Many people have fond memories of the filming of the Yanks in Stalybridge.
The Yanks was filmed in 1978. One of the fond memories is when Richard Gere said Stalybridge was the worst town he'd ever been in! Some also say that Richard Gere said it was somewhere he'd never return to.
In 1978 the filming of the bus station at night, the fog lights would be hidden behind the bus station to make the fog look more intense. One person that I talked to says that they remember getting locked in a chippy when they were filming the fog scene.
This film was released 35 years ago, although many of the locals in Stalybridge know it as 36 years since the making of the film. Many families from Stalybridge have pictures of their own family members as extras in the film Yanks.
People talked about when they got to see and meet all the actors and actresses such as Vanessa Redgrave, Lisa Eichhorn and William Devane.
Stamford golf club is one of the main places in Stalybridge that people remember the film getting shot. People say that they remember seeing all the children watching the Yanks being filmed every day at the Stamford golf club.
One of the main buildings that was in the film was the Stalybridge Town Hall which unfortunately is not there anymore. Some say they remember the Town Hall windows being taped up,' Careless talk cost lives ' and similar signs erected, ironically, near the war memorial. New signs were added to some of the building for the making of this film.
One person says their granddad was an extra and had one line in the film his line was "good luck lads".
One person says that them their mother and brother were in Dodcross Square but ended up on the cutting room floor!
When this film was being filmed people remember seeing card board tied with string around the bottom of the lamp posts.
It has been said that when they was filming the Yanks that at one point it did start spitting, the cast were stopped and patted down with towels and had their make-up redone.
There was some shop’s that did not want to take part in the making of the film so there shop’s were blacked out with black curtains to make it seem like they were never there.
When the film the Yanks was made in Stalybridge it was very positive for the town it’s self. Although it would seem that Stalybridge has lost touch with this over the years but is slowly bring in it back.
