"Actor: Judy Holliday"

• Adam's Rib | DVD | (30/01/2013) from £4.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (200.40%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Adam's Rib, released in 1949, was one of the on-screen peaks for the matchless pairing of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. George Cukor's instinctively light touch on the director's tiller, the wittiest of Garson Kanin scripts and apparently effortless acting from the stars, merge for 100 minutes of sophisticated comic perfection. It's tempting to think that, as the sparring husband and wife lawyers, Hepburn and Tracy drew on aspects of their now legendary real-life love affair. Screen chemistry alone can't account for the endless nuances, sidelong looks and timing which make Adam's Rib such a delight. There's also a generosity to their fellow actors that few major stars, then or now, would be confident enough to indulge in. Judy Holliday, playing the wife accused of shooting her philandering husband, had still not secured the lead in the film of her Broadway hit, Born Yesterday. Aware that anything else would have been a travesty, Hepburn as her defence lawyer ensured that Holliday was favoured in their scenes together and she duly got the part. In all the best ways, Adam's Rib is a quick-fire battle-of-the-sexes comedy, with Hepburn's brittle feminism striking sparks off Tracy's bemused chauvinism. The verdict might be a victory for Hepburn, but the real winner is an underlying love and respect which made this partnership one of the all time greats. On the DVD: Adam's Rib is presented in standard 4:3 format from a decent print, with a picture quality and mono soundtrack to please anyone who knows the film primarily from TV matinees. The lack of extras, apart from a scene index, is disappointing for a film of this stature. --Piers Ford

• Born Yesterday | DVD | (05/08/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Born Yesterday was the box-office comedy hit of 1950 and won a Best Actress Oscar for the exceptional Judy Holliday, recreating her long-running Broadway triumph as Billie Dawn, the quintessential dumb blonde who finally gets herself some smarts. The film resonates with the sophisticated sparring in Garson Kanin's script and there are tightly controlled performances from William Holden as the cynical journalist hired to polish Billie up for Washington society and Broderick Crawford as Harry Brock, her rough, crooked and ambitious boyfriend. But Born Yesterday is Holliday's picture, as she runs the gamut from brassy insouciance to tentative, vulnerable enlightenment. She hasn't thought of her estranged father in five years: "It's nothing against him. I haven't thought of anything in five years." Her gradual awakening to the realisation that she is a stooge for Brock's corrupt business deals, and the way she sheds her chorus girl's intellect in the face of growing political awareness, are brilliantly traced. Holliday's dead-pan delivery makes the pathos of her self-discovery both hilarious and deeply touching; it's the hallmark of a comic genius, which makes the sparseness of her subsequent film appearances all the more regrettable. On the DVD: Born Yesterday is presented in full screen (1.33:1) ratio. Like the mono soundtrack, the black and white picture quality has triumphantly survived its more than half century. Extras include a gallery of vintage advertisements and an original theatrical trailer, plus filmographies and welcome, comprehensive booklet notes. --Piers Ford

• It Should Happen To You | DVD | (18/10/2004) from £12.60   |  Saving you £0.39 (3.10%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Judy Holliday stars as Gladys Glover a young woman who wants to make a name for herself so she rents a billboard on Columbus Circle and advertises her name. When a wealthy soap manufacturer tries to wrestle the billboard away from Gladys he finds himself falling in love with her. Can an aspiring model find happiness on a billboard?

• Born Yesterday | Blu Ray | (21/01/2019) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From one of the truly legendary directors of the Hollywood's golden era, George Cukor (My Fair Lady, The Philadelphia Story), comes the beloved comedy-classic Born Yesterday... Judy Holliday (Bells Are Ringing) gives an unforgettable, Oscar-winning performance as Billie Dawn, the ˜dumb blonde' girlfriend of corrupt millionaire junkyard tycoon Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford, All The Kings Men). A man with social ambitions, Harry is embarrassed by Billie's uncouth behaviour and lack of social refinement, so he sends her on on a crash course in culture with young journalist Paul Verrall (William Holden, Network, The Bridge on the River Kwai). Billie proves to be an able student in lessons of life and love, whilst also becoming all too aware of her partners crooked business dealings. Emboldened by her new education, she stands up to Harry and his bad ways. Acclaimed for its delectably witty screenplay (based on Garson Kanin's smash-hit Broadway production) Born Yesterday is a tour de force of comic acting, which boasts sizzling performances from its main players and pitch-perfect direction from Cukor. The film is presented here for the first time in stunning High Definition, with a selection of informative and entertaining extras. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation transferred from original film elements Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM audio soundtrack Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Yesterday Today, a newly-filmed video appreciation by film critic Geoff Andrew Remembering Judy Holliday, the academic Richard Dyer celebrates the Oscar-winning actress Da na na... BUH-BOOM!, a new video essay on the film by critic David Cairns Image gallery Original trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ignatius Fitzpatrick FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Pamela Hutchinson

• Hollywood Musicals Of The 60's | DVD | (01/09/2000) from £6.76   |  Saving you £-0.77 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The 60's were the last great decade for the American movie musical but it was also probably its best. With blockbusters like The Sound of Music West Side Story My fair Lady Mary Poppins Oliver! and Funny girl the artform reached its peak. Join us on a singing and dancing tour from the Austrian Alps to the vauderville halls of Brooklyn... from dancing in the streets of Spanish Harlem to the shores of River City... from the chimneys of Old London to the sound stages of Hollywoo

• Spencer Tracy / Katharine Hepburn - Signature Collection Box Set | DVD | (17/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Woman of the Year (Dir. George Stevens 1942): Tess and Sam work on the same newspaper and don't like each other very much. At least the first time because they eventually fall in love and get married. But Tess is a very active woman and one of the most famous feminists in the country; she is even elected as ""the woman of the year"". Being busy all the time she forgets how to really be a woman and Sam begins to feel negleted. Pat and Mike (Dir. Goerge Cukor 1952): The sun will sneak by a rooster before sports promoter Mike Conovan (Spencer Tracy) lets opportunity pass him by. So the first time he sees genteel Pat Pemberton (Katharine Hepburn) swing a five-iron he decides to ink her to a pro contract. ""Not much meat on her "" Mike later says ""but what's there is cherce."" For this chercest of romantic comedies George Cukor directs Ruth Gordon and Garon Kanin provide the Oscar-nominated screenplay and a deft cat plays various Damon Runyonesque types including Aldo Ray as a dim-bulb palooka and Charles (Bronson) Buchinski as a tough guy who finds Pat tougher. Sports stars of the day (Like Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Gussie Moran) add to the Jocks-and-Jills fun. Let the games begin! Adam's Rib (Dir. George Cukor 1949): Assistant District Attorney Adam Bonner loves his wife Amanda but doesn't care much for his opposing counsel in a sensational attempted-murder trial - an opponent who happens to be Amanda. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn were never more evenly matched than when they brought their sharpened wits and prickly affection to this George Cukor -- directed comedy written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. Judy Holliday co-stars as the woman whose shooting of her philandering spouse becomes a feminist cause for Amanda. Hepburn generously saw Holliday's work as a screen test for casting the film of Holliday's stage vehicle Born Yesterday. Hepburn's ploy worked. So does this fine funny movie. Keeper Of The Flame (Dir. George Cukor 1942): ""A determined reporter. A grieving widow. A heart-pounding tale of suspense."" Spencer Tracy plays reporter Steve O'Malley who goes investigates the death of a ""national hero"" named Robert Forrest. He meets his widow Christine (Katharine Hepburn) and falls in love with her. His investigation reveals that the dead hero may have been plotting to overthrow the government and suspects that Christine may have been involved. He confronts her with his evidence and ""she refuses to speak out in her own defense."" He doesn't know if she is innocent or not.

• Hollywood Musicals | DVD | (31/03/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This 3 DVD box set celebrates the golden era of Hollywood musicals in the 1940s 1950s and 1960s. Using movie trailers and interviews with stars such as Ann Miller and Shirley Jones these programmes pay tribute to the heyday of song and dance on celluloid. Hollywood Musicals Of The 1940's:In the 1940s America was just emerging from The Great Depression. War engulfed half the world and the future looked uncertain. The Hollywood musical had the recipe to make things better. With the Hollywood musical people still believed that dreams really do come true. Glamour spread across the screen. In glorious colour and even in black and white the screen glittered. Join the biggest stars as we celebrate the great musicals of the 1940s when Hollywood put its best feet forward - dancing feet. In the 1940's from nostalgia to contemporary jazz the Hollywood musical had it all. Hollywood Musicals Of The 1950's:Relive the excitement of Opening Night as the curtain is raised on the Hollywood Musicals of the 1950s. All the music dancing the exotic locales the comedy and the drama are included in a salute to the greatest musicals ever to grace the motion picture screen. From the artistry of the ballet in An American In Paris to the Arabian Nights fantasy of Kismet there are stars shining in all their glory. Gene Kelly Howard Keel Fred Astaire Donald O'Connor and Cyd Charisse are but a few of the luminaries included. Enjoy again the depiction of the early days of talking pictures in Singin' In The Rain. Clap your hands to the songs and dances aboard the Show Boat. Watch as Shakespeare comes alive again in the musical comedy Kiss Me Kate. Thrill once more to the enchantment of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers The Band Wagon and Damn Yankees. Fall in love again with the romance of Royal Wedding Oklahoma! and Silk Stockings. Hollywood Musicals Of The 1960's:The 60's were the last great decade for the American movie musical but it was also probably its best. With blockbusters like The Sound of Music West Side Story My fair Lady Mary Poppins Oliver! and Funny girl the artform reached its peak. Join us on a singing and dancing tour from the Austrian Alps to the vauderville halls of Brooklyn... from dancing in the streets of Spanish Harlem to the shores of River City... from the chimneys of Old London to the sound stages of Hollywood. These are the best and biggest extravaganzas ever!