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''Yanks'' is a 1979 drama film directed by John Schlesinger, and starring Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane,
Lisa Eichhorn Lisa Eichhorn (born February 4, 1952) is an American actress, writer and producer. She made her film debut in 1979 in the John Schlesinger film '' Yanks'', for which she received two Golden Globe nominations. Her international career has includ ...
and
Tony Melody Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
. The film is set during the Second World War in Northern England and features no combat scenes. The film depicts the relationships between American soldiers stationed in semi-rural England and the local population during the build-up to
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
in 1944. In particular, three romances between US service personnel and local women are shown, in order to explore the effects of the cultural differences between the brash
GIs A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...
or "Yanks" and the more reserved British population. The World Premier was held June 1, 1979 at a theater in Bournemouth, England. Lisa Eichhorn was present at the premier which had invited returning D-Day veterans from many American divisions - most notably the American 29th Division. Leader of the returning 29ers was Sgt Curtis C. Williams who was 19 on D-Day.


Plot

A small northern town soon finds out that a large U.S. Army base is being established for the build-up to the Normandy landings. Soon thousands of rambunctious
American troops The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
, or "
Yanks ''Yanks'' is a 1979 drama film directed by John Schlesinger, and starring Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane, Lisa Eichhorn and Tony Melody. The film is set during the Second World War in Northern England and features no combat scen ...
" as they are known to the British, descend upon the area. On leave in the town, Technical Sergeant Matt Dyson, encounters Jean Moreton while out to the cinema. She is the fiancée of Ken, a British soldier fighting overseas, and initially rebuffs Matt's advances. He is quite persistent, and she, doubtful about her relationship with Ken, eventually accepts him. The handsome, brash American is in stark contrast to the restrained Englishmen she has known. Soon, she is keeping company with Matt, though it is largely platonic at first. For her part, Helen is a bit more worldly in her affairs. Captain John comes to her estate often, and a relationship develops. They are both married, but her husband is away at sea, and his wife is thousands of miles distant. Eventually, the kind-hearted Matt Dyson is accepted by the Moreton family, notwithstanding Jean's engagement. They welcome his visits, when he, as an army cook, often brings hard-to-find foods normally on wartime rationing and other presents. But when news of Ken's death in action arrives, Jean's ailing mother condemns their relationship as a kind of betrayal. Jean and Matt travel together to a
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
seaside resort, where they make love but without completion when Matt realizes the uncertainty of the future. Jean is crushed, although Matt says "not like this." She feels spurned, and that her willingness to risk everything has not been matched by him, concluding that he is "not ready" for her. Shortly afterwards, the Americans ship out by troop train to Southern England to prepare for D-Day. A characteristic last-minute gift and message from Matt prompt Jean into racing to the railway station. With the town and station a hive of activity, hundreds of the townswomen, some of them pregnant from liaisons with men they may never see again, scramble to catch one last glimpse of their American boyfriends before the train leaves. Matt shouts from the departing train that he will return.


Cast

* Richard Gere as Technical Sergeant Matt Dyson *
Lisa Eichhorn Lisa Eichhorn (born February 4, 1952) is an American actress, writer and producer. She made her film debut in 1979 in the John Schlesinger film '' Yanks'', for which she received two Golden Globe nominations. Her international career has includ ...
as Jean Moreton * Vanessa Redgrave as Helen * William Devane as Captain John *
Chick Vennera Francis Vincent Vennera (March 27, 1947 – July 7, 2021) was an American actor, known for his role as Joe Mondragon, in Robert Redford's ''The Milagro Beanfield War'', among other movies. He also often served as a voice double for Joe Pesci. A ...
as Sergeant Danny Ruffelo * Wendy Morgan as Mollie * Rachel Roberts as Mrs. Clarrie Moreton *
Chick Vennera Francis Vincent Vennera (March 27, 1947 – July 7, 2021) was an American actor, known for his role as Joe Mondragon, in Robert Redford's ''The Milagro Beanfield War'', among other movies. He also often served as a voice double for Joe Pesci. A ...
as Danny Ruffelo * Arlen Dean Snyder as Henry * Annie Ross as Red Cross Lady *
Tony Melody Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
as Mr. Jim Moreton * Derek Thompson as Ken *
Joe Gladwin Joseph Gladwin (22 January 1906 – 11 March 1987) was an English actor, best known for his roles as Fred Jackson in Coronation Street, Stan Hardman in Nearest and Dearest, and Wally Batty in the world's longest-running sitcom, ''Last of the ...
as Plumber at camp


Production

Schlesinger was able to obtain the finance to make ''Yanks'' - which was a personal project - because of the financial success of his 1976 suspense film '' Marathon Man''.Phillips, Gene D. ''Major Film Directors of the American and British Cinema, Volume 1999''.
Lehigh University Press Lehigh University Press is the publishing house of Lehigh University. Lehigh's university press was a member of the Associated University Presses consortium; other members included Bucknell University Press, University of Delaware Press, Susqueh ...
, 1999
238
Retrieved from Google Books on January 30, 2012. , .
Much of the filming took place on location in Northern England between April and August 1978. Scenes were shot on location in Oldham,
Glossop Glossop is a market town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is located east of Manchester, north-west of Sheffield and north of the county town, Matlock. Glossop lies near Derbyshire's borders with Cheshire, Greater Manches ...
,
Stalybridge Stalybridge () is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 23,731 at the 2011 Census. Historic counties of England, Historically divided between Cheshire and Lancashire, it is east of Manchester city centre and no ...
,
Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is within ...
, Salford and other surrounding areas. The opening shot of the film is the war memorial in
Stalybridge Stalybridge () is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 23,731 at the 2011 Census. Historic counties of England, Historically divided between Cheshire and Lancashire, it is east of Manchester city centre and no ...
town centre. Other scenes were filmed at the town hall in Hyde and outside a pillbox attached to a former
Royal Ordnance Factory Royal Ordnance Factories (ROFs) was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories during and after the Second World War. Until privatisation, in 1987, they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply, and later the Ministr ...
in
Steeton, West Yorkshire Steeton is a village in the City of Bradford metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated approximately south-east from Skipton, north-west from Keighley and just south of the ...
. The main street procession was filmed in the Ordsall area of Salford, where the entire length of Regent Road was redressed to period appearance. All the shop fronts were replaced or covered over and the road-lines were covered by gravel. The cinema sequences, however, were shot at the Davenport Theatre / Cinema, in Stockport. This was chosen because of its authentic, period Art Deco interior, as well as the presence, in the orchestra pit, of a Compton 3 Manual/6 Rank theatre organ on a lift to the left of the stage. This was used in the film for scenes involving an audience sing-along, to such songs as "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" and "Deep in the Heart of Texas," Exterior shots of the unnamed Welsh resort were filmed along Happy Valley Road,
Llandudno Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigsi ...
, North Wales. The ending, where the troops board their train to head to the front, were filmed at
Keighley railway station Keighley railway station serves the town of Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. The station is located on the Airedale line, with electric services to , and provided by Northern, along with longer distance services to and . The station is ...
on the line belonging to the
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is a heritage railway line in the Worth Valley, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the National Rail network at Keighley railway station. History Inception and ...
. An authentic Second World War locomotive, which is preserved by the heritage railway, was used for the scene.
Lisa Eichhorn Lisa Eichhorn (born February 4, 1952) is an American actress, writer and producer. She made her film debut in 1979 in the John Schlesinger film '' Yanks'', for which she received two Golden Globe nominations. Her international career has includ ...
said one of her most difficult scenes in the film was where she offers herself to her boyfriend, Matt, only to be rejected. "The difficult part was dealing with the nudity in that scene," she said. "I'd never done any on the stage, and didn't think I'd have to do it in my first movie. I didn't want to get the reputation of an actress who easily disrobes."


Reception

The film was a box office flop in the US only making $1.6 million in rentals.THE BIG THUDS OF 1979--FILMS THAT FLOPPED, BADLY Epstein, Andrew. Los Angeles Times 27 Apr 1980: o6. The film received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 57% based on reviews from 21 critics.


References


External links

* * * * * {{John Schlesinger 1979 films 1979 romantic drama films 1970s war drama films American romantic drama films American war drama films British romantic drama films British war drama films West German films English-language German films War romance films Films directed by John Schlesinger Films scored by Richard Rodney Bennett Films set in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham Films set on the home front during World War II Films with screenplays by Walter Bernstein Films shot in Greater Manchester Universal Pictures films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films 1970s British films