84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

Director:

David Hugh Jones

Writers:

Helene Hanff (book)
James Roose-Evans (play)
(more)

Release Date:

13 February 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Plot:

True story of a transatlantic business correspondence about used books that developed into a close friendship.

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Correspondence | Bookstore | Book | Apartment

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Anne Bancroft	...	Helene Hanff
Anthony Hopkins	...	Frank P. Doel
Judi Dench	...	Nora Doel
Jean De Baer	...	Maxine Stuart
Maurice Denham	...	George Martin
Eleanor David	...	Cecily Farr
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Kay
Daniel Gerroll	...	Brian
Wendy Morgan	...	Megan Wells
Ian McNeice	...	Bill Humphries
J. Smith-Cameron	...	Ginny
Tom Isbell	...	Ed
Anne Dyson	...	Mrs. Boulton
Connie Booth	...	The Lady from Delaware
Ronn Carroll	...	Businessman on Plane
Sam Stoneburner	...	New York Bookseller
Charles Lewsen	...	The Print Buyer
Bernie Passeltiner	...	Willie, the Deli Owner
Michael John McGann	...	Maxine's Stage Manager
Gwen Nelson	...	Bill's Great Aunt
Roger Ostime	...	Stately Home Butler
John Bardon	...	Labour Party Canvasser
Betty Low	...	Maxine's Mom
James Eckhouse	...	Joey, the Dentist
David Davenport	...	Coronation Party Friend
Max Harvey	...	Coronation Party Friend
Rupert Holliday-Evans	...	Coronation Party Friend
Freda Rogers	...	Coronation Party Friend
Marty Glickman	...	Baseball Commentator
Tony Todd	...	Demolition Workman
Kevin McClarnon	...	Arresting Cop at Columbia
Janet Dale	...	Joan Todd (Mrs) Secretary
Zoe Hodges	...	Mary Doel, Aged 4
Kate Napier Brown	...	Mary Doel Aged 21
Rebecca Bradley	...	Sheila Doel, Aged 12
Barbara Thorn	...	Sheila Doel Aged 29
Danielle Burns	...	Cecily Farr's daughter
Lee Burns	...	Cecily Farr's son
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nelson Aspen	...	Student Union Leader (uncredited)
Jill Powell	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
David Hugh Jones		(as David Jones)

Writing credits
Helene Hanff		(book)
James Roose-Evans		(play)
Hugh Whitemore		(screenplay)

Produced by
Randy Auerbach	....	associate producer
Mel Brooks	....	executive producer
Geoffrey Helman	....	producer
Jo Lustig	....	associate producer

Original Music by
George Fenton

Cinematography by
Brian West		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Chris Wimble

Makeup Department
Lynda Armstrong	....	makeup artist
Peter Frampton	....	chief makeup artist: London
Leslie Fuller	....	chief makeup artist: New York
Betty Glasow	....	hairdresser: London
Jean-Paul	....	chief hairdresser: New York
Sue Love	....	chief hairdresser: London

Production Management
Ken Golden	....	production manager: New York
Gerry Levy	....	production manager: London

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carol Brock	....	third assistant director: London
Julia Cort	....	third assistant director: New York (as Julia E. Cort)
Paul Frift	....	second assistant director: London
Danny Irom	....	DGA trainee: New York
Johanna Jensen	....	second assistant director: New York
Mark McGann	....	first assistant director: New York
Jake Wright	....	first assistant director: London

Art Department
Alan Bailey	....	property master: London
John Bailey	....	dressing props: London
Ray Barrett	....	construction manager: London
Charley Beal	....	assistant art director: New York (as Charles Beal)
Carey Bozanich	....	stand-by props: New York
Anthony Cain	....	scenic and lettering artist: London
Carl Catanese	....	stand-by props: New York (as Carl J. Catanese)
William Chaiken	....	scenic and lettering artist: New York (as Bill Chaiken)
Fred Chalfy	....	dressing props: New York (as Fred Chalfey)
Stephen Challenor	....	stand-by carpenter: London
Desmond Crowe	....	draftsman: London
Eileen Diss	....	production designer: London
Edward Garzero	....	scenic and lettering artist: New York (as Edward Gazero)
Jeff Globbe	....	construction stage manager: New York
Kevin Harris	....	key set builder: London
Steve Hedinger	....	scenic and lettering artist: London (as Steven Hedinger)
Ron Higgins	....	stand-by props: London
Roger Hulme	....	production buyer: London
Otto Jacoby	....	construction manager: New York
Judith Lang	....	assistant art director: London
John A. Newman	....	stand-by painter: London
Jaimie Paredes	....	key set builder: New York
Edward Pisoni	....	production designer: New York
Gretchen Rau	....	set decorator: New York
Thomas Hudson Reeve	....	dressing props: New York (as Thomas Reeve)
Sonja Roth	....	set dresser
Steve Short	....	stand-by props: London
Michele Sommer	....	property master: New York
Larry Walden	....	dressing props: London
Keith Wall	....	dressing props: New York
Michael Wells	....	stand-by stagehand: London
Steve Wheeler	....	dressing props: London
Jack Dyer	....	chargehand stagehand (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gary Alper	....	sound mixer: New York
Paul Cridlin	....	sound maintenance: London
Mike Dowson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rick Field	....	sound maintenance: New York
Peter Holt	....	second sound editor: London
David John	....	sound mixer: London
Matthew Launay	....	sound boom: London (as Matthew Launey)
Andy Nelson	....	dubbing mixer: London
Alan Paley	....	sound editor: London
David Platt	....	sound boom: New York
Reilly Steele	....	sound recordist: New York
Jeremy Strachan	....	assistant sound editor: London
Lionel Strutt	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Simon Dowling	....	main title designer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dave Carroll	....	grip: New York
Don Cerrone	....	camera key grip: New York
Phil Clark	....	grip: New York
Maurizio Dotto	....	clapper loader: New York
Daniel Ehrenbard	....	best boy electric: New York (as Dan Ehrenbard)
John Flemming	....	camera key grip: London
David J. Frederick	....	camera focus: New York (as Dave Frederick)
David Hughes	....	best boy electric: London
Martin Hume	....	camera focus: London
Roger Kimpton	....	grip: New York
Jonathan Lumley	....	electric gaffer: New York
Terry Nightingall	....	clapper loader: London
Barry Peake	....	still photographer: London
William Poynter	....	stand-by rigger: London
Steve Ramsey	....	grip: New York
Laurie Shane	....	electric gaffer: London
Daniel L. Turrett	....	camera operator: New York (as Dan Turrett)
Cecilia Vettraino	....	still photographer: New York
Kenneth J. Withers	....	camera operator: London (as Ken Withers)

Casting Department
Judy Courtney	....	casting: New York
Louis DiGiaimo	....	extras casting: New York (as Lou Digiaimo)
Marilyn Johnson	....	casting: London
D.L. Newton	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Judy Bagley-Shaw	....	wardrobe assistant: London
David Charles	....	assistant to costume designer: New York
Jane Greenwood	....	costume designer: New York
Lindy Hemming	....	costume designer: London
Suzanne McCabe	....	wardrobe assistant: New York
Roseann Milano	....	wardrobe supervisor: New York
Joyce Stoneman	....	wardrobe supervisor: London
Frank Vinall	....	wardrobe master: London

Editorial Department
Ken Eluto	....	first assistant editor: New York
Chris Peppe	....	second assistant editor: London
Liz Webber	....	first assistant editor: London

Music Department
George Fenton	....	conductor
George Frideric Handel	....	music: from "Messiah"
Ian Samwell	....	composer: song "Watcha Gonna Do About It"
Robert Stewart	....	orchestrator: London
John Warren	....	orchestrator: London

Transportation Department
Harry J. Leavey	....	transportation captain: New York (as Harry Leavey)
Michael Marks	....	transportation captain: London

Other crew
Bi Benton	....	production office coordinator: London
Stefanie Brooks	....	assistant auditor: New York
Beryl Brown	....	assistant auditor: London
Stanley Burridge	....	production auditor: London
Robert Cohen	....	production assistant: New York
Matthew Coles	....	production office runner: London
Sophie Dasic	....	assistant to producer: London
Richard Dobson	....	location manager: London
Eileen Eichenstein	....	production office coordinator: New York
Mark Fitzmartin	....	production assistant: New York
Jeremy Flach	....	location assistant: New York
Josie Fulford	....	script supervisor: London
Nigel Gostelow	....	location assistant: London
Jeff Hammond	....	production assistant: New York
Tom Harvey	....	floor runner: London
Joy Helman	....	unit publicist
Jo Jones	....	production assistant: New York
Amy Kaplan	....	production assistant: New York
Alice Katz	....	production assistant: New York
Christine M. Kiolbassa	....	production assistant: New York (as Christine Kiolbassa)
Barbara R. Miller	....	production auditor: New York
Cornelia 'Nini' Rogan	....	script supervisor: New York (as Cornelia Rogan)
Jim Rubin	....	production office runner: New York
Steve Schottenfeld	....	location manager: New York (as Steven Schottenfeld)

Production Companies

• Brooksfilms
• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1988) (West Germany) (video)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• Choir of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York  special thanks
• Lee Electrics  lighting equipment
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Mutual Broadcasting System  special thanks
• National Screen  titles
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  special thanks
• New York Police Department Motion Picture Unit  special thanks
• Newmark & Co.  deco towers

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min | West Germany:95 min (video)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:G (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl | Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG (certificate #28282) | UK:PG | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London, England, UK

Company:

Brooksfilms

Trivia:

Although claimed to be a true story, at least one source implies that there was a bit of artistic license. Leo Marks, later a screenwriter, was the son of the bookstore's owner, and the head of codes and communication for Britain's special operatives and the underground during WWII, despite being barely old enough for college. In his book "Between Silk and Cyanide" he says of his father: "He never read the gentle little myth by Helene Hanff; Long before it was published he'd become one himself."

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Helene mentions that her new apartment is on Second Avenue. In one shot, we see the Guggenheim Museum outside the window. The Guggenheim is on Fifth Avenue.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Businessman on plane:Your first trip to London?
Helene Hanff:Yes.
Businessman on plane:You want a word of advice? Don't trust the cab drivers; they'll take you five miles to go three blocks... and, uh, don't waste your time looking at a street map. Nobody can find their way around London - not even Londoners.
Helene Hanff:Maybe I should go to Baltimore instead.
Businessman on plane:No; you'll enjoy it. London's a great place. What kind of trip is it - business or pleasure?
Helene Hanff:Unfinished business.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Larry King Live: Episode dated 27 July 1993" (1993)

A love story, but not the way you're thinking

Helene and Frank never actually say they love each other - hell, they never even meet - but they love each other in an unspoken way that people today would not understand. The movie never plays it for sappy romance; its way better than stooping to that level of convention. They are good to one another and enrich one another's life - isn't that love?

Hopkins has an amazing moment when Helene has to cancel her trip to London due to some much-needed dental work. His face shows so many things, all at once, that it really is beautiful and breaks my heart, no matter how often I see it.

For Oscar fans - this movie has four winners - Bancroft, Hopkins, Mercedes Ruehl and Judi Dench.

I am grateful that this movie got made with such care and humanity.