10 of the greatest Yorkshire films of all time - including The Full Monty, Wild Child and Calendar Girls

Let’s take a look at 10 of the best comedy films that were filmed in God’s Own County
Neve Wilkinson
By Neve Wilkinson
Published 17th Nov 2022, 08:59 BST
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From The Full Monty, Funny Cow to Calendar Girls, Yorkshire is home to some of the best comedy films there is.

The sizable county boasts a plethora of open fields, coastal towns, local markets and big cities, which each make the perfect backdrop for a movie scene.

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Known as God’s Own County, Yorkshire has also raised some of the best actresses and actors including Tom Courtenay, Tony Pitts and Mark Addy.

So, let’s take a look at 10 of the best comedy films that were filmed in Yorkshire…

The Full Monty (1997)

Actors Mark Addy speaks onstage at the "Atlantis" panel discussion during the BBC America portion of the 2013 Summer Television Critics Association tour - Day 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 25, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) Actors Mark Addy speaks onstage at the "Atlantis" panel discussion during the BBC America portion of the 2013 Summer Television Critics Association tour - Day 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 25, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Actors Mark Addy speaks onstage at the "Atlantis" panel discussion during the BBC America portion of the 2013 Summer Television Critics Association tour - Day 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 25, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Plot: Former steelworker Gaz discovers that his wife wants to sue him for missed child support payments. He and his friend Dave decide to start their own male strip-tease act as a way to make money.

Cast: The movie stars Yorkshire actors Mark Addy, Steve Huison, William Snape, Tom Wilkinson and Hugo Speer. It also stars Scottish actor Robert Carlyle and Liverpool-born actor Paul Barber.

Location: Various locations around Sheffield.

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Actors Paul Barber (L) and Hugo Speer (R), both of "The Full Monty", arrive for the 70th Annual Academy Awards 23 March in Los Angeles, Ca. AFP PHOTO/Hector MATA (Photo by HECTOR MATA / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images)Actors Paul Barber (L) and Hugo Speer (R), both of "The Full Monty", arrive for the 70th Annual Academy Awards 23 March in Los Angeles, Ca. AFP PHOTO/Hector MATA (Photo by HECTOR MATA / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images)
Actors Paul Barber (L) and Hugo Speer (R), both of "The Full Monty", arrive for the 70th Annual Academy Awards 23 March in Los Angeles, Ca. AFP PHOTO/Hector MATA (Photo by HECTOR MATA / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images)

Four Lions (2010)

Plot: A group of men living in Sheffield hatch a plan to become suicide bombers. Omar and Waj join a training camp in Pakistan, while Faisal works on an unlikely scheme to train birds to carry bombs. Their plans end with an attempted terrorist attack at the London Marathon while dressed in costumes.

Cast: The main cast originates entirely from London, including Riz Ahmed as Omar, Kayvan Novak as Waj, Nigel Lindsay as Barry, Arsher Ali as Hassan, Adeel Akhtar as Faisal and Preeya Kalidas as Sofia, Omar’s wife.

Location: Various locations around Sheffield.

Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (1999)

Tom Courtenay attends the World Premiere of "The Railway Children Return" at Oakworth Station on July 03, 2022 in Oakworth, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images) Tom Courtenay attends the World Premiere of "The Railway Children Return" at Oakworth Station on July 03, 2022 in Oakworth, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
Tom Courtenay attends the World Premiere of "The Railway Children Return" at Oakworth Station on July 03, 2022 in Oakworth, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

Plot: 18-year-old Vince is obsessed with the era of disco, until he falls in love with a punk girl Joanna, not realising she is his workmate in a solicitor’s office. Meanwhile Vince’s father Harold retires and reveals a knack for performing tricks and changes all their lives.

Cast: The movie stars Yorkshire actors Tom Courtenay as Harold Smith. It also stars Northern Irish comedian Michael Legge, Scottish singer Lulu, Scottish actress Laura Fraser, and English stars Stephen Fry, Amanda Root, David Thewlis, Charlie Hunnam and James Corden.

Location: Doncaster and Sheffield.

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Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021)

Max Harwood and Lauren Patel attend the 24th British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate on December 05, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)Max Harwood and Lauren Patel attend the 24th British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate on December 05, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)
Max Harwood and Lauren Patel attend the 24th British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate on December 05, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

Plot: Jamie New is a 16-year-old boy, who struggles to fit in and has ambitions of becoming a drag queen. He overcomes discrimination and bullying with the support of his mother and friends - and even attends the school prom in Drag.

Cast: Max Harwood takes on his debut acting role as Jamie New. Yorkshire stars include Ralph Ineson as Wayne New and Samuel Bottomley as Dean Paxton. The rest of the cast includes Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Adeel Akhtar, Sharon Horgan and Hugo Battersby/Loco Chanelle.

Location: Various locations around Sheffield.

Funny Cow (2018)

(L-R) Kevin Eldon, Tom Gibbons, Jim Moir, Hebe Beardsall, Alun Armstrong, Tony Pitts, Maxine Peake, director Adrian Shergold, Christine Bottomley, Lindsey Coulson, guest, Corinne Bailey Rae and John Bishop attend the World Premiere of "Funny Cow" during the 61st BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for BFI)(L-R) Kevin Eldon, Tom Gibbons, Jim Moir, Hebe Beardsall, Alun Armstrong, Tony Pitts, Maxine Peake, director Adrian Shergold, Christine Bottomley, Lindsey Coulson, guest, Corinne Bailey Rae and John Bishop attend the World Premiere of "Funny Cow" during the 61st BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for BFI)
(L-R) Kevin Eldon, Tom Gibbons, Jim Moir, Hebe Beardsall, Alun Armstrong, Tony Pitts, Maxine Peake, director Adrian Shergold, Christine Bottomley, Lindsey Coulson, guest, Corinne Bailey Rae and John Bishop attend the World Premiere of "Funny Cow" during the 61st BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for BFI)

Plot: A comedian uses her tough upbringing as material for her stand-up routine and tries to break into the comedy circuit by performing at Northern England’s working men’s clubs.

Cast: The movie stars Sheffield actor Tony Pitts as Bob, as well as Maxine Peake, Paddy Considines, Stephen Graham and Alun Armstrong.

Location:Leeds, Bradford, Saltaire and Harrogate.

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The Festival (2018)

Plot: After he is dumped by his girlfriend at graduation, Nick is having a tough time until his best friend encourages him to attend a music festival.

Cast: The movie stars Joe Thomas as Nick Taylor, Hannah Tointon as Caitlin, Emma Rigby as Smurf Girl, Hammed Animashaun as Shane Simpson and Australian-actress Claudia O’Doherty as Amy.

Location: Some scenes were filmed at Leeds Festival with actual festival goers being used as extras in scenes with large crowds.

Father Christmas Is Back (2021)

Nathalie Cox and Kelsey Grammer at Birdsall House (Pic: MSR Media)Nathalie Cox and Kelsey Grammer at Birdsall House (Pic: MSR Media)
Nathalie Cox and Kelsey Grammer at Birdsall House (Pic: MSR Media)

Plot: Four sisters reunite for Christmas in a Yorkshire mansion (Birdsall House), and the long-kept secrets that tore their family apart many years ago get dug up.

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Cast: The festive movie stars Elizabeth Hurley as Joanna Christmas, Nathalie Cox as Caroline Christmas-Hope, John Cleese as John Christmas and Kelsey Grammer as James Christmas.

Location: Birdsall House near Malton, North Yorkshire.

Calendar Girls (2003)

Calendar girls (L-R) Tricia Stewart, Angela Baker, Beryl Bamforth, Lynda Logan, Chris Clancey and Ros Fawcett launch their second nude calendar, 10 years on from the original best seller on May 11, 2009 in Leeds, England. In 1999 Angela Baker and her friends from the Womens Institute bared all for a fundraising calendar after Angela's husband John died from non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The calendar became an international success and the story for a Hollywood movie raising over 2GBP million for charity. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)Calendar girls (L-R) Tricia Stewart, Angela Baker, Beryl Bamforth, Lynda Logan, Chris Clancey and Ros Fawcett launch their second nude calendar, 10 years on from the original best seller on May 11, 2009 in Leeds, England. In 1999 Angela Baker and her friends from the Womens Institute bared all for a fundraising calendar after Angela's husband John died from non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The calendar became an international success and the story for a Hollywood movie raising over 2GBP million for charity. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Calendar girls (L-R) Tricia Stewart, Angela Baker, Beryl Bamforth, Lynda Logan, Chris Clancey and Ros Fawcett launch their second nude calendar, 10 years on from the original best seller on May 11, 2009 in Leeds, England. In 1999 Angela Baker and her friends from the Womens Institute bared all for a fundraising calendar after Angela's husband John died from non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The calendar became an international success and the story for a Hollywood movie raising over 2GBP million for charity. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Plot: Based on a true story, Chris, Annie and their friends pose nude for a calendar to raise funds for the hospital after Annie’s husband dies from cancer.

Cast: Yorkshire-born actress Penelope Wilton stars alongside Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Linda Bassett, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie, Geraldine James and Philip Glenister.

Location: Yorkshire Dales village Kettlewell portrayed fictional move village Knapely. Buckden, Burnsall, Conistone, Ilkley, Settle, Linton, Malham and Skipton were also used for filming.

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Wild Child (2008)

An exterior view of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, the former home of the Bronte family and the place where their novels were written, in Haworth, northern England on February 16, 2018. - This year marks the bicentenary of the birth of Emily Bronte, the author of 'Wuthering Heights', and also the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Bronte Parsonage Museum. The museum houses the world's largest collection of Bronte manuscripts, furniture and personal possessions, and welcomed over 85,000 visitors. (Photo by OLI SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)An exterior view of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, the former home of the Bronte family and the place where their novels were written, in Haworth, northern England on February 16, 2018. - This year marks the bicentenary of the birth of Emily Bronte, the author of 'Wuthering Heights', and also the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Bronte Parsonage Museum. The museum houses the world's largest collection of Bronte manuscripts, furniture and personal possessions, and welcomed over 85,000 visitors. (Photo by OLI SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
An exterior view of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, the former home of the Bronte family and the place where their novels were written, in Haworth, northern England on February 16, 2018. - This year marks the bicentenary of the birth of Emily Bronte, the author of 'Wuthering Heights', and also the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Bronte Parsonage Museum. The museum houses the world's largest collection of Bronte manuscripts, furniture and personal possessions, and welcomed over 85,000 visitors. (Photo by OLI SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Plot: Poppy Moor, a 16-year-old rich girl from America, is shipped off to boarding school in England by her father. At the boarding school, Poppy meets rival head girl Harriet Bentley, strict headmistress Mrs Kingsley and Mrs Kingsley’s son Freddie.

Cast: New York actress Emma Roberts plays Poppy, alongside Alex Pettifer, Georgia King, Kimberley Nixon, Juno Temple, Linzey Cocker, Sophie Wu, Aidan Quinn and Natasha Richardson.

Location: It was partly filmed at the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth as well as areas in Keighley, Bradford, Harrogate and Robin Hood’s Bay in Scarborough.

Billy Liar (1963)

Plot: A young man has dreams of leaving his working class life and family but some irresponsible actions result in him lying to avoid penalties. Just as his life turns into a mess, he has an opportunity to run away and leave it behind.

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Cast: The movie stars Yorkshire actors Tom Courtenay, Wilfred Pickles, and Rodney Bewes, as well as other stars Julie Christie, Mona Washbourne, Rodney Bewes, Finlay Currie and Leonard Rossiter.

Location: Bradford, including the city’s war memorial on Prince’s Way.

Related topics:YorkshireBradfordLeeds FestivalLeedsSheffield

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