10 of the greatest Yorkshire films of all time - including The Full Monty, Wild Child and Calendar Girls
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From The Full Monty, Funny Cow to Calendar Girls, Yorkshire is home to some of the best comedy films there is.
The sizable county boasts a plethora of open fields, coastal towns, local markets and big cities, which each make the perfect backdrop for a movie scene.
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Hide AdKnown as God’s Own County, Yorkshire has also raised some of the best actresses and actors including Tom Courtenay, Tony Pitts and Mark Addy.
So, let’s take a look at 10 of the best comedy films that were filmed in Yorkshire…
The Full Monty (1997)
Plot: Former steelworker Gaz discovers that his wife wants to sue him for missed child support payments. He and his friend Dave decide to start their own male strip-tease act as a way to make money.
Cast: The movie stars Yorkshire actors Mark Addy, Steve Huison, William Snape, Tom Wilkinson and Hugo Speer. It also stars Scottish actor Robert Carlyle and Liverpool-born actor Paul Barber.
Location: Various locations around Sheffield.
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Hide AdFour Lions (2010)
Plot: A group of men living in Sheffield hatch a plan to become suicide bombers. Omar and Waj join a training camp in Pakistan, while Faisal works on an unlikely scheme to train birds to carry bombs. Their plans end with an attempted terrorist attack at the London Marathon while dressed in costumes.
Cast: The main cast originates entirely from London, including Riz Ahmed as Omar, Kayvan Novak as Waj, Nigel Lindsay as Barry, Arsher Ali as Hassan, Adeel Akhtar as Faisal and Preeya Kalidas as Sofia, Omar’s wife.
Location: Various locations around Sheffield.
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (1999)
Plot: 18-year-old Vince is obsessed with the era of disco, until he falls in love with a punk girl Joanna, not realising she is his workmate in a solicitor’s office. Meanwhile Vince’s father Harold retires and reveals a knack for performing tricks and changes all their lives.
Cast: The movie stars Yorkshire actors Tom Courtenay as Harold Smith. It also stars Northern Irish comedian Michael Legge, Scottish singer Lulu, Scottish actress Laura Fraser, and English stars Stephen Fry, Amanda Root, David Thewlis, Charlie Hunnam and James Corden.
Location: Doncaster and Sheffield.
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Hide AdEverybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021)
Plot: Jamie New is a 16-year-old boy, who struggles to fit in and has ambitions of becoming a drag queen. He overcomes discrimination and bullying with the support of his mother and friends - and even attends the school prom in Drag.
Cast: Max Harwood takes on his debut acting role as Jamie New. Yorkshire stars include Ralph Ineson as Wayne New and Samuel Bottomley as Dean Paxton. The rest of the cast includes Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Adeel Akhtar, Sharon Horgan and Hugo Battersby/Loco Chanelle.
Location: Various locations around Sheffield.
Funny Cow (2018)
Plot: A comedian uses her tough upbringing as material for her stand-up routine and tries to break into the comedy circuit by performing at Northern England’s working men’s clubs.
Cast: The movie stars Sheffield actor Tony Pitts as Bob, as well as Maxine Peake, Paddy Considines, Stephen Graham and Alun Armstrong.
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Hide AdThe Festival (2018)
Plot: After he is dumped by his girlfriend at graduation, Nick is having a tough time until his best friend encourages him to attend a music festival.
Cast: The movie stars Joe Thomas as Nick Taylor, Hannah Tointon as Caitlin, Emma Rigby as Smurf Girl, Hammed Animashaun as Shane Simpson and Australian-actress Claudia O’Doherty as Amy.
Location: Some scenes were filmed at Leeds Festival with actual festival goers being used as extras in scenes with large crowds.
Father Christmas Is Back (2021)
Plot: Four sisters reunite for Christmas in a Yorkshire mansion (Birdsall House), and the long-kept secrets that tore their family apart many years ago get dug up.
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Hide AdCast: The festive movie stars Elizabeth Hurley as Joanna Christmas, Nathalie Cox as Caroline Christmas-Hope, John Cleese as John Christmas and Kelsey Grammer as James Christmas.
Location: Birdsall House near Malton, North Yorkshire.
Calendar Girls (2003)
Plot: Based on a true story, Chris, Annie and their friends pose nude for a calendar to raise funds for the hospital after Annie’s husband dies from cancer.
Cast: Yorkshire-born actress Penelope Wilton stars alongside Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Linda Bassett, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie, Geraldine James and Philip Glenister.
Location: Yorkshire Dales village Kettlewell portrayed fictional move village Knapely. Buckden, Burnsall, Conistone, Ilkley, Settle, Linton, Malham and Skipton were also used for filming.
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Hide AdWild Child (2008)
Plot: Poppy Moor, a 16-year-old rich girl from America, is shipped off to boarding school in England by her father. At the boarding school, Poppy meets rival head girl Harriet Bentley, strict headmistress Mrs Kingsley and Mrs Kingsley’s son Freddie.
Cast: New York actress Emma Roberts plays Poppy, alongside Alex Pettifer, Georgia King, Kimberley Nixon, Juno Temple, Linzey Cocker, Sophie Wu, Aidan Quinn and Natasha Richardson.
Location: It was partly filmed at the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth as well as areas in Keighley, Bradford, Harrogate and Robin Hood’s Bay in Scarborough.
Billy Liar (1963)
Plot: A young man has dreams of leaving his working class life and family but some irresponsible actions result in him lying to avoid penalties. Just as his life turns into a mess, he has an opportunity to run away and leave it behind.
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Hide AdCast: The movie stars Yorkshire actors Tom Courtenay, Wilfred Pickles, and Rodney Bewes, as well as other stars Julie Christie, Mona Washbourne, Rodney Bewes, Finlay Currie and Leonard Rossiter.
Location: Bradford, including the city’s war memorial on Prince’s Way.
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