Harry's Game
Encyclopedia
Harry's Game is a British television
miniseries made by Yorkshire Television
for ITV
in 1982. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Seymour
, which was published in 1975.
The three-part serial starred Ray Lonnen
as Capt. Harry Brown, a British soldier, sent undercover to Northern Ireland
to find information to arrest Billy Downes (Derek Thompson), a Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) gunman. The series' theme tune
was performed by Clannad and was successfully released as a single, reaching the top five in both Ireland and the United Kingdom and bringing Clannad its first major international exposure.
Henry Danby being shot dead by an IRA
gunman Billy Downes, who then escapes to Belfast
. Army officer Harry Brown is sent undercover into Belfast's Catholic community to track down the assassin. Brown is chosen for the mission because he is an Ulsterman who had previously done similar work in Oman
.
Given the cover identity of merchant seaman Harry McEvoy, he finds lodgings in the Falls Road area, and secures a job in a scrapyard. He dates a Catholic Josephine Laverty and unknowingly encounters Downes in a local club, which is raided by the British Army. A British soldier recognises Harry, but ignores him and arrests Downes, who is interrogated but set free. Harry tips off his superiors that the killer was at the club and Theresa a girl who's family home Billy stayed the night at while on the run knows his name. Theresa is arrested, but caught between the police interrogator Rennie and her fear of the IRA if she talks, she hangs herself in prison before revealing Downes' identity. When Josephine realises Harry must have passed on the information about Theresa, she tells him to leave while he can, but he refuses, saying Danby's killer cannot be allowed to get away with it.
News of Harry's presence in Belfast is reported to the IRA by a waiter who overheard two army officers discussing it at his restaurant, and the local IRA boss starts checking all new arrivals, including Harry.
The IRA start to hunt Harry down. With two other gunmen, Downes ambush
es Harry, who shoots the gunmen down, and forces a passing driver to chase their car as Downes escapes. Harry follows Downes to his own home, which is under surveillance by the army. Harry shoots the unarmed Downes in the street in front of his wife, and is himself shot by the soldiers watching the house, who think he is a terrorist. Injured and bleeding in the street, Harry is confronted by Downes's wife, who then shoots him in the head using Harry's own revolver.
The film closes with a narrator reading a part of a poem written by the daughter of an IRA victim (William Staunton, a 46 year-old Catholic shot dead by the IRA on 25 January 1973, near Saint Dominic's School, Falls Road): "Don't cry, Mummy said. They've hurt themselves much more. They can walk and run, Daddy can't".
, England
. Yorkshire Television filmed most of the scenes in a now-demolished housing district in Burley
, which was adjacent to their Leeds Studios.
The footage filmed in Belfast include shots of the Falls Road
and the city, including the scene where Harry is frisked on entry to the City Centre (there was a permanent check-point for pedestrians there for many years), whilst some of the final scenes overlooking the cityscape took place in Holywood
, County Down
and close to the military/MI5 barracks.
network as three 52-to-54 minute episodes over consecutive nights from 25 to 27 October 1982, and was later edited into a single 130 minute programme titled Harry's Game - The Movie. While Clannad's theme tune for it became their breakthrough hit, the film itself was not widely seen in the US or widely available on video, although it appeared in Canada titled Belfast Assassin. The original, unedited three-part serial was released on DVD in the United Kingdom in 2005.
In 1997, a film called The Informant
was released with Timothy Dalton
as Rennie, and Sean McGinley as Frankie. This film was based on Field of Blood, also by Seymour. The character of Rennie also appeared in Seymour's book The Journeyman Tailor.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
miniseries made by Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 1982. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Seymour
Gerald Seymour
Gerald Seymour is a British writer.-Life:The son of two literary figures, he was educated at Kelly College at Tavistock in Devon and took a BA Hons degree in Modern History at University College London...
, which was published in 1975.
The three-part serial starred Ray Lonnen
Ray Lonnen
Ray Lonnen is an English stage and television actor. His most prominent roles include Willie Caine in the cold-war spy drama series The Sandbaggers , and also as Harry Brown in the television mini-series Harry's Game .-Television career:Lonnen's early television appearances include The Power Game ,...
as Capt. Harry Brown, a British soldier, sent undercover to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
to find information to arrest Billy Downes (Derek Thompson), a Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) gunman. The series' theme tune
Theme from Harry's Game
"Theme from Harry's Game" or just "Harry's Game" is a BAFTA-nominated hit song by Irish group Clannad, written by Pól Brennan. It was released in 1982 and served as the main track from their album Magical Ring...
was performed by Clannad and was successfully released as a single, reaching the top five in both Ireland and the United Kingdom and bringing Clannad its first major international exposure.
Plot
The story begins with Cabinet ministerMinister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
Henry Danby being shot dead by an IRA
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
gunman Billy Downes, who then escapes to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. Army officer Harry Brown is sent undercover into Belfast's Catholic community to track down the assassin. Brown is chosen for the mission because he is an Ulsterman who had previously done similar work in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
.
Given the cover identity of merchant seaman Harry McEvoy, he finds lodgings in the Falls Road area, and secures a job in a scrapyard. He dates a Catholic Josephine Laverty and unknowingly encounters Downes in a local club, which is raided by the British Army. A British soldier recognises Harry, but ignores him and arrests Downes, who is interrogated but set free. Harry tips off his superiors that the killer was at the club and Theresa a girl who's family home Billy stayed the night at while on the run knows his name. Theresa is arrested, but caught between the police interrogator Rennie and her fear of the IRA if she talks, she hangs herself in prison before revealing Downes' identity. When Josephine realises Harry must have passed on the information about Theresa, she tells him to leave while he can, but he refuses, saying Danby's killer cannot be allowed to get away with it.
News of Harry's presence in Belfast is reported to the IRA by a waiter who overheard two army officers discussing it at his restaurant, and the local IRA boss starts checking all new arrivals, including Harry.
The IRA start to hunt Harry down. With two other gunmen, Downes ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
es Harry, who shoots the gunmen down, and forces a passing driver to chase their car as Downes escapes. Harry follows Downes to his own home, which is under surveillance by the army. Harry shoots the unarmed Downes in the street in front of his wife, and is himself shot by the soldiers watching the house, who think he is a terrorist. Injured and bleeding in the street, Harry is confronted by Downes's wife, who then shoots him in the head using Harry's own revolver.
The film closes with a narrator reading a part of a poem written by the daughter of an IRA victim (William Staunton, a 46 year-old Catholic shot dead by the IRA on 25 January 1973, near Saint Dominic's School, Falls Road): "Don't cry, Mummy said. They've hurt themselves much more. They can walk and run, Daddy can't".
Location
Much of Harry's Game was not shot on the streets of Belfast, but rather in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Yorkshire Television filmed most of the scenes in a now-demolished housing district in Burley
Burley, Leeds
Burley is a suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, characterised by the red brick terraced housing, much of which was built in the period 1899 - 1903 and green spaces. Sometimes called 'The Cardigan Triangle , it stretches north from the main Kirkstall Road, towards Hyde Park and...
, which was adjacent to their Leeds Studios.
The footage filmed in Belfast include shots of the Falls Road
Falls Road
The Falls Road is the main road through west Belfast in Northern Ireland; from Divis Street in Belfast city centre to Andersonstown in the suburbs. Its name is synonymous with the republican communities in the city. It is known as one of the more famous streets in Northern Ireland, drawing many...
and the city, including the scene where Harry is frisked on entry to the City Centre (there was a permanent check-point for pedestrians there for many years), whilst some of the final scenes overlooking the cityscape took place in Holywood
Holywood
Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby. The town hosts an annual jazz and blues festival.-Name:...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
and close to the military/MI5 barracks.
Broadcast and distribution history
The serial was originally screened on the ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network as three 52-to-54 minute episodes over consecutive nights from 25 to 27 October 1982, and was later edited into a single 130 minute programme titled Harry's Game - The Movie. While Clannad's theme tune for it became their breakthrough hit, the film itself was not widely seen in the US or widely available on video, although it appeared in Canada titled Belfast Assassin. The original, unedited three-part serial was released on DVD in the United Kingdom in 2005.
In 1997, a film called The Informant
The Informant (1997 film)
The Informant is a 1997 cable TV movie produced by Showtime, starring Cary Elwes and Timothy Dalton. It was directed by Jim McBride and written by Nicholas Meyer based upon the book Field of Blood by Gerald Seymour.-Plot:...
was released with Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
as Rennie, and Sean McGinley as Frankie. This film was based on Field of Blood, also by Seymour. The character of Rennie also appeared in Seymour's book The Journeyman Tailor.