Yanks (1979)

During WWII, the United States set up army bases in Great Britain as part of the war effort. Against their proper sensibilities, many of the Brits don't much like the brash Yanks, ... See full summary »

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Colin Welland (story), Colin Welland (screenplay),

Stars:

Richard Gere, Lisa Eichhorn, Vanessa Redgrave

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

During WWII, the United States set up army bases in Great Britain as part of the war effort. Against their proper sensibilities, many of the Brits don't much like the brash Yanks, especially when it comes to the G.I.s making advances on the lonely British girls, some whose boyfriends are also away for the war. One Yank/Brit relationship that develops is between married John, an Army Captain, and the aristocratic Helen, whose naval husband is away at war. Helen does whatever she needs to support the war effort. Helen loves her husband, but Helen and John are looking for some comfort during the difficult times. Another relationship develops between one of John's charges, Matt, a talented mess hall cook, and Jean. Jean is apprehensive at first about even seeing Matt, who is persistent in his pursuit of her. Jean is in a committed relationship with the kind Ken, her childhood sweetheart who is also away at war. But Jean is attracted to the respect with which Matt treats her. Despite Ken ...

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Plot Keywords:

prejudice | england | world war two | fish and chips | chamber pot | 

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Taglines:

Love during wartime.

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Genres:

Romance | Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA West Germany UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1979 (UK)

Also Known As:

De bevrijders

Filming Locations:

Grand Hotel, Llandudno, Conwy, Wales, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

CIP Filmproduktion GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min 165 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Olivia Newton-John was interviewed for a key role.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Mollie: Excuse me, please. I'm pregnant!
Woman on train platform: So's half the bloody town, love!

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Crazy Credits

The names in the opening credits are divided into two categories: The Americans and The British.

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

"Deep in the Heart of Texas"
(uncredited)
Written by June Hershey and Don Swander

User Reviews

Excellent

I love this movie, especially as I am from the North of England and found the local characters and the Americans struggling to understand the slang very amusing. It depicts the harsh northern life during the war very accurately and I particularly love the children. Of the adult actors, Lisa Eichorn in particular is a revelation, until I saw her recently in an episode of Law and Order, I believed her to be English, I have never been fooled like this before. Her northern English accent is excellent and being a northerner myself I should be able to tell.

I thought the Americans in this film were shown quite sympathetically, so don't understand VIVAVOO's comment.