Hope and Glory (1987)

Director:

John Boorman

Writer:

John Boorman (written by)

Release Date:

November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The epic story of a world at war. And a boy at play.

Plot:

A semiautobiographical project by John Boorman about a nine year old boy called Bill as he grows up in London during the blitz of World War 2...

Plot Keywords:

Boy | School | Sex | Gun | Bomb Shelter

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Sebastian Rice-Edwards	...	Bill Rowan (as Sebastian Rice Edwards)
Geraldine Muir	...	Sue Rowan
Sarah Miles	...	Grace Rowan
David Hayman	...	Clive Rowan
Sammi Davis	...	Dawn Rowan
Derrick O'Connor	...	Mac
Susan Wooldridge	...	Molly
Jean-Marc Barr	...	Cpl. Bruce Carrey
Ian Bannen	...	Grandfather George
Annie Leon	...	Grandma
Jill Baker	...	Faith
Amelda Brown	...	Hope
Katrine Boorman	...	Charity
Colin Higgins	...	Clive's Pal
Shelagh Fraser	...	WVS Woman
Gerald James	...	Headmaster
Barbara Pierson	...	Teacher
Nicky Taylor	...	Roger
Jodie Andrews	...	Roger's Gang
Nicholas Askew	...	Roger's Gang
Jamie Bowman	...	Roger's Gang
Colin Dale	...	Roger's Gang
David Parkin	...	Roger's Gang
Carlton Taylor	...	Roger's Gang
Sara Langton	...	Pauline Gladroy
Imogen Cawrse	...	Jennifer Baker
Susan Brown	...	Mrs. Evans
Charley Boorman	...	Luftwaffe Pilot
Peter Hughes	...	Policeman
Ann Thornton	...	Honeymoon Couple (Movie)
Andrew Bicknell	...	Honeymoon Couple (Movie)
Christine Croshaw	...	Pianist
William Armstrong	...	Canadian Sergeant
Arthur Cox	...	Fireman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Neville Chamberlain	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Vic Flick	...	Guitarist in Dance Band (uncredited)
King George VI	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
John Boorman

Writing credits
John Boorman		(written by)

Produced by
John Boorman	....	producer
Michael Dryhurst	....	co-producer
Jake Eberts	....	executive producer
Edgar F. Gross	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Peter Martin

Cinematography by
Philippe Rousselot

Film Editing by
Ian Crafford

Casting by
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Anthony Pratt

Art Direction by
Don Dossett

Set Decoration by
Joanne Woollard		(as Joan Woollard)

Costume Design by
Shirley Russell

Makeup Department
Joan Carpenter	....	hair stylist
Anna Dryhurst	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andy Armstrong	....	assistant director
Michael Dryhurst	....	second unit director
Melvin Lind	....	assistant director
Julian Wall	....	assistant director

Art Department
George Ball	....	property master
Maurice Jones	....	propman
Ted Michell	....	scenic artist
Syd Nightingale	....	construction manager
Kevin Phipps	....	assistant art director (as Keiron Phipps)
Graeme Purdy	....	propman
Gary Tomkins	....	draughtsman
Martin Laing	....	art department assistant (uncredited)
Bob Sherwood	....	stand-by propman (uncredited)
Mark White	....	construction (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don Brown	....	sound maintenance
Ron Davis	....	sound editor
Peter Handford	....	sound recordist
John Hayward	....	sound mixer
Paul Smith	....	dialogue editor
John Stevenson	....	boom operator
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michael Collins	....	special effects
Rodney Fuller	....	special effects
Phil Stokes	....	special effects designer
Martin Gutteridge	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Alan Church	....	optical camera (uncredited)

Stunts
Stuart St. Paul	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ronald Anscombe	....	camera focus
Murray Close	....	still photographer
Chuck Finch	....	gaffer
Tommy Finch	....	best boy (as Tom Finch)
Mike Fox	....	camera operator
Bill Geddes	....	camera grip
John Harris	....	additional photographer
Jason Wrenn	....	assistant camera
Jamie Harcourt	....	focus puller: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sue Honeybourne	....	wardrobe assistant
Steve Hubbard	....	wardrobe master
James Langan	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Pat Brennan	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Michael Clifford	....	music editor
Peter Martin	....	conductor
Peter Martin	....	orchestrator
Helen Sava	....	music researcher

Other crew
Telsche Boorman	....	drama coach: children
Sheila Collins	....	production coordinator
Peter Cotton	....	location manager
Lynda Levy	....	unit publicist
Norma Paulsen	....	production liaison
Elaine Schreyeck	....	script supervisor
John Taylor	....	aerial coordinator
Anthony Van Laast	....	choreographer
Ray Hanna	....	pilot (uncredited)
Pauline Hume	....	graphic artist: titles (uncredited)
Adam Samuelson	....	louma crane technician (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Nelson Entertainment (in association with)
• Goldcrest Films International (in association with) (as Goldcrest)
• Davros Films

Distributors

• Columbia-Cannon-Warner (1987) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video Ltd. (1987) (UK) (VHS)
• Nelson Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Video Collection International (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Editora Peixes (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates

Other Companies

• Mayflower Recording  adr recording

Also Known As:

"Esperança e Glória" - Brazil, Portugal (imdb display title)
"Esperanza y gloria" - Argentina, Spain
"Anni '40" - Italy
"Elpida kai doxa" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Hoffnung und Ruhm" - West Germany
"Hope and Glory - Der Krieg der Kinder" - West Germany
"La esperanza y la gloria" - Peru (imdb display title)
"La guerre à sept ans" - France
"Nada i slava" - Croatia
"Nadzieja i chwala" - Poland
"Odotuksia" - Finland
"Remény és dicsőség" - Hungary
"Umut ve zafer" - Turkey (Turkish title)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Croydon, London, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Trevor Howard was replaced by Ian Bannen.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Bill is being chased, the dog is running next to him in the last couple of shots.

Quotes:

Teacher:[jabbing at a map of the world, with the British Empire lands in pink] Pink. Pink. Pink. Pink. What are all the pink bits? Rowan.
Bill Rowen:They're ours, Miss.
Teacher:Yes. The British Empire. Arthur... what fraction of the earth's surface is British?
Arthur in Roger's Gang:Don't know, Miss.
Teacher:Anyone? Jennifer Baker?
Jennifer Baker:Two-fifths, Miss.
Teacher:Yes, two-fifths! Ours. That's what this war is all about. Men are fighting and dying to save all the pink bits for you ungrateful little twerps.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Sodankylä ikuisesti: Elokuvan vuosisata (#1.1)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Serenade in G K.525 (Eine kleine Nachtmusik)

Through the eyes of a child

Undoubtably one of the best movies about "the home front" of WWII, Hope and Glory effectively recalls the child's perspective of living amidst the rubble of the Blitz. The film's strength, in my view, is how people tried their best to maintain their normal lives and customs as their world crumbled around them, both literally and figuratively.

The young man playing the central character does a fine job of bringing Boorman's childhood to life. The natural ability of children to adjust to change (but not without consequences) is brilliantly depicted. The "gang" sequences were not only funny but also felt remarkably true, especially the collection of plundered booty and scrap war material. It's just the type of mischief you'd expect from letting the boys run wild through this type of damage.

Sarah Miles and Sammi Davis are excellent as the mother and older sister to the central character; their interaction shows the damage war does to relationships and moral values. The highlight for me was the grandfather, however. The gentleman stole every scene in which he appears. The final scenes of the movie show his delight in his grandson in such a novel and moving way that it became almost the film's highlight.

I worked with a man who lived in London during the war, when he would have been the same age as the boy in this story. He told me that he considered this movie the best one he'd ever seen on World War II and recommended that I watch it. I've never regretted it. Thanks, Jack.