Bellman and True

1987
R
2h 30m

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

560

YOUR RATING

Play trailer3:15

1 Video

5 Photos

Crime Drama

Hiller, a computer expert, was bribed by group of bank robbers to obtain details of the security system at a newly-built bank. Having obtained the information, he thought he'd seen the last ... Read allHiller, a computer expert, was bribed by group of bank robbers to obtain details of the security system at a newly-built bank. Having obtained the information, he thought he'd seen the last of the robbers. But now they've traced him and his son to London. They hold the son hostag... Read allHiller, a computer expert, was bribed by group of bank robbers to obtain details of the security system at a newly-built bank. Having obtained the information, he thought he'd seen the last of the robbers. But now they've traced him and his son to London. They hold the son hostage and force Hiller to decode the information about the alarm and then to take part in the ... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

560

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Videos1

Trailer 3:15

Watch Bellman And True

Photos5

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The title is taken from the names of two fox-hounds mentioned in the lyrics of the 18th century ballad "Do Ye Ken John Peel", a song about fox-hunting. In the movie, however, "bellman" is slang for an expert on alarm systems, a job that Hiller (Bernard Hill) takes over from one of the gang (Peter Howell).

Goofs
When the robbers' Daimler Sovereign getaway car is first seen after the robbery, its two inner headlights are smashed and are not lit. A few seconds later, when the car drives through the greenhouses, those lights are unbroken and are lit.

Quotes
[Telling The Boy the story of "The Continuing Saga of Sod's Law - You Just Can't Win", an idealised but thinly-disguised version of his own life with his wife, "The Princess", who has now left him for a new lover, the owner of the Rover 2000S]
The Boy: The Princess? Was she there?
Hiller: Yeah.
The Boy: The Princess who smoked French cigarettes and was beautiful when she wasn't looking.
Hiller: We only had one rule. We didn't let anyone in who had a Rover 2000S. 2000 Smegma.
The Boy: Why?
Hiller: [bitterly] Because people with Rover 2000 Smegmas live in four-bedroom fake Georgian houses. They marry St Bernard dogs called Darling. And they have nasty little kids in green jumpsuits who come in through the window on a wire and say "Gosh!" and all that sort of thing.
The Boy: But someone like that, we'd never have let them in. The Princess wouldn't have liked them at all.
Hiller: No she wouldn't.

Crazy credits
SPOILER: The end-credits are overlaid on a long drawing that scrolls sideways, depicting Hiller's and The Boy's plane as it leaves London, flies over the Atlantic and arrives at Rio.

Alternate versions
Released in two versions: a 150-minute version on ITV in the UK, shown in three one-hour episodes on consecutive nights on 5-7 June 1989; and an edited version shown in cinemas and released on video, which omits some of the preparation leading up to the robbery.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: A Time of Destiny/Bellman and True/High Season/The Moderns/Tokyo Pop (1988)

Soundtracks
John Peel
Sung by Lonnie Donegan

User reviews6

Review

Featured review

8/10

This is the REAL McCoy

A fired computer programmer (Bernard Hill) has been hired by a gang of bank robbers to steal confidential computer information from his previous employer. The problem is, the information is encoded. He takes his son along with his payment and runs away but gets stuck when the money runs out. He returns home only to be confronted by his "new" employers. He is forced to decode the information he stole so that the robbers can use it. His son is kept hostage until he has what they want. It gets more involved when the plans change and he has to go along on the robbery to disable the alarm system. This movie is a great heist movie. The video release has been edited so much it doesn't explain important parts in the plot. There is a unedited version out there that shows more details but is usually only shown in full on TV.

This movie was the original for which the 1993 movie The Real McCoy was based on. Only this one is better!