonde and Larbey sitcom set in south London and depicting the (mostly) amorous adventures of a good-looking, wisecracking house painter, Jacko (Karl Howman). ... Kevin McNally (born 27 April 1956 in Bristol) is an English actor who has worked extensively in both film and television. ... High Heels and Low Lifes is a 2001 action comedy drama feature film starring Minnie Driver, Mary McCormack, Kevin McNally, Mark Williams, Danny Dyer and Michael Gambon. ... John Christopher Depp II[1] (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor, best known for his frequent portrayals of offbeat and eccentric characters such as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and the titular character of Tim Burtons Edward Scissorhands. ... The Pirates of the Caribbean films are a trilogy of pirate adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. ... Life on Mars is a BAFTA and International Emmy award-winning British television drama series, which was first shown on BBC One in January and February 2006. ... Alan Ford, as seen in the film Snatch. Alan Ford is an English actor. ... Guy Ritchie (born 10th September 1968 in Hatfield, Hertfordshire[1]) is an English writer-director. ... Daragh OMalley (b. ... Regimental Sergeant Major Patrick Harper is a fictional character created by Bernard Cornwell in the Sharpe series of novels. ... Richard Sharpe is the central character in Bernard Cornwells Sharpe which also formed the basis for the Sharpe television series, where the eponymous character was played by Sean Bean. ... Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955 in London) is an English actress. ... EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985[4] and continuing to date. ... Derek Thompson (born on April 4, 1948) is a Belfast, Northern Ireland-born British television actor, most notable for playing Charlie Fairhead in the long running series Casualty. ... Casualty is the longest running emergency medical drama series in the world[1], first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted in the UK on BBC One (with repeats on UKTV Gold). ...

Parody

The film was spoofed in one year's edition of Comic Relief. Titled "The Wrong Good Friday," it featured Bob Hoskins asking for a payment from Jimmy Nail, although Hoskins' character had come to collect on the wrong date. Clips are featured in the DVD "Seriously Funny." For the origin of the term, see comic relief. ... Jimmy Nail is an English actor and singer (born March 16, 1954, Gleneagles Close, Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne). ...

Remake

In May 2007 it was confirmed that a remake was being planned by Handmade to start filming in Miami in 2008. Paul W. S. Anderson is to direct.^[4] In film, a remake is a newer version of a previously released film or a newer version of the source (play, novel, story, etc. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Paul Wank Stain Anderson (born March 4, 1965 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England) is a film director who regularly works in sci-fi movies and video game adaptations. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} British Film Institute website.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Association of Independent Producers' magazine, September 1980
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Producer seeks a £1m buyer...": news report in movie trade magazine Screen International, 22nd November 1980
4. ^ BBC News - Entertainment - Long Good Friday gets US remake.

External links

• The Long Good Friday at the Internet Movie Database
• The Long Good Friday at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Criterion Collection essay by Michael Sragow