Bridge Over The River Kwai: Set in Burma during World War II the story tells of British P.O.Ws who are forced to build a large bridge for the Japanese while a British Commando team is sent to destroy it. Winner of seven Academy Awards. (Dir. David Lean 1957) Das Boot: Das Boot is a graphic and gripping tale that follows the daring patrol of U-96 one of the famed German U-Boats known as 'The Grey Wolves'. Prowling the North Atlantic they challenged the British Navy at every turn. The crew abroad the U-96 is portrayed in a desperate life-and-death struggle coping with life beneath the waves quickly gives way to terror when confronting the enemy... (Dir. Wolfgang Peterson 1981) The Guns Of Navarone: Exciting war film based on a novel by Alistair Maclean which tells of the attempts of a British raiding team to sabotage two giant German guns on a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Carl Foreman brought Allistar MacLean's best-selling novel to the screen winning nominations for seven Academy Awards in 1961. (Dir. J. Lee Thompson 1961)
A collection of eight classic Ealing studio British comedies comprising: Hue And Cry: A group of criminals use a boy's paper as a means of messages and information. This ploy is discovered by a group of East End boys who take exception to the crooks use of their favourite read! Kind Hearts And Coronets: 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: Alexander Mackendrick's third Ealing farce is the final comedy produced by the famous British studio and one of its most celebrated. 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 Magnet Centred on Johnny Brent (James Fox) a boy who fleeces a younger child out of his beloved magnet. In its place he offers an 'invisible' timepiece and there begins the chain of chaos in which the young swindler absconds from his home with the mistaken belief that he has somehow caused the young child's death. Unbeknownst to him he has become the town hero and as the unsung victor remains on the run the community are left to make sense of the goings on from speculation and gossip... The Man In The White Suit: Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) works quietly at Michael Corland's textile mill until his mysterious costly lab experiment is discovered. sacked Stratton takes a menial job at Alan Brinley's mill in order to continue his work on the sly. When Daphne 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... 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 Titfield Thunderbolt: When an antiquated railway line is threatened with closure the villagers decide to run it themselves and enter into frenzied competition with the local bus route with hilarious consequences!
A bumper box set of classic films featuring the voluptuous sex-siren Sophia Loren! Pride And The Passion (Dir. Stanley Kramer 1957): Napoleonic forces are sweeping across Europe and Spain is on the brink of falling to the mighty invasion. Standing alone against the onslaught is one brave fighter and his ragtag band of guerillas. Seizing a gigantic cannon Spanish fighter Miguel (Sinatra) plans to attack Napoleon's army by battering the walls of French-occupied Avila. But because he's untrained in complex weaponry he must rely on the expertise of Captain Trumbell (Grant) a British naval officer. Allies on the battlefield Trumbell and Miguel soon find themselves in a bitter struggle over Miguel's mistress (Loren) a sultry beauty drawn to the captain's refined ways even as they race toward the most harrowing battle of their lives... El Cid (Dir. Anthony Mann 1961): El Cid is an epic movie masterpiece a tribute to one of history's greatest legends. This dazzling spectacle with a cast of thousands fills the screen with action and romance - from knights in armour jousting on horseback to massive battles on sea and land where columns of warriors stretch across the horizon. At the centre of this powerful motion picture is Charlton Heston in the role he was born to play... the immortal El Cid. Heston is the Spanish warrior battling to drive the Moors from Spain with the vision to be just and the courage to be merciful whose love and devotion to the radiant Chimene (Sophia Loren) knows no bounds... Anthony Mann's epic was nominated for three Oscar's but surprisingly returned home empty-handed. The Fall Of The Roman Empire (Dir. Anthony Mann 1964): This classic film re-enacts the spectacular collapse of perhaps the greatest dominion the world has ever known. Pestilence greed and corruption bring a once-proud empire to its knees. Now restored with stunning scenes and a cast of thousands - in battles gladiatorial and otherwise; martyrs burning at the stake; chariot races in the midst of which is the romance between two people.... White Sister (Dir. Alberto Lattuada 1972) The Key (Dir. Carol Reed 1958): In wartime England circa 1941 poorly-armed tugs are sent into U-Boat Alley to rescue damaged Allied ships. An American named David Ross arrives to captain one of these tugs. He's given a key by a fellow tugboat-man -- a key to an apartment and its pretty female resident. Should something happen to the friend Ross can use the key. Countess From Hong Kong (Dir. Charlie Chaplin 1966): Charlie Chaplin's final film is a delightful romantic comedy filled with the clever touches for which he's famous. Written directed and composed by Chaplin it revolves around Russian ''migr'' countess Natascha (Sophia Loren) forced into prostitution in Hong Kong who stows away in wealthy American Ogden's (Marlon Brando's) stateroom to blackmail her way to the States. Since Ogden has a mind of his own and can even resist Natascha's charms what follows is one of the funniest tugs of war ever devised! A wealth of talent supports these stars. There's Chaplin's son Sydney as Brando's cruise companion Tippi Hedren as his icy wife Patrick Cargill as the ultimate gentleman's gentleman and Margaret Rutherford as a dotty old dame. Chaplin himself tops it off with a cameo as the ship's steward! The gags are pure Charlie and his actors make the most of them sailing in and out of slamming doors and outrageous situations with ease!
In Ronald Neame's film of Joyce Cary's classic novel Alec Guinness transforms himself into one of cinema's most indelible comic figures: the somewhat vulgar but dedicated painter in search of his artistic vision Gulley Jimson. As the ill-behaved Jimson searches for a perfect canvas he determines to let nothing come between himself and the realization of his exalted vision. A perceptive examination of the struggle of artistic creation The Horse's Mouth is also Neame's comic masterpiece.
A superb box set featuring 4 golden Ealing classics. Includes: 1. The Lavender Hill Mob (Dir. Charles Crichton 1951) 2. Titfield Thunderbolt (Dir. Charles Crichton 1953) 3. Hue & Cry (Dir. Charles Crichton 1947) 4. Dead of Night (Dirs. Alberto Cavalcanti & Charles Crichton 1945)
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 fiance 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.
Two old pros light up the screen... British theatrical director Peter Glenville made his film directorial debut with 1955's The Prisoner (Glenville had previous helmed the London stage production of this Bridget Boland play). The film is based on the real-life travails of Hungarian Cardinal Mindszenty who after suffering under Nazi persecution was imprisoned by the new Communist regime for remaining loyal to his religious convictions. Alec Guinness plays an unnamed Cardinal in an un
Three unsuspecting Americans making a low-budget horror film in Russia find themselves in the middle of a dangerous life threatening situation. Billy (Marine Sudina) a mute make-up artist finds herself locked in the film studio late one night. As she tries to get out she witnesses a brutal murder...
British screen legend Alec Guinness gives a sparkling performance in Robert Hamer's romantic comedy set amongst the boulevards of La Ville Lumiere. Co-starring Parisian ingenue Odile Versois and featuring a suitably Gallic score by Edwin Astley, To Paris with Love is featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Sir Edgar Fraser, a widowed Scottish baronet, decides that it's about time his 20-year-old son became acquainted with the opposite sex. Not one to do things by halves, he determines that this must be done in Paris, the most romantic city in the world. So off they go, with Sir Edgar determined to find a beautiful, spirited girl for his son. This he certainly does but complications soon arise when he finds that he's falling for her himself! SPECIAL FEATURES: Original Theatrical Trailer Image gallery Promotional material PDFs
This Box Set Includes: Bridge On The River Kwai (Dir. David Lean) (1957): Set in Burma during World War II the story tells of British P.O.Ws who are forced to build a large bridge for the Japanese while a British Commando team is sent to destroy it. Winner of seven Academy Awards. Das Boot (Dir. Wolfgang Peterson) (1981): Das Boot is a graphic and gripping tale that follows the daring patrol of U-96 one of the famed German U-Boats known as 'The Grey Wolves'. Prowling the North Atlantic they challenged the British Navy at every turn. The crew abroad the U-96 is portrayed in a desperate life-and-death struggle coping with life beneath the waves quickly gives way to terror when confronting the enemy... Guns Of Navarone (Dir. J. Lee Thompson) (1961): Exciting war film based on a novel by Alistair Maclean which tells of the attempts of a British raiding team to sabotage two giant German guns on a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Carl Foreman brought Allistar MacLean's best-selling novel to the screen winning nominations for seven Academy Awards in 1961. All Quiet On The Western Front (Dir. Delbert Mann) (1980): A devastating story of war and a generation destroyed. In 1914 a group of German schoolboys idealistic and inflamed with youthful patriotism set off to fight in the ""glorious"" war. During their brutal basic training disenchantment begins. Then boarding a train for the front they see the wounded being rushed back to the hospitals and they begin to grasp the grim reality of war. On their first night in action they come under heavy attack. In the trenches they begin to fall. Their youth is stripped away by the violence and the boys become as sullen as veterans. Sands Of Iwo Jima (Dir. Allan Dwan) (1949): Blazing action and spectacle are on the menu as battle-toughened sergeant John M Stryker (John Wayne) prepares a group of soldiers for action in the Pacific. The men have got their biggest test ahead on Iwo Jima where they have to inch their way up Mt. Suribachi under constant Japanese fire.
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1 Disc Edition): Set in Burma during World War II the story tells of British P.O.Ws who are forced to build a large bridge for the Japanese while a British Commando team is sent to destroy it. Winner of seven Academy Awards. Guns Of Navarone: Exciting war film based on a novel by Alistair Maclean which tells of the attempts of a British raiding team to sabotage two giant German guns on a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. From Here To Eternity: Fred Zinnemann's 1953 Oscar-winning film is a powerful portrait of a peacetime military camp stationed in Hawaii just before the attack on Pearl Harbour. Montgomery Clift is superlative in the major role of Robert Prewitt while Frank Sinatra delivers an electrifying Academy Award-winning (1953 Best Supporting Actor) performance as Clift's buddy. Deborah Kerr's love scene in the Hawaiian surf with Burt Lancaster is enshrined as one of the most famous moments in cinema history.
Three John Mills films on one fantastic box set. History Of Mr. Polly: John Mills stars in this celebrated adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic. Mr Polly is a sensitive soul idling away his days as a humble drapers assistant until one day he is abruptly sacked for daydreaming at work. His well-ordered life is plunged into chaos until his fathers death suddenly brings him a large inheritance. Mr Polly splashes out on a brand new bicycle and sets off to explore the world and seek out grand adventure. A doomed love affair quickly destroys his newfound dreams. The bicycle is stored away and Mr Polly opens up his own drapers shop in a dismal little town. Fifteen years later finds him unhappily married and almost bankrupt. His thoughts drift towards suicide - but there may yet be another avenue of escape for the hapless Mr Polly. Great Expectations: David Lean directed this 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. Waterloo Road: As World War Two rages Jim Colter (John Mills) finds himself called up to serve in the Army - but hes soon to find himself at war on two fronts. While hes away his lovely wife Tillie attracts (Joy Shelton) attracts the amorous attention of Ted Purvis (Stewart Granger) a vicious local spiv and self-acclaimed ladies man. When Jims sister write to him informing him of what is happening Jim decides that the Nazis can wait and that an even more insidious enemy needs to be dealt with first. He breaks out of camp goes AWOL and sets off to find his wife. With the military hot on his tail Jim must make his way through war-torn London to settle things once and for all.
Tom Hanks teams up with the Coen brothers for a remake of the classic 1955 Ealing comedy about a group of thieves trying to bump off their landlady.
A little orphan boy (Andrew Ray) who survives by scavenging on the River Thames, decides to walk to Windsor Castle to see Queen Victoria (Irene Dunne). For many years, Queen Victoria has shut herself away in the castle, in mourning for her beloved husband Albert - and England is suffering. Despite the best advice of Prime Minister Disraeli (Alec Guinness) and her close friend John Brown (Finlay Currie), the queen refuses to return to her people. Can one small and desperately lonely child change her heart when the highest in the land have failed?
The second and last of Anthony Mann's historical epics is a smart, handsome spectacle of the decadence, corruption and intrigue that tore apart the Roman empire. The sprawling story spreads itself thin over a number of characters and stories. At the centre are handsome but stiff Stephen Boyd as Livius, the loyal soldier and symbolic son of the ageing emperor Marcus Aurelius (Alec Guinness), and Christopher Plummer as Commodus, the corrupt heir to the throne. They are boyhood friends turned enemies when the latter accedes to the throne and sells out the values of his father for greed and hedonistic pleasures. The three-hour running time is filled out with the tales of Sophia Loren (as the beautiful Lucilla in love with Livius but coveted by greedy Commodus) and a gallery of heroes and villains that includes James Mason, Mel Ferrer, Anthony Quayle, John Ireland, Omar Sharif and Eric Porter. The film is highlighted with spectacular scenes--a grandiose funeral fit for an emperor, brutal battles in the provinces as the barbarians threaten the empire, and a climactic duel to decide the destiny of Rome--which Mann weaves into the shadowy intrigue of the halls of power. Like his previous epic El Cid, The Fall of the Roman Empire remains one of the best of the 1960s epics: well written with strong performances and a consistently elegant style, but lacking the central core and magnetic hero of its superior predecessor. Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000) tackles almost the same story with a more crowd-pleasing action-adventure slant. --Sean Axmaker
David Lean's Doctor Zhivago is an exploration of the Russian Revolution as seen from the point of view of the intellectual, introspective title character (Omar Sharif). As the political landscape changes, and the Czarist regime comes to an end, Dr. Zhivago's relationships reflect the political turmoil raging about him. Though he is married, the vagaries of war lead him to begin a love affair with the beautiful Lara (Julie Christie). But he cannot escape the machinations of a band of selfish and cruel characters: General Strelnikov (Tom Courtenay), a Bolshevik General; Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), Lara's former lover; and Yevgraf (Alec Guinness), Zhivago's sinister half-brother. This epic, sweeping romance, told in flashback, captures the lushness of Moscow before the war and the violent social upheaval that followed. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Boris Pasternak. Special Features: Commentary by Omar Sharif, Rod Steiger, and Sandra Lean Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration Part 1 Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration Part 2
There have been many film and TV adaptations of Oliver Twist but this 1948 production from director David Lean remains the definitive screen interpretation of the Charles Dickens classic. From the ominous symbolism of its opening storm sequence (in which Oliver's pregnant, ill-fated mother struggles to reach shelter before childbirth) to the mob-scene climax that provokes Bill Sikes's dreadful comeuppance, this breathtaking black-and-white film remains loyal to Dickens while distilling the story into its purest cinematic essence.Every detail is perfect--Lean even includes a coffin-shaped snuffbox for the cruel Mr. Sowerberry--and as young Oliver, eight-year-old John Howard Davies (who would later produce Monty Python's Flying Circus for the BBC) perfectly expresses the orphan's boyish wonderment, stern determination and waifish vulnerability. Best of all is Alec Guinness as Fagin, so devious and yet so delightfully appealing under his beak-nosed (and, at the time, highly controversial) make-up. (Many complained that Fagin's huge nose and greedy demeanour presented an anti-Semitic stereotype, even though Lean never identifies Fagin as Jewish; for this reason, the film wasn't shown in the US until three years after its British release.) Likewise, young Anthony Newley is artfully dodgy as Fagin's loyal accomplice, the Artful Dodger. Guinness's performance would later provide strong inspiration for Ron Moody's equally splendid portrayal of Fagin in the Oscar-winning Oliver! and while that 1968 musical remains wonderfully entertaining, it is Lean's film that hews closest to Dickens' vision. The authentic recreation of 19th-century London is marvellous to behold; Guy Green's cinematography is so shadowy and stylised that it almost qualifies as Dickensian film noir. Lean is surprisingly blunt in conveying Dickens's theme of cruelty but his film never loses sight of the warmth and humanity that Oliver embodies. --Jeff Shannon
Gladiator: The great Roman General Maximus (Russell Crowe) has once again led the legions to victory on the battlefield. The war won Maximus dreams of home wanting only to return to his wife and son; however the dying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) has one more duty for the general - to assume the mantle of his power. Jealous of Maximus' favor with the emperor the heir to the throne Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) orders his execution - and that of his family. Barely escaping death Maximus is forced into slavery and trained as a gladiator in the arena where his fame grows. Now he has come to Rome intent on avenging the murder of his wife and son by killing the new emperor; Commodus.... (Dir. Ridley Scott 2000) Spartacus: Stanley Kubrick's film tells the tale of Spartacus the bold gladiator slave and Virinia the woman who believed in his cause. Challenged by the power-hungry General Crassus Spartacus is forced to face his convictions and the power of Imperial Rome at its glorious height. A classic inspirational true account of one man's struggle for freedom Spartacus combines history with spectacle to recreate a moving drama of love and commitment. (Dir. Stanley Kubrick 1960) The Fall Of The Roman Empire: This classic film re-enacts the spectacular collapse of perhaps the greatest dominion the world has ever known. Pestilence greed and corruption bring a once-proud empire to its knees. Now restored with stunning scenes and a cast of thousands - in battles gladiatorial and otherwise; martyrs burning at the stake; chariot races in the midst of which is the romance between two people.... (Dir. Anthony Mann 1964)
A group of Americans are interested in raising the ill-fated Ocean liner Titanic. One of the team members finds out the Russians also have plans to raise the ship from its watery grave. Why all the interest? It turns out that a rare mineral on board could be used to power a laser and now it's a race against time...
This box set features the following films: Our Man In Havana (Dir. Carol Reed) (1959): Jim Wormold (Alec Guinness) a vacuum cleaner salesman is short of money. His 17-year old daughter Milly (Jo Morrow) has reached an expensive age - so he accepts Hawthorne's (Noel Coward) offer of 0-plus a month and becomes Agent 59200/5 MI6's man in Havana. To keep the job Wormold pretends to recruit sub-agents and sends fake stories. Then the stories start becoming disturbingly true... HMS Defiant (Dir. Lewis Gilbert) (1962): As commander of the British warship H.M.S. Defiant the humane Crawford (Guinness) strives to maintain order throughout the ship against the ceaseless brutality of sadistic first mate Scott-Padget (Dirk Bogarde). After Crawford is injured in a fiery battle with a French treasure ship angry seamen Vizard (Anthony Quayle) leads the crew to mutiny when Scott-Padget takes over. Now with Vizard in command Crawford persuades him to join the British fleet to help fight against France's planned invasion of England in hopes for a mutiny pardon. But when a vengeful sailor murders Scott-Padget the Defiant crew must decide between saving their country or their own lives. Cromwell (Dir. Ken Hughes) (1970): Disgusted with the religious policies of King Charles I Oliver Cromwell plans to take his family to the New World. But on the eve of their departure Cromwell is drawn into the tangled web of religious tension and political infighting that will result in the British Civil War... Bridge On The River Kwai (Dir. David Lean) (1957): The film deals with the situation of British prisoners of war during World War II who are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway. Their instinct is to sabotage the bridge but under the leadership of Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) they are persuaded that the bridge should be constructed as a symbol of British morale spirit and dignity in adverse circumstances. Murder By death (Dir. Robert Moore) (1976): The world's greatest detectives have been invited to dinner. But when murder is on the menu who will make it to dessert? You are cordially invited to join an all-star cast featuring Peter Sellers David Niven Peter Falk James Coco Elsa Lanchester Maggie Smith Alec Guinness Eileen Brennan Nancy Walker James Cromwell and Estelle Winwood for Neil Simon's hilarious murder-mystery spoof 'Murder By Death'. The isolated mansion of eccentric millionaire Lionel Twain (Truman Capote) is the setting for the twisted puzzler. Twain informs his guests that one of them will be murdered at the stroke of midnight. The pay-off: million to whoever lives through the night. 'Murder By Death' cleverly sends up both the mystery genre and the characterisations of a host of these instantly recognisable gumshoes. Match wits with the super sleuths but remember you can't win if you end up dying from laughter! The Prisoner (Dir. Peter Glenville) (1955): Two old pros light up the screen... The film is based on the real-life travails of Hungarian Cardinal Mindszenty who after suffering under Nazi persecution was imprisoned by the new Communist regime for remaining loyal to his religious convictions. Alec Guinness plays an unnamed Cardinal in an unspecified Eastern European country who is clapped into jail. Here he is ordered by the politicos to issue a phony statement to his flock one that will effectively end Catholicism in his country. Jack Hawkins plays the diabolically clever Interrogator who is almost successful in convincing Guinness that his false statement will have a beneficial effect...
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