Bellman and True (1987)

Hiller, a computer expert, was bribed by group of bank robbers to obtain details of the security system at a newly-built bank. Having obtained the information, he thought he'd seen the last... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writers:

Richard Loncraine, Desmond Lowden (novel),

Stars:

Bernard Hill, Derek Newark, Richard Hope

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bernard Hill	...	Hiller
Derek Newark	...	Guv'nor
Richard Hope	...	Salto
Ken Bones	...	Gort
Frances Tomelty	...	Anna
Kieran O'Brien	...	The Boy
John Kavanagh	...	Donkey
Arthur Whybrow	...	The Peterman
Jim Dowdall	...	The Wheelman
Peter Howell	...	The Bellman
Kate McEnery	...	Mo
Anne Carroll	...	Pauline
Richard Strange	...	Man with Walkman
Peter Jonfield	...	Security Sergeant
Andrew Paul	...	Young Security Guard

Storyline

Hiller, a computer expert, was bribed by group of bank robbers to obtain details of the security system at a newly-built bank. Having obtained the information, he thought he'd seen the last of the robbers. But now they've traced him and his son to London. They hold the son hostage and force Hiller to decode the information about the alarm and then to take part in the robbery.

---

Plot Keywords:

computer | bank robbery | based on novel | independent film

---

Taglines:

They kidnapped his son. They forced him to steal 14 million dollars. Then they made their biggest mistake. They trusted him.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 April 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bellman and True - Gangster wider Willen

Filming Locations:

Dungeness, Kent, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$226,944 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Euston Films, HandMade Films, Thames Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min 150 min (3 episodes: TV) 117 min (VHS/DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is taken from the 18th century ballad "Do Ye Ken John Peel", a song about fox-hunting. It is presumably a rather obscure allusion to the way that the bank robbers have hunted down Hiller and won't let him go again.

---

Goofs

When the robbers' Daimler Sovereign getaway car is first seen after the robbery, its two inner headlights are smashed and are not lit. A few seconds later, when the car drives through the greenhouses, those lights are unbroken and are lit.

---

Quotes

[Telling The Boy the story of "The Continuing Saga of Sod's Law - You Just Can't Win", an idealised but thinly-disguised version of his own life with his wife, "The Princess", who has now left him for a new lover, the owner of the Rover 2000S]
The Boy: The Princess? Was she there?
Hiller: Yeah.
The Boy: The Princess who smoked French cigarettes and was beautiful when she wasn't looking.
Hiller: We only had one rule. We didn't let anyone in who had a Rover 2000S. 2000 Smegma.
The Boy: Why?
Hiller: [bitterly] Because people with Rover 2000 Smegmas ...
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

The end-credits are overlaid on a long drawing that scrolls sideways, depicting Hiller's and The Boy's plane as it leaves London, flies over the Atlantic and arrives at Rio.

---

Connections

Remade as Firewall (2006)

User Reviews

Brilliant British Bank Heist Movie!

I'm a huge fan of "heist" movies, a sub-species of "caper" movies. And there's something especially delicious about the British argot that makes British heist movies especially great fun. ("Sexy Beast," "The Great Train Robbery," "The General" all add to this list)

But across all heist movies "Bellman and True" is my all-time favorite. Bernard Hill gives one of his most nuanced performances as an alcoholic computer programmer who is left with his girlfriend's son ("True") when she dumps both of them. To get out of debt he's sold some information to a gang about bank security, but now he and the boy are on the run because the gang wants more than information--they want him to help plan the heist.

I won't give away anything more, but the heist itself is a white knuckle masterpiece, directed by Richard Longcraine (Richard III, with Ian McKellen, and Smiley's People, with Alec Guiness).

Through it all Russell is surrounded by more than a dozen great performances by some of the UK's finest character actors. Richard Hope as "Salto," is especially strong, as the gang member assigned to be Russell and the boy's jailer.

Trust me---the caper, which makes up the second half of the film, is worth a viewing on its own, but the strong characters and acting make it a real hidden gem of 1980s British cinema. This film jump started Longcraine's career, which recently included "Wimbledon," "My House in Umbria," and the to be released Harrison Ford thriller "Firewall."