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Hennessy
Hennessy
Directed by	Don Sharp
Screenplay by	John Gay
Story by	Richard Johnson
Produced by	Peter Snell; executive; Samuel Z. Arkoff
Starring	Rod Steiger; Lee Remick; Richard Johnson
Cinematography	Ernest Steward
Edited by	Erik Boyd-Perkins
Music by	John Scott
Production; company	Hennessy Film Productions
Distributed by	American International Pictures (US); CIC (UK)
Release date	31 July 1975 (USA);
Running time	103 min
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$1,400,000

Hennessy is a 1975 British thriller film directed by Don Sharp and starring Rod Steiger, Trevor Howard, Lee Remick, Richard Johnson, Peter Egan, Stanley Lebor, Patrick Stewart and a young Patsy Kensit, the last two in their film debuts.^[2]^[3]

Plot

After the death of his family during a riot in Belfast, Niall Hennessy comes up with a plan to blow up the British Houses of Parliament.^[4]

Cast

Rod Steiger − Niall Hennessy
Lee Remick − Kate Brooke
Richard Johnson −Insp. Hollis
Trevor Howard − Cmdr. Rice
Peter Egan − Williams
Eric Porter − Tobin
Ian Hogg − Gerry
Stanley Lebor − Hawk
John Hallam − Boyle
Patrick Stewart − Tilney
David Collings − Covey
John Shrapnel − Tipaldi
Hugh Moxey − Stephen Burgess (M.P.)
Margery Mason − Housekeeper
Paul Brennan − Maguire
Paul Blake − Rally Leader
Patsy Kensit − Angie Hennessy

Production

The film was based on a story by actor Richard Johnson who called it "a modern re-telling of the Guy Fawkes story. There is absolutely no question of anyone trying to make entertainment out of terror. That is ridiculous."^[5]

"The film is not specifically orientated on politics," said Johnson. "It is simply a thriller using the Irish problem as a background."^[1]

The film was a co production between Peter Snell and American International Pictures (AIP). AIP sent a copy of a manuscript to John Gay who agreed to write the screenplay. The original director was John Guillermin and Gay says development involved three trips to London to confer with British Lion, who were co-producers, before the script was approved. Guillermin and Gay then flew to Italy to pitch the project to Rod Steiger, who was making a film about Mussolini. Steiger agreed to star.^[6]

Gay says that Guillermin then received an offer to direct The Towering Inferno so left the project.^[6] The film had no director for two months until the producers signed Don Sharp, then directing Callan.^[7]

Production started in February 1974 and finished in September.^[8]^[9] "It is not an agitational film," said Steiger. "This is a suspense thriller."^[10]

Since 1973 the IRA had undertaken a bombing campaign in England including the 1973 Old Bailey bombing, the Bombings of King's Cross and Euston stations, the 1973 Westminster bombing, the 1974 Houses of Parliament bombing, M62 coach bombing,1974 Tower of London bombing, the Guildford pub bombings, the Birmingham pub bombings, and the Woolwich pub bombing. This was why the Sunday Mirror called Hennessy "the most controversial British film made in years." Sam Arkoff of AIP said "We do not consider this a pro-IRA movie but we are very anxious to avoid public opinion in Britain. I think the film is brilliant. I realise the bombing campaign in Britain must have made people very bitter about the IRA. I ask people to see the film before they make up their minds."^[11]

Footage of Queen Elizabeth

The film contained footage of Queen Elizabeth II speaking at the State Opening of Parliament and apparently reacting to something happening in the House of Lords, taken in 1970. The clips were purchased by AIP from Movietone News and incorporated in the film. Johnson later said "We got permission before we even began filming. The film would not have been made as it has been made without it."^[5]

Buckingham Palace consented to use of the clip in the film but later said this was a misunderstanding as to the way the news footage would be used in the film and they would not do it again.^[12]^[13]

Release

The British Board of Film Classification initially refused to classify the film because of the footage. Producer Samuel Z. Arkoff managed to get it passed by adding a disclaimer stating that the British Royal Family had not participated and footage of the Queen was from newsreel and by cutting a six-second sequence where the Queen appeared to react to the explosion.^[12]

The Rank Organisation then refused to screen the film in its Odeon Cinemas, citing commercial reasons. EMI also refused to distribute it, with Chairman Sir Bernard Delfont claiming it was too sympathetic to the IRA to be shown at that time.^[13] Critics such as Alexander Walker protested against this.^[14]

As a result, it was only shown at a small number of independent cinemas.^[15] However John Gay says it was financially successful.^[6]

Richard Johnson said "people are going to see it, and I think that proves my point: controversy is the stuff of entertainment and there are enough moral watchdogs around already without everybody jumping in. Audiences want to be made to think, to react for or against something. No one wants to watch dull or boring films. There's no halfway mark with something like Hennessy. I just hope that those against it will be outnumbered by those who are for it."^[1]

Critical reception

The Guardian called it "quite a good thriller".^[16] The Los Angeles Times called it "routine but competent."^[17]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Otterburn-Hall, William (13 September 1975). "Actor voices no regret over role in controversial film". Star-Phoenix. p. 9.
^ Variety film review; 23 July 1975, page 20.
^ Vagg, Stephen (27 July 2019). "Unsung Aussie Filmmakers: Don Sharp – A Top 25". Filmink.
^ BFI.org
^ ^a ^b Steele, Peter (28 January 1975). "Talks on Row over Queen in Film". Evening Standard. p. 8.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gay, John (2009). Anyway I can: fifty years in showbusiness. Bear Manor Media. pp. 164–165. ISBN 9781593933180.
^ Sharp, Don (2 November 1993). "Don Sharp Side 6" (Interview). Interviewed by Teddy Darvas and Alan Lawson. London: History Project. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
^ anonymous (1974). "no title". Journal: Society of Film and Television Arts. 1–2: 20. {{cite journal}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
^ Great Scenes on Film in 'The Movies' Haber, Joyce. Los Angeles Times 13 Feb 1974: e7.
^ "The day Steiger went wild". Evening Standard. 27 September 1974. p. 26.
^ Sheard, John (1 December 1974). "Rod's Big Bombshell". Sunday Mirror. p. 1.
^ ^a ^b News Clip of Queen Causes Film Flap Los Angeles Times 7 June 1975: f18.
^ ^a ^b Royal flush The Guardian 24 June 1975: 15.
^ Massey, Patrick (13 July 1975). "Movies: Critics boo British ban on 'Hennessy'". Chicago Tribune. p. e15.
^ Kevin Rockett (1996). The Irish Filmography: Fiction Films, 1896-1996. Red Mountain Media. p. 184. ISBN 0952669803.
^ "Offer they couldn't defuse: Derek Malcolm reviews new films". The Guardian. 17 July 1975. p. 10.
^ Champlin, Charles (30 July 1975). "MOVIE REVIEW: 'Hennessy' Has Royal Look 'Hennessy' Gets Royal Treatment". Los Angeles Times. p. e1.