Once Upon a Time in London

2019
1h 51m

IMDb RATING

5.2/10

8.4K

YOUR RATING

Leo Gregory and Terry Stone in Once Upon a Time in London (2019)

Dramatising the violent reign of two of London's most notorious gangsters, Billy Hill (Leo Gregory) and Jack 'Spot' Comer (Terry Stone), Once Upon a Time in London charts the legendary rise and fall of a nationwide criminal empire that lasted until the mid-fifties and which paved the way for the notorious Kray Twins and The Richardsons.

Play trailer1:27

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Period Drama True Crime Crime History

In the 1930s, organized crime came to England. The Italian Sabinis and English White family in West End dominated the London underworld. Come WWII and Jack "Spot" took over and later Billy H... Read allIn the 1930s, organized crime came to England. The Italian Sabinis and English White family in West End dominated the London underworld. Come WWII and Jack "Spot" took over and later Billy Hill.In the 1930s, organized crime came to England. The Italian Sabinis and English White family in West End dominated the London underworld. Come WWII and Jack "Spot" took over and later Billy Hill.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.2/10

8.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 1:27

Official Trailer

Photos35

+ 31

User reviews197

5.28.4K

Featured reviews

3durban555-153-363632

Confused and falls Short

This had such potential....good acting and a decent script. However this is a very disjointed and confused adaptation. Cinematography is bleak and lighting is depressing. The musical interludes were awkward and have no gravity.

Watchable, but only just.

6stircrazysos

No bad not great.

Billy Hill is a forgotten legend. This film doesn't do him justice. His achievements as a gangster were unsurpassed. Post office robbery, gold bullion robbery diamond mining in SA. Plus he was one that got out at the right time. Film doesn't go deep enough. Just to much knifing and fighting. Billy, Jack and Albert were intelligent crooks. That used their environment to earn. Billy Hill book is a lot better than this bubble gum.

4les-74218

Disappointing

Obvious low budget, poorly edited and dis- jointed. If you take the violence out there's nothing else to see.

Terry Stone was as reliable as ever but sorry this Wasn't even average.

3tadaia

More fake ratings

IMDB is sadly becoming known for fake ratings. This film is one big bag of gangster film cliches from one scene to the next. It lacks a compelling story (which is a shame considering it's based on real gangsters) and I could care less about the main characters. Don't waste your time with this. Stick to football hooligan or Guy Ritchie flicks if you want to see a halfway entertaining film about English gangsters.

weavethehawk

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!

One knew this was bad even before the line "Who's the king of the underworld". The script is awful, the music is putrid and the entire production is not worth the time. I got most of the way through it but had to give up when the immortal "who's the king of the underworld" was uttered again. Thoroughly bad.

Trivia
Jamie Foreman who plays Alf White, head of the White family street gang, is the son of real-life convicted London gangster Freddie Foreman who was convicted of handling the proceeds of an armed robbery. He was also convicted of disposing of the body of Jack "the Hat" McVitie who was murdered by Reggie Kray.

Goofs
In each of the scenes in court, the Judge is seen wielding a gavel. Judges in British Courts of Law do not and never have used gavels.

Quotes
[first lines]
Narrator: Early 1930s. Fascism is on the rise and organized crime is born in England. Two gangs, the Italian Sabinis and the English White family, join forces to consolidate their control of London's West End and its murky underworld. In different parts of town, two as-yet unknowns, Jack Spot Comer and Billy Hill, are starting to make a name for themselves.
Narrator: The city has never looked so dangerous