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Hanover Street

  • 1979
  • PG
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
6.3K
YOUR RATING
Harrison Ford and Lesley-Anne Down in Hanover Street (1979)
Margaret is a nurse in England during WW2, and married to a secret agent. Things get complicated when she falls for David, an American pilot.
Play trailer0:31
2 Videos
27 Photos
ActionAdventureDramaRomanceWar

Margaret is a nurse in England during WW2, and married to a secret agent. Things get complicated when she falls for David, an American pilot.Margaret is a nurse in England during WW2, and married to a secret agent. Things get complicated when she falls for David, an American pilot.Margaret is a nurse in England during WW2, and married to a secret agent. Things get complicated when she falls for David, an American pilot.

  • Director
    • Peter Hyams
  • Writer
    • Peter Hyams
  • Stars
    • Harrison Ford
    • Lesley-Anne Down
    • Christopher Plummer
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    6.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Peter Hyams
    • Writer
      • Peter Hyams
    • Stars
      • Harrison Ford
      • Lesley-Anne Down
      • Christopher Plummer
    • 69User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
    • 32Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos2

    Teaser Trailer
    Trailer 0:31
    Teaser Trailer
    Hanover Street: Boiled Water
    Clip 1:52
    Hanover Street: Boiled Water
    Hanover Street: Boiled Water
    Clip 1:52
    Hanover Street: Boiled Water

    Photos27

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    Top cast42

    Edit
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • David Halloran
    Lesley-Anne Down
    Lesley-Anne Down
    • Margaret Sellinger
    Christopher Plummer
    Christopher Plummer
    • Paul Sellinger
    Alec McCowen
    Alec McCowen
    • Major Trumbo
    Richard Masur
    Richard Masur
    • 2nd Lieut. Jerry Cimino
    Michael Sacks
    Michael Sacks
    • 2nd Lieut. Martin Hyer
    Patsy Kensit
    Patsy Kensit
    • Sarah Sellinger
    Max Wall
    Max Wall
    • Harry Pike
    Shane Rimmer
    Shane Rimmer
    • Col. Ronald Bart
    Keith Buckley
    Keith Buckley
    • Lieut. Wells
    Sherrie Hewson
    Sherrie Hewson
    • Phyllis
    Cindy O'Callaghan
    • Paula
    Di Trevis
    • Elizabeth
    Suzanne Bertish
    Suzanne Bertish
    • The French Girl
    Keith Alexander
    Keith Alexander
    • Soldier in Barn
    Jay Benedict
    Jay Benedict
    • Corporal Daniel Giler
    John Ratzenberger
    John Ratzenberger
    • Sgt. John Lucas
    Eric Stine
    • Farrell
    • Director
      • Peter Hyams
    • Writer
      • Peter Hyams
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews69

    6.06.2K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    6actionstar-89625

    Nice Mix of Romance and Action

    London 1943. A chance and interesting encounter happens between bomber pilot Lt. David Halloran (Harrison Ford) and nurse Margaret Sellinger (Lesley-Anne Down). Romance starts blossoming only for Halloran to find out she is already married. Her husband is within British intelligence Paul Sellinger (Christopher Plummer) and both men end up on the same mission during WWII in Germany.

    Extremely well-made by writer/director Peter Hyams and mixed with some awesome music from John Barry. To me the movie really hits it stride when Plummer is brought into the story. He is a wonderful actor, but he also adds a much needed push and spark to the story that was starting to feel a little stale. Also great to see Ford after he was in the mega-hit STAR WARS trying out his acting chops in other avenues like a serious romance, although when the 3rd act hits there is action as well. One problem I had though is at the end Margaret's character has not been through what the other two characters have in terms of their love for her. It's alright though as the ending does not ring hollow by any means. If you enjoy world war romance or want to see Ford in an early different role certainly worth checking out. Also starring Richard Masur.
    Kirpianuscus

    beautiful

    The story. The acting. The romanticism in the war time. And the sacrifice. Pillars of a classic about choices, friendship, honor, love and importance of meetings. Theoretical, a war film. In essence, only romance using the war as clothes. Its seduction force - to remind old things who define an universe of world out ordinary rules. Its virtue - to mix in coherent manner different stories who becomes one with many sides. A beautiful film for the admirable performances. And for the art of detail. For a form of heroism who remains noble and impressive and touching, remembering the Medieval stories. And for the atmosphere who defines in brilliant manner the drama of the lead characters. It could be discovered as classic romance or as war story. In essence, it is an admirable story about values.
    8spencersb

    What a romantic war movie should be

    I don't understand all of the negative comments about this movie. It's not like they set out to make another Gone With The Wind, people. I usually hate this kind of movie, but I loved this one! Ford was just beginning to come into his own as an actor, and did a wonderfully believable job. The plot, though a bit predictable, at least went about it in a reasonable way. Entertaining way to spend a couple of hours. I guess I'm just one of those people who doesn't understand what movie making "art" is all about. I've seen a lot of critically acclaimed films that I wouldn't use to balance a short table leg.
    6bkoganbing

    Old fashioned wartime romance

    Hanover Street is one of those old fashioned wartime romances so popular on both sides of the pond during and after World War II. At a time when a lot of people and nations united to defeat a generally recognized menace to civilization folks were in a sacrificing mood.

    American flier Harrison Ford and British army nurse Lesley Anne Down meet on Hanover Street and the chemistry is high voltage electric. Soon they are in an affair, but Down doesn't tell Ford she's already slightly married to Christopher Plummer.

    Plummer is in British Intelligence, a researcher and a trainer, but yearns for some field action feeling that Down might see him in a better life as he has suspicions that she's drifting away. Wouldn't you know it he takes on a field mission that involves him pretending to be an S.S. officer and he's to go to some S.S. headquarters in occupied France and steal some vital plans. This is the kind of plot that was popular during World War II years. The most famous were those sought after 'letters of transit' in Casablanca.

    That field mission puts him on Harrison Ford's bomber and when it's hit both have to bail out and Ford becomes part of the mission.

    Hanover Street is so old fashioned though Ford seems to borrow a bit of Han Solo from the future in his portrayal of the flier that it really belongs in the Forties. Only that Ford and Down are actually shown if discreetly having a sexual relationship that the Code would never permit you would swear this was a Forties film. In fact think Casablanca if want to know how this ends.

    If you like romances, Hanover Street is for you.
    5MRavenwood

    Gorgeous Score - Total Chick Film - w/ Spy Mission Thrown In

    This film has many great elements, but the whole things fails primarily due to overwrought dialogue that is very soap operatic with words put in character's mouths that mostly teenage girls would think of. Without John Barry's romantic score, this film would be pathetic, leaning towards hilarious.

    In any film, when two characters meet and fall in love there is a certain amount of time and shared experiences that pass in the story before the love between them is credible. In this film, the love is instant, deeply romantic -- yet torrid, and lasting. Completely impossible! Having said all that, the film still provides some great military movie sequences. There are some funny bits with Halloran and his co-pilot Cimino mouthing off during their missions and briefings. And a whole military caper pulled off by Halloran (Ford) and Mr. Sallinger (Plummer) which is both exciting and easy to follow.

    After a while, one realizes that Margaret Sallinger, (Down) never speaks her lines, she whispers them in a plaintive, teary voice, always on the verge of boo-hoo. This becomes grating after a while. Further, it makes the audience wonder what Halloran sees in her.

    Well, the answer to what the attraction is never comes, but the noble dialogue at the end is a struggle to listen to and is a riff on the immortal Casablanca "Hill of beans/Here's lookin' at you" farewell between Rick and Ilsa. It is well that this Hanover Street high-road sign-off sequence comes last as it is the most indulgent in melodrama. Still, Ford and Plummer work so effectively to make this movie almost passable that you really have to give them credit for their commitment to their characters.

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    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
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    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance
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    War

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film utilized actual North American B-25s Mitchell bomber planes which were flown over to England from the United States of America especially for the production of this movie. The B-25s flight to the UK was filmed and made into the documentary called B-25 Mitchells Do Fly IMC.
    • Goofs
      Halloran's hair, as well as that of most of the American servicemen in the film, is much too long for the World War II period.
    • Quotes

      David Halloran: I love you enough to let you go, which is more than I've ever felt about anyone in my life.

    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: A Little Romance, Love on the Run, Dawn of the Dead, Manhattan, Hanover Street, Firepower, Cannibal Girls (1979)
    • Soundtracks
      God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
      (uncredited)

      Traditional

      Arranged by John Barry

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    FAQ19

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 13, 1979 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Pasión y sacrificio
    • Filming locations
      • Woodstock Town Hall, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UK(Nazi Records Office)
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Hanover Street
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,000,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,000,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 49m(109 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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