Home / Defense of the Realm

Defense of the Realm

Year:

1986

Duration:

96 min

Genres:

Thriller

IMDB rate:

6.6

Director:

David Drury

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 6 wins & 2 nominations

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 1986-11-21

Filming Locations: Cabbell Street, Marylebone, London, England, UK

Earnings

Gross: $750,000 (USA) Related Links

Cast

Actor

Character

Fulton Mackay

Gabriel Byrne

Nicholas 'Nick' Mullen

Greta Scacchi

Nina Beckman

Denholm Elliott

Vernon Bayliss

Ian Bannen

Dennis Markham

Bill Paterson

Jack Macleod

David Calder

Harry Champion

Frederick Treves

Arnold Reece

Robbie Coltrane

Leo McAskey

Annabel Leventon

Trudy Markham

Graham Fletcher-Cook

Micky Parker

Steven Woodcock

Steven Dyce

Alexei Jawdokimov

Dietrich Kleist

Danny Webb

Danny Royce (as Daniel Webb)

Prentis Hancock

Frank Longman

Michael Johnson

Humphrey Channing

Mark Tandy

Philip Henderson

Nicholas Coppin

First Newsroom Deputy

Veronica Duffy

Second Newsroom Deputy

David Hatton

Picture Editor

Laurance Rudic

Charlie

Philip Whitchurch

Cuttings Librarian

Beverly Anderson

Newscaster

David Lyon

Political Pundit

Pip Miller

Police Sergeant Ross

David Halliwell

Remand Centre Screw

John Rees

Minister at Funeral

Ravinder Singh Reyett

Club Doorman (as Ravinder Singh)

Noel Johnson

Club Member

Hubert Rees

Club Waiter

Oliver Ford Davies

Anthony Clegg

George Ellis Jones

D.C.S. Catterick

James Fleet

Ministry Man

Vass Anderson

Strick

Lyndon Brook

Pugh

William Job

Hilton

Al Matthews

First U.S. Controller

Daniel Foley

Second U.S. Controller

Barbara Coles

Third U.S. Controller

Derek Lyons

Journalist (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The film's Defense of the Realm (1986) title is derived from British legal legislation entitled The Defence of the Realm Act 1914, which is abbreviated as DORA. The law was passed by the English Parliament on 8th August 1914, which was four days after the beginning of World War I.

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The long title of the Defence of the Realm Act 1914 reads "An Act to confer on His Majesty in Council power to make Regulations during the present War for the Defence of the Realm".

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The name of the airbase is never mentioned. However at one ponint Nick views a press clipping that states the (presumed) hit-and-run driving incident occurred in the village of Brandon. That's in Suffolk, adjacent to the US airbase at RAF Lakenheath. (However, the building Nick is seen parked outside when he asks, and is denied, permission to visit the base commander, is not at Lakenheath, it looks more like RAF Uxbridge which would have been easier to get permission to film at, and is also very close to the Shepperton studio where the film was made.)

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Goofs

Markham's wife's name is spelled Trudy Markham in the rolling credits. In a newspaper clipping that Mullen looks at, her name is spelled "Trudi" in the headline.

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While Nick is sitting at Vernon's desk the typewriter on the desk is flat (in normal typing position). The shot changes to a close-up of news articles Nick is holding in his hand and the next shot shows the typewriter flipped up on its back.

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Quotes

Ministry Man: You would agree, would you not, that certain things bearing on the defence of the realm are best left unsaid.

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Nicholas 'Nick' Mullen: [angrily] Where'd the tip-off come from?

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Nicholas 'Nick' Mullen: [smiling at Nina Beckman] Well?

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