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 Wileman	...	Billy (as Philip Whileman)
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:

male full frontal nudity | american abroad | train station | soldier | sex scene | 

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Taglines:

Love during wartime.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's opening image is of a war memorial which is actually located in the town centre of Stalybridge, Lancashire, England.

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Goofs

Matt is a U.S. Army cook. On his Class A uniform, he is shown wearing the insignia of the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps as he assigned to such a unit. He actually should have been wearing the insignia of the Quartermaster Corps which handled food service for the troops.

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Quotes

Danny: [naked in an uncovered exterior shower, watching the Red Cross trucks pass] That's the Red Cross...they only do it for officers.
Matt: If you don't put your uniform on, they'll never tell the difference.

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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

Featured in Sneak Previews: Running/Head Over Heels/Skatetown, U.S.A./The Legacy/Yanks (1979)

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Soundtracks

I'll Be Seeing You
Sung by Anne Shelton
Music by Sammy Fain (uncredited)
Lyrics by Irving Kahal (uncredited)

User Reviews

Evocative and entertaining

The film works for me because it concentrates on the three relationships and lets the war get on with itself. It was written from a British viewpoint and reflects the experiences of many people in war-torn Britain who came in to contact with American servicemen. The impact of the arrival of so many hearty, healthy and relatively wealthy young men was massive. The film struck a chord with many people in the UK, both of my parent's generation - who lived through the war, and my generation - who had heard all about it. The fact that the film was set in the north of England accentuated the gulf which existed in our common language. Many a GI must have been baffled by our slang. The three relationships in the film worked quite well because each one was different. How many times must these events have happened for real? The film isn't as good as THE WAY TO THE STARS of 1945, but it did recreate the war-time atmosphere quite well and evokes a period of history which is still vivid in the minds of many who lived near US bases in the UK in WW2.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1979 (UK)

Also Known As:

Yanks

Filming Locations:

Moore, Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$3,931,010

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,931,010

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

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1