84 Charing Cross Road

I recorded a movie off of Turner Movie Classic over the weekend called 84 Charing Cross Road. The movie stars Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins.

The movie is about a script-reader in New York who is searching for British literature and obscure classics. She sees an ad in a literature magazine for a bookstore in London that does mail orders. She begins a twenty year correspondence with the chief buyer of the bookseller and other employees.

It was only after watching the movie that I found out this was a true story. The title of the movie, 84 Charing Cross Road was the address of the bookseller in London. The character that Anne Bancroft played is Helene Hanff. In 1970, Hanff wrote a book called 84 Charing Cross Road. The book contains the letters that Hanff wrote to the chief buyer, Frank Doel, played by Anthony Hopkins. I was hoping that in the movie Bancroft and Hopkins would meet. But it wasn't might too be.

It was a great story and Bancroft and Hopkins acted wonderfully. I'm hoping that the library will have a copy of this book. If not, I can always buy one from Amazon.com.