Shirley Valentine...

The Film

Commisioned by Paramount Pictures, produced by Lewis Gilbert & Willy Russell. The film of Shirley Valentine is released, starring Pauline Collins, Bernard Hill and Tom Conti, directed by Lewis Gilbert. Like the play, the film wins many awards including Baftas for its star and director and The Evening Standard Film Award for Best Screenplay.

The Screenplay

Written by Willy Russell including some of the score. Like Julie Walters in Educating Rita, Pauline Collins, who played Shirley on broadway, went on to play Shirley in the film. The film, when released in 1989, held the No.1 slot in the UK for five weeks.