Classic Films

• Hans Christian Andersen | DVD | (14/03/2005) from £4.79  |  Saving you £8.20 (63.10%)  |  RRP £12.99

  Danny Kaye plays the village cobbler who is too inventive to stick to his last. Full of songs and delight it also features a ballet performance of 'The Little Mermaid'. The music and lyrics from Frank Loesser include 'Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen' and 'The Ugly Duckling'. Oscar nominated for the song 'Thumbelina' and showcasing Kaye's brilliance as one of cinema's best-loved musical performers this is definitely one for all the family!

• Oliver | DVD | (11/12/2000) from £4.00  |  Saving you £15.99 (80.00%)  |  RRP £19.99

  Film buffs and critics can argue until their faces turn blue about whether this lavish Dickensian musical deserved the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1968, but the movie speaks for itself on grandly entertaining terms. Adapted from Dickens's classic novel, it's one of the most dramatically involving and artistically impressive musicals of the 1960s, directed by Carol Reed with a delightful enthusiasm that would surely have impressed Dickens himself. Mark Lester plays the waifish orphan Oliver Twist, who is befriended by the pick-pocketing Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and recruited into the gang of boy thieves led by Fagin (played to perfection by Ron Moody). The villainous Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) casts his long shadow over Oliver and his friends, but the young orphan is still able to find loving care in the most desperate of circumstances. Full of memorable melodies and splendid lyrics, Oliver! is a timeless film, prompting even hard-to-please critic Pauline Kael to call it "a superb demonstration of intelligent craftsmanship," and to further observe that "it's as if the movie set out to be a tribute to Dickens and his melodramatic art as well as to tell the story of Oliver Twist". --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | DVD | (06/10/2008) from £3.97  |  Saving you £6.02 (60.30%)  |  RRP £9.99

  Never Forget. Never Forgive. Based on the 19th century legend of Sweeney Todd and the hit Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (Johnny Depp) returns to London after being sent to prison unjustly by Judge Turpin. Sweeney opens a barber shop and vows to get his revenge not only for that cruel punishment but for the devastating consequences of what happened to his wife and daughter. Joining Depp is Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett Sweeney's amorous accomplice who sells the worst pies in London. With the help of Mrs. Lovett Sweeney tries to rid of all the people who have ever done him wrong and hopes to be reunited with his daughter Joanna who is now Judge Turpin's ward.

• Rebecca | DVD | (01/01/2008) from £3.14  |  Saving you £2.85 (47.60%)  |  RRP £5.99

  Whilst on holiday, young timid ladies companion (Joan Fontaine) meets handsome and wealthy widower Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) whose wife Rebecca has recently died in a boating accident.The two fall in love and marry. However, her joy is short lived when she returns to the de Winter estate and soon discovers that Rebecca still has a strange, unearthly hold over everyone there.

• Mary Poppins - 45th Anniversary Edition | DVD | (02/03/2009) from £8.99  |  Saving you £3.52 (19.60%)  |  RRP £17.99

  Mary Poppins is one of Disney's most enchanting fantasies and the motion-picture hit that made 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' a household word! Julie Andrews stars as the loveable nanny who soars out of the skies and into the hearts of everyone she encounters. Toting a carpetbag full of magical adventures Mary and her fun-loving sidekick Bert (Dick Van Dyke) deliver endless joy and surprises to a troubled family.

• The Great Gatsby | DVD | (08/12/2003) from £3.95  |  Saving you £12.04 (75.30%)  |  RRP £15.99

  Perhaps no movie could capture F Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby in its entirety, but this adaptation, scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, is certainly a handsome try, putting costume design and art direction above the intricacies of character. Robert Redford is an interesting casting choice as Gatsby, the millionaire isolated in his mansion, still dreaming of the woman he lost. And Sam Waterston is perfect as the narrator, Nick, who brings the dream girl Daisy Buchanan back to Gatsby. The problem seems to be that director Jack Clayton fell in love with the flapper dresses and the party scenes and the jazz age tunes, ending up with a Classics Illustrated version of a great book rather than a fresh, organic take on the text. While Redford grows more quietly intriguing in the film, Mia Farrow's pallid performance as Daisy leaves you wondering why Gatsby, or anyone else, should care so much about his grand passion. The effective supporting cast includes Bruce Dern as Daisy's husband, and Scott Wilson and Karen Black as the low-rent couple whose destinies cross the sun-drenched protagonists. (That's future star Patsy Kensit as Daisy's little daughter.) The film won two Oscars--not surprisingly, for costumes and musical score. --Robert Horton

• The Best Of Ealing Collection | DVD | (01/06/2009) from £7.95  |  Saving you £27.04 (77.30%)  |  RRP £34.99

  Titles Comprise: Kind Hearts And Coronets: Set in the stately Edwardian era Kind Hearts And Coronets is black comedy at is best with the most articulate and literate of all Ealing screenplays. Sir Alec Guinness gives a virtuoso performance in his Ealing comedy debut playing all eight victims standing between a mass-murderer and his family fortune. Considered by some to be Ealing's most perfect achievement of all the Ealing films. The Ladykillers director Alexander Mackendrick's third Ealing farce is the final comedy produced by the famous British studio and one of its most celebrated. Like the equally applauded Kind Hearts And Coronets the film is more sophisticated and blacker in tone than typically lighthearted Ealing fare (such as Mackendrick's Whiskey Galore!). Alec Guinness stars as the superbly shifty toothily threatening Professor Marcus the leader of a crime ring planning a heist. Marcus rents rooms from a sweet eccentric old lady Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) in her crooked London house. The professor and his co-conspirators blowhard Major Courtney (Cecil Parker) creepily suave Louis (Herbert Lom) chubby Harry (Peter Sellers) and muscleman One-Round (Danny Green) pose as an unlikely string quartet using the rooms for rehearsal. Dodging Mrs. Wilberforce's constant interruptions the hoods hit upon the idea to use her in the daring daylight robbery (filmed in and around London's King's Cross station). When the old girl discovers the truth Marcus and company cannot persuade her to stay buttoned up about it and thus decide to do her in. Accompanied by a noirish cacophony of screeching trains parrots and little old ladies at afternoon tea a series of unlikely events builds to the hilarious surprising finale. The Man In The White Suit: Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) works quietly at Michael Corland's (Michael Gough) textile mill until his mysterious costly lab experiment is discovered. Fired by Corland Stratton takes a menial job at Alan Birnley's (Cecil Parker) mill in order to continue his work on the sly. When Daphne (Joan Greenwood) Corland's fianc''e and Birnley's daughter discovers his secret she threatens to expose Stratton. The desperate scientist reveals to Daphne that he has invented an indestructible cloth that never gets dirty. Close to realizing his vision Stratton celebrates by having a white suit made of the fabric (because it repels dye). The trouble however is just beginning. The lowly mill workers (who spout market economics in rough accents) fear for their jobs while the mill owners led by the decrepit Godfather-esque Sir John Kierlaw (Ernest Thesiger) worry about their profits. Passport To Pimlico: An archaic document found in a bombsite reveals that the London district of Pimlico has for centuries technically been part of France. The local residents embrace their new found continental status seeing it as a way to avoid the drabness austerity and rationing of post-war England. The authorities do not however share their enthusiasm... The Lavender Hill Mob: Mr. Holland (Alec Guinness) has supervised the bank's bullion run for years. He is fussy and unnecessarily overprotective but everyone knows he is absolutely trustworthy. And so on the day the bullion truck is robbed he is the last person to be suspected. But there is another side to Mr. Holland; he is also Dutch the leader of the Lavender Hill Mob.

• The Glenn Miller Story | DVD | (04/06/2007) from £4.59  |  Saving you £5.40 (54.10%)  |  RRP £9.99

  The true story of an unassuming band leader and trombonist Glenn Miller (played by James Stewart) who got his first break playing his own arrangement of 'Everybody Loves My Baby' at an audition. He never looked back. He married his childhood sweetheart and everything he played became an instant hit...songs like 'Moonlight Serenade' 'String of Pearls' and 'Tuxedo Junction'. Hollywood beckoned and success piled upon success. But then came World War II. A war from which Glenn Miller never returned. He was on his way to Paris to entertain the American Forces when his plane disappeared. But the show had to go on...and Glenn Miller became a legend. The film features all of Glenn Miller's hits and there are many guest performances who make this film an all time classic. Winner of an Oscar for Best Sound in 1955.

• Breakfast At Tiffany's | DVD | (14/09/2009) from £3.00  |  Saving you £6.99 (70.00%)  |  RRP £9.99

  Holly is a deliciously eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. George Peppard plays her nextdoor neighbour a writer who is 'sponsored' by wealthy Patricia Neal. Guessing who's the right man for Holly is easy. Seeing just how that romance blossoms is one of the enduring delights of this classic set to Henry Mancini's Oscar-winning score and the Oscar-winning Mancini/Johnny Mercer song 'Moon River'. The names Audrey Hepburn and Holly Golightly have become synonymous since this dazzling romantic comedy was translated to the screen from Truman Capote's best-selling novella.

• Rear Window | DVD | (04/06/2007) from £3.00  |  Saving you £6.99 (70.00%)  |  RRP £9.99

  None of Hitchcock's films has ever given a clearer view of his genius for suspense than Rear Window. When professional photographer J.B. ""Jeff"" Jeffries (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbours play out across the courtyard. When he suspects a salesman may have murdered his nagging wife Jeffries enlists the help of his glamorous socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to investigate the highly suspicious chain of events... Events that ultimately lead to one of the most memorable and gripping endings in all of film history.

• James Stewart Westerns Box Set | DVD | (31/10/2005) from £10.00  |  Saving you £29.99 (75.00%)  |  RRP £39.99

  The Rare Breed:In the 1880s Englishwoman Martha Price (Maureen O'Hara) and her daughter Hilary (Juliet Mills) come to America to sell their prize Hereford bull. The women hire Burnett (James Stewart) to help them transport the animal to its new owner Bowen (Brian Keith).Shenandoah:A dramatic story of a man caught in a dilemma. James Stewart stars as a Virginia farmer during the Civil War. He refuses to support the Confederacy because he is opposed to slavery yet he will not support the Union because he is deeply opposed to war.Night Passage:When the local railroad becomes the constant target of a band of desperadoes led by Whitey Harbin (Dan Duryea) officials recruit Grant McLaine (Stewart) to guard the payroll from any more robberies. Trouble is the gang's most skilled and lethal gunslinger The Utica Kid (Audie Murphy) is Grant's kid brother.The Far Country:James Stewart and Walter Brennan are a loner and his sidekick who figure to get rich by selling a herd of cattle at a fancy price during the wild gold rush days. They are soon caught up in a conflict with the local lawman John McIntire and his henchmen.Bend Of The River:James Stewart guides a band of pioneers from Missouri over the Oregon Trail to a new life in the Columbia River Basin in this western adventure. When the settlers are cheated out of their supplies and cattle Stewart crosses rivers climbs mountains and out-guns hijackers to ensure their survival through the first winter.Winchester '73:Frontiersman Lin McAdam (Stewart) is attempting to track down both his father's murderer and his one-of-a-kind rifle the Winchester '73 as it passes among a diverse group of desperate characters including a crazed highwayman (Dan Duryea) an immoral gunrunner (John McIntire a savage young Indian chief (Rock Hudson) and McAdam's own murderous brother (Stephen McNally)Destry Rides Again:As Destry a mild-mannered deputy who doesn't like guns Stewart is called to restore order to the frontier town of Bottleneck. He reluctantly takes the task after meeting French (Dietrich) an alluring saloon girl who belts out unforgettable show-stoppers while winning the hero's heart.

• The Third Man | DVD | (25/09/2006) from £7.45  |  Saving you £10.54 (58.60%)  |  RRP £17.99

  This classic noir mystery from the team of Carol Reed and Graham Greene is regarded to be the best filmwork of both of these extreme talents. The Third Man features Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins a pulp novelist who has come to post-WWII Vienna with the promise of work from his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). When he finds that Lime has just been killed in a questionable car accident he decides to remain in the city to investigate his friend's mysterious death. The Third Man is a masterpiece of melancholia featuring extraordinary writing acting and directing as well as a classic zither score by Anton Karas.

• Musicals | DVD | (18/09/2006) from £6.90  |  Saving you £11.04 (61.40%)  |  RRP £17.99

  Wizard of Oz: We click our heels in anticipation. There's no place like home and no movie like this one. From generation to generation The Wizard Of Oz brings us together - kids grown-ups families friends. The dazzling land of Oz a dream-come--true world of enchanted forests dancing scarecrows and singing lions wraps us in its magic with one great song-filled adventure after another. Based on L. Frank Baum's treasured book series The Wizard Of Oz was judged the best family film of all time by American Film Institute. And this never-before-seen restoration looks and sounds better than ever. We invite you to embark for the Emerald City on the most famous road in movie history. Dorothy (Judy Garland) Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) Tin Woodman (Jack Haley) and Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) await you on the Yellow Brick Road and ""Over the Rainbow."" Singin' in the Rain: Starring Gene Kelly Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and featuring unforgettable song and dance classics like 'Singin' in the Rain' 'Make 'Em Laugh' and 'All I Do Is Dream of You' it has ""just about everything you could ask for in a movie musical"" Sunday Review. Set in Hollywood in the roaring 20s co-starring Jean Hagen and the incomparable Cyd Charisse and featuring a spectacular 12-minute 'Broadway Ballet' finale it is indisputably ""the most enjoyable of all American movie musicals"" Pauline Kael. The programme now contains a previously-deleted sequence featuring Debbie Reynolds in the never-seen-before footage of 'You Are My Lucky Star'. High Society: Beautiful aloof Newport heiress Tracy Lord (Kelly) is about to marry bland businessman George Kittredge (John Lund) but matters become complicated when her ex-husband C K Dexter-Haven (Crosby) moves to her neighbourhood determined to win back her hand. Things go from bad to worse for Tracy when journalist Mike Connor (Sinatra) arrives to cover the wedding for Spy Magazine. When Tracy is forced to choose between her suitors will she realise that ""safe"" doesn't always mean the best bet?

• Roman Holiday | DVD | (14/09/2009) from £4.99  |  Saving you £5.00 (50.10%)  |  RRP £9.99

  Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for her portrayal of a modern-day princess rebelling against her royal obligations who explores Rome on her own. She meets Gregory Peck an American newspaperman who seeking an exclusive story pretends ignorance of her true identity. But his plan falters as they rapidly fall in love...

• Hard Times | DVD | (16/02/2009) from £4.99  |  Saving you £10.00 (66.70%)  |  RRP £14.99

  Hard Times

• We Were Soldiers | DVD | (05/11/2007) from £3.49  |  Saving you £9.33 (71.80%)  |  RRP £12.99

  In a place soon to be known as 'The Valley of Death' in a small clearing called landing zone X-Ray Lt. Colonel Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) and 400 young troops all from an elite American combat division were surrounded by 2 000 North Vietnamese soldiers. The ensuing battle was one of the most savage in U.S. history...

• Zulu | Blu Ray | (03/11/2008) from £7.77  |  Saving you £12.22 (61.10%)  |  RRP £19.99

  The year: 1879. The place: Natal Africa. One British garrison has already fallen to a huge army of Zulu tribesmen. The fearless native warriors are now heading for the isolated colonial outpost of Rorke's Drift which is manned by no more than a hundred South Wales Borderers. A stirring tale of courage under fire Zulu boasts fine performances from Michael Caine and Stanley Baker as conflicting British officers and an unforgettable rendition of Men of Harlech.

• Great Expectations | DVD | (15/09/2008) from £4.77  |  Saving you £8.22 (63.30%)  |  RRP £12.99

  A stylish film presentation of Charles Dickens' heart warming story of a young man befriending an escaped convict who becomes his unknown benefactor and of the consequences for the young man as he establishes himself in the world.

• Laura | DVD | (23/04/2007) from £3.80  |  Saving you £9.19 (70.70%)  |  RRP £12.99

  ""The story of a love that became the most fearful thing that ever happened to a woman!"" A Detective investigating the murder of a movie star starts to fall in love with her whilst piecing together her last moments.

• Comedy Classics - Miss Robin Hood | DVD | (02/04/2007) from £4.77  |  Saving you £5.22 (52.30%)  |  RRP £9.99

  Long Lost Comedy Classics is a collection of films from a golden age of British Cinema remembered for timeless stars and some unique movies that have stood the test of time. So why not take a trip down memory lane and see how cinema used to be? In this delightful fantasy adventure a mild-mannered newspaper columnist (Richard Hearne) finds himself presented with an intriguing proposition from an elderly fan (Margaret Rutherford). She suggests that they conspire to steal a secret whiskey formula from ruthless distillers who themselves stole it from her family in years gone by. With the recipe back in hand however it's not long before they attract attention from the Inspectors of Scotland Yard.