There's a new mob flick called Legend headed into theaters, and it stars master class actor Tom Hardy as both twin English gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray. The film is based on John Pearson's killer true crime book, The Profession of Violence.

How true is the movie Legend?

Ron's escape from hospital was more ingenious, Reg's marriage less violent … Tom Hardy's portrayal of both twins is admirable, unlike the film's attention to detail Reginald and Ronald Kray were twins born in 1933.

Are the events in Legend true?

Are the Krays from Legend real? It is adapted from John Pearson's book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins, which deals with their career and the relationship that bound them together, and follows their gruesome career to life imprisonment in 1969.

Is the Kray brothers a true story?

Ronald "Ronnie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 17 March 1995) and Reginald "Reggie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 1 October 2000) were English organised crime figures, and identical twin brothers from Haggerston, who were prominent from the late 1950s until their arrest in 1968.

Was Frances from Legend real?

Frances Sheas was born on September 23, 1943, in Hoxton, London, to parents Elsie Shea - who was a seamstress, and father Frank Shea Sr - who was a woodworker. She was of Irish descent and had a brother, Frank Jr, who worked as a driver for the Krays during the early 1960s.

The KRAY Twins - LEGEND. Why did their criminal empire collapse? Real story

How many murders did the Krays commit?

Getting Away With Murder - The Kray Twins were convicted of four murders but in reality the deaths numbered ten.

Is there any Kray family still alive?

But it is less likely that you've heard about Nancy Kray. Daughter of Charlie Kray, the older brother of the twins, Nancy is one of the last surviving custodians to the more intimate world of one of the world's most renowned families.

How tall were the Krays?

Included in the file, from the then North Eastern Criminal Record Office, are three never-before-released black and white photos of Kray believed to have been taken at Durham Jail. It describes him as being "5ft 7.5ins tall with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair".

Did Ronnie and Reggie Kray sleep together?

“But as they became more notorious, Ronnie became quite shameless about it. “According to Ron in the early days they had sex with each other because they were terrified about people finding out.”

Are Ronnie and Reggie Kray still alive?

Ronald "Ronnie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 17 March 1995) and Reginald "Reggie" Kray (24 October 1933 – 1 October 2000), were identical twin brothers, gangsters and convicted criminals from Haggerston. They led organised crime from Bethnal Green in the East End of London, from the late 1950s to 1967.

Did Tom Cruise like Legend?

Tom Cruise reportedly wasn't happy with the American cut of this movie and wouldn't talk about it for years because of it. He very much encouraged fans to go with the Director's Cut.

Did Reggie really love Frances?

They base the film mostly on the love story between Reggie and Frances and he really did love her and she did love him. Remember she's got this older, good-looking, immaculately dressed businessman boyfriend and she's a little 18-year-old from the east end and never been up the west to a nightclub.

What was wrong with Frances in Legend?

Despite an almost 10-year age gap, Franie and Reggie fell in love and were married, but she tragically ended her own life by taking an overdose just two years later. She suffered from mental health problems and was only 23.

Which is better, the Krays or the Legend?

Legend is a good entertaining movie about the legendary Kray brothers even though it's more about Frances, the wife of Reggie Kray, narrating her point of view regarding the whole situation. Personally I preferred The Krays from 1990 with the Kemp brothers (from Spandau Ballet) playing the twin brothers.

Did the krays ever fight each other?

And they didn't just fight other people, the twins would regularly get into vicious fights with one another! Although they operated in partnership with one another, many members of "The Firm" (the Krays' gang) attest that Reggie and Ronnie fought daily.

Is the fight scene in Legend true?

In the above scene we see the Kray brothers successfully fighting off seven men with the use of 2 brass knuckles and a hammer. Of course, the above scene is fictional, but it can still put into perspective the sheer power and advantage that knuckledusters give to those wielding them.

Why was Ronnie Kray insane?

East End Crime Boss

While in prison, he was labeled insane (and later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia). Ronnie and Reggie had another brush with the law in 1965. Both brothers were arrested in connection with their efforts to shake down a Soho club owner, but they were later acquitted in this case.

Was Ronnie Kray schizo?

The gangster Ronnie Kray (1933 to 1995) was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins by John George Pearson contains a good account of Ronnie's illness as well other aspects of he and and his brother Reggie's lives and criminal careers.

How did the Krays get caught?

More than 100 detectives raided homes and offices all over the capital in the largest operation of its kind carried out by Scotland Yard. The Kray brothers were the first to be arrested when police forced their way into their mother's council flat at Braithwaite House, Finsbury.

Who beat the Krays?

Jack McVitie: The South London hit man who saw the downfall of the Krays. The longest murder hearing in British criminal history ended on March 4, 1969, with the downfall of Britain's infamous gangland brothers – the Kray twins.

How many kids did the Krays have?

Kray married Doris "Dolly" Moore on Christmas Day 1948. They had two children, Gary Kray (1951-1995) and Nancy.

Who was the hardest out of the Krays?

Moody was an enforcer for the Richardsons and did freelance "work" for the Krays. He was considered by many of his peers to be "the hardest man in London". In the 1970s, he joined a team of criminals to form the Chainsaw Gang who went on to become that decade's most successful group of armed robbers.

How many wives did Reggie Kray have?

Death and Legacy

In 2000, Reggie was diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer. He was given compassion leave and left prison to spend his final weeks with his second wife Roberta Jones. Reggie died on October 1, 2000, at the age of 66. He passed away at a Norwich hotel.

Did any of the krays have kids?

While the twins had no official children, older brother Charlie had a son called Gary in July 1951 with his ex-wife Doris Moore. Sadly, Gary died of cancer in 1996 aged 44 and was buried in the same grave as Reggie's widow, Frances Shea, in a cemetery in Chingford.

Who looks after the Krays graves?

Objections from local residents halted this plan and the cemetery is now under the care of the London Borough of Waltham Forest.