The Long Good Friday (1980)

An up-and-coming gangster is tested by the insurgence of an unknown, very powerful threat.

Director:

John Mackenzie

Writer:

Barrie Keeffe

Stars:

Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Paul Freeman

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Freeman	...	Colin
Leo Dolan	...	Phil
Kevin McNally	...	Irish Youth
Patti Love	...	Carol
P.H. Moriarty	...	Razors
Derek Thompson	...	Jeff
Bryan Marshall	...	Harris
Bob Hoskins	...	Harold
Helen Mirren	...	Victoria
Ruby Head	...	Harold's Mother
Charles Cork	...	Eric
Olivier Pierre	...	Chef
Pierce Brosnan	...	1st Irishman
Daragh O'Malley	...	2nd Irishman
Dave King	...	Parky

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:

bomb | gangster | elevator | slaughterhouse | male rear nudity | 

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Taglines:

What should have been the greatest day of Harold's life suddenly becomes the longest.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Handmade Films Website

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

2 April 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crni petak za gangstere

Filming Locations:

The Salisbury Hotel, Green Lanes, Haringey, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Black Lion Films, Calendar Productions, HandMade Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bob Hoskins and Dame Helen Mirren appeared in Last Orders (2001). She also wrote his obituary in The Guardian.

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Goofs

Savoy Court is the only street in the UK where vehicles must drive on the right. However, towards the end of the film, we see they are driving on the left.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in The Adam and Joe Show: Episode #3.5 (1999)

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.