The Long Good Friday (1980)

Harold, a prosperous English gangster, is about to close a lucrative new deal when bombs start showing up in very inconvenient places. A mysterious syndicate is trying to muscle in on his ... See full summary »

Director:

John Mackenzie

Writer:

Barrie Keeffe

Stars:

Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Dave King

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bob Hoskins	...	Harold Shand
Helen Mirren	...	Victoria
Dave King	...	Parky
Bryan Marshall	...	Harris
Derek Thompson	...	Jeff
Eddie Constantine	...	Charlie
Paul Freeman	...	Colin
Leo Dolan	...	Phil
Kevin McNally	...	Irish Youth
Patti Love	...	Carol Benson
P.H. Moriarty	...	Razors
Ruby Head	...	Harold's Mother
Charles Cork	...	Eric
Olivier Pierre	...	Chef
Pierce Brosnan	...	1st Irishman

Storyline

Harold, a prosperous English gangster, is about to close a lucrative new deal when bombs start showing up in very inconvenient places. A mysterious syndicate is trying to muscle in on his action, and Harold wants to know who they are. He finds out soon enough, and bloody mayhem ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | bomb | mob boss | ethnic slur | falling from height | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

2 April 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Sexta-Feira Mais Longa

Filming Locations:

Brixton, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Lion Film Corporation, Calendar Productions, HandMade Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie's theatrical release was delayed. The film was completed in 1979 but wasn't first released until the end of 1980 in November of that year.

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Goofs

Blood on Harold's shirt after his final "altercation" with Jeff. In the cabin the blood only comes to 2 or 3 buttons down from the top, when he leaves the boat it's up to his top button.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Featured in London - The Modern Babylon (2012)

User Reviews

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.