84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

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

Director:

David Hugh Jones (as David Jones)

Writers:

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

Stars:

Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins, Judi Dench

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

When a humorous script-reader in her New York apartment sees an ad in the Saturday Review of Literature for a bookstore in London that does mail order, she begins a very special correspondence and friendship with Frank Doel, the bookseller who works at Marks & Co., 84 Charing Cross Road.

---

Plot Keywords:

bookstore | correspondence | book | friendship | love | 

---

Taglines:

A true story

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nunca te vi, siempre te amé

Filming Locations:

Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,350, 16 February 1987, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,083,486

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brooksfilms, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The dramatic device of "breaking of the fourth wall" (speaking directly to the camera) is done in an unusual way in this film, as whenever Hamff speaks directly into the camera, she is speaking to her correspondent, Frank Doel, and when Doel speaks to the camera, he is speaking to Hamff. This did not originate in the screenplay, but in the stage play.

---

Goofs

In a street-shot near the funeral, there is a view of some houses with UHF TV aerials, though UHF TV broadcasting did not start in the UK until the mid 1960's.

---

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.

---

Crazy Credits

The production teams in New York and London were almost completely separate, and the closing credits reflect this: in front of a split screen showing Helene in New York and Frank in London, the crews for the two cities scroll side by side. In most cases the same jobs are shown in both columns, and the job titles are then shown in the center.

---

Connections

Features A Queen Is Crowned (1953)

User Reviews

A perfect movie: Perfect cast, timing, build-up and end+

This movie is as much about books as Bull Durham is about baseball or Rocky is about boxing. It is a story about people and relationships and the myriad things that can happen while we experience this thing called life. If a wonderfully acted, beautifully written movie dealing with that theme interests you then turn off the telephone, put the kids to bed, and curl up for an entrancing experience.