The enduring call of Local Hero 40 years on
- Published
Local Hero was released in 1983 and is recognised as a classic
It is the story of a US petro-chemical giant seeking to build a refinery in a coastal village whose staff are won over by the gentler rhythms of local life.
The 1983 Bill Forsyth movie Local Hero was set in Scotland, but had a universal story which won over film fans around the world.
It also brought fame to a red phone box in the Aberdeenshire village of Pennan, which played a key role in the film.
On the 40th anniversary of its UK release, its stars and local people have been speaking about the film's importance.
One of the central characters is Mac MacIntyre, played by Peter Riegert.
In the film he updates his boss in America each night from the traditional red phone kiosk on the seafront. Pennan features as the fictional village of Ferness.
Peter Riegert played Mac MacIntyre
Speaking from his home in New York, Mr Riegert, now, 76, said the best part of being involved in Local Hero was that it was still "so fondly appreciated" 40 years on.
"Whenever I say yes to something I'm not saying yes because it's going to be a classic, because no-one knows," he told BBC Scotland.
"But it was really clear to me when we were making it that this was as good as it gets.
"It may just be the best-written screenplay I've ever read. Everything came off the page. The script was so magical. Local Hero was filled with whimsy metaphor - everything about it was right in my wheelhouse."
He described the film's setting as "a magical place".
"I realised that my job was to leave home thinking I was one person and I was going to be leaving Scotland knowing I was another person.
"There were two events that were going to influence me. One was the physical location and the other was the people.
"The light on the beach during the magic hour, I'd never seen anything like it. It was spectacular.
Pennan - with the phone box visible - is nestled at the foot of cliffs on the Aberdeenshire coast
"And that was every day we were shooting there. The sunset seemed to be changing colours - it wasn't the Northern Lights - but it was whatever that was, and to see it every night.
"I didn't have to act. I was just there being in awe."
He recalled a memorable telephone scene from the film.
"We were shooting that scene at midnight," he said.
"I was under the impression that if I had some brandy or whisky, I would stay warm. But it has the opposite effect. By the time we were finished shooting, I was so drunk.
"I went to Bill (Forsyth, the director) the next day and said I'm so sorry. And he said: 'For what?' I said: 'Oh my God I was so drunk' and he said: 'Yeah, it was very believable'."
Mr Riegert added: "I love that the movie still means so much to people. It's very thrilling to have it so well thought of."
Bill Pitt and Eddie Hayes help maintain Pennan's famous Local Hero phone box
Bill Pitt, 63, is originally from Charlestown, South Carolina, but now runs self catering cottages overlooking Pennan.
He paints and maintains the phone box with the help of Eddie Hayes.
"I think it's very important," Mr Pitt said.
"It brings people in. It's a big economic driver for the area. The phone box means a lot to people and we take it seriously that we want to keep it looking nice. It's a reflection of the community, on Pennan and the wider area.
"We just enjoy coming down here and painting it to make it look good. It's appreciated by locals, it's appreciated by visitors that come to the area."
The phone box became a tourist attraction
Asked if he felt like a Mac Macintyre character himself, he said: "My wife and I moved over in 2006 and a little bit of it really had to do with the phone box and the film Local Hero.
"When we go back home to South Carolina, our heart is still here. Similar to what Mac did going back to Houston. And I think Pennan and the north east has that feeling for many people."
Mr Hayes added: "People enjoy coming and making a call from the Local Hero phone box. It makes their holiday."
Denis Lawson played Gordon Urquhart in the film.
"You just try to do the best job you can and hope it will be well received," the 75-year-old said.
"It's such a satisfying feeling that Local Hero has had such longevity. It's so popular in the States and has this extraordinary shelf life."
Denis Lawson played Gordon Urquhart
Lawson said the role was "right up there" alongside the highlights of his 50-year career.
"I am very proud of the movie, he was a great character to play," he said.
"It was a movie set in Scotland but it had a universal story. It could have been anywhere in the world."
Asked if he had a message for the film's fans, he said: "It's very moving, it's very touching, that people still have this connection with the film after 40 years and want to celebrate that.
"It's just fantastic. I feel dead proud."
Over the next month local events and screenings are being held, external to celebrate the anniversary of the film, which also starred Burt Lancaster, Peter Capaldi and Fulton Mackay.
Local Shona Stephen thinks the film's popularity will endure
Shona Stephen runs the Coastal Cuppie at Pennan Harbour, keeping locals and tourists refreshed.
She hopes the film's legacy lives on.
"It takes in so many tourists who just love the film," she said. "There's a real cult following I would say for Local Hero.
"For the amount of people who come and for the size of Pennan, for the iconic phone box, it's absolutely amazing.
"I meet a lot of people who have come especially to Pennan to see the telephone box - from Australia, America, New Zealand, France, Germany.
"I think we're very keen to keep it going because it's so iconic. And to celebrate the 40 years is amazing.
"I think it's something that we'll keep going forever."
- Published10 September 2021
- Published20 March 2023
