7 October 09

We're a nation of film bluffers

If you have ever “made him an offer he couldn’t refuse” without knowing who you were quoting, you’re not alone. Recent research from Orange Wednesdays revealed half of Brits (46%) have lied about seeing classic films to impress their friends.

It appears Brits “just don’t give a damn” about telling the truth about films they have and haven’t seen – with mobster classic the Godfather Trilogy the UK’s most bluffed about movie. One in five (19%) people who claim to have seen Francis Ford Coppola’s epic actually haven’t – making them about as legitimate as the Corleone family.

Dirty Dancing is the second most lied about movie – one in ten claim to have seen the Patrick Swayze classic – followed by the Shawshank Redemption, Rocky and Gone With the Wind.

The research also reveals women are less likely to lie about the films they have seen – 36% compared to 58% of men – with people in the North the UK’s biggest film fibbers. Over half (56%) of Northerners admit bending the truth about their film knowledge, compared to 39% of Londoners. Honest Brummies buck the trend – with nine in ten (91%) claiming they would never lie about films they have seen.

Andrew Pearcey from Orange, “It seems many of us have told the odd white lie about the films we have and haven’t seen. Thankfully, our customers can save face, and some money, by taking advantage of our famous Orange Wednesday 2 for 1 offer – ensuring they never need miss out on a classic movie ever again.”

Top ten classic films and quotes Brits claim to know:

FILM/ QUOTE/%

The Godfather Trilogy Make him an offer he can’t refuse
19%
Dirty Dancing Nobody puts baby in a corner
10%
Shawshank Redemption
Easy peasy japanesey
9%
Rocky Well, ya see, sir I understand you're lookin' for sparrin' partners for Apollo, and I jus' want ta let ya know that I am very available 9%
Gone With the Wind
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn
8%
Citizen Kane
I want to make sure that decent hard-working people in this community aren't robbed blind by a pack of money-mad pirates, just because they haven't anybody to look after their interests 8%
Taxi Driver
You talkin' to me?
7%
It's a Wonderful Life Remember, no man is a failure who has friends
6%
Goodfellas
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. To me, being a gangster was better than being President of the United States
6%
The Great Escape
Put a fence in front of these men...and they'll climb it
6%

Ends

Notes to editor

Research carried out by Lightspeed Omnibus between 8th July and 13th July 2009 * Percentage of people who haven’t seen the film – yet claim that they have

About Orange

Orange is the key brand of the France Telecom Group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 123 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates.

In the UK, Orange provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population. At the end of July 2009, Orange had almost 17 million customers in the UK – 15.9 million active mobile customers and close to one million fixed broadband customers.

At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (12.7 billion euros for the first quarter of 2009) and at 31st March 2009, the Group had a customer base of almost 184 million customers in 32 countries. These include 123 million mobile customers worldwide and 13 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers in Europe. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited.

For more information please call Louisa Ham on lham@golinharris.com or the Orange Press Office 0870 3731500, or visit www.orange.co.uk/newsroom