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...A whimsical and charming British film, 'Passport To Pimlico' is one of the finest examples of the classic Ealing comedies.
This second collection of Ealing Comedy, while not quite as important a reissue as the first box, is nonetheless essential viewing for all aficionados of classic English film. In Passport to Pimlico a group of Londoners demonstrate, paradoxically, their Englishness by eccentrically choosing the Burgundian citizenship granted them by a rediscovered medieval charter. Similarly, in The Titfield Thunderbolt neighbours outraged by the closing of their local branch line steal an antique locomotive from the museum and run their own railway. A similar sense of taking charge of your own life fills Hue and Cry as a group of boys, infuriated that crooks have been using their favourite comic to send messages, summon scores of others by radio to help them track down and capture the gang. There are shared themes here, a shared sense of the importance of eccentricity and imagination to a healthy society as well as excellent ensemble acting from casts that include Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford and Sid James. The box is filled out with a television documentary about the history of Ealing Studios. It covers its early silent days, the golden age that produced the classic comedies and such important films as The Cruel Sea, its time as a BBC studio and its possible renaissance under new management. On the DVD: Ealing Comedy presents the three films and the documentary in 1.33:1 (i.e., 4:3), and has excellent mono sound that does full justice to both dialogue and scores. The extra features include introductions to the four films in the first box set by such luminaries as Terry Gilliam and Martin Scorsese as well as DVD-ROM files of the original brochures for all seven films. --Roz Kaveney
Noel Coward's timeless movie of a couple who meet in a railway station and must make a decision that will change their lives forever.
A collection of David Lean's finest films. Include: 1. The Sound Barrier (1952) 2. Hobsons Choice (1954) 3. Blithe Spirit (1945) 4. Brief Encounter (1945) 5. Great Expectations (1946) 6. Oliver Twist (1948) 7. Madeleine (1950) 8. The Passionate Friends (1949) 9. This Happy Breed (1944)
A fantastic box set featuring a quartet of beauties from Ealing Studios. Includes: 1. Whisky Galore (Dir. Alexander Mackendrick 1949) 2. Champagne Charlie (Dir. Alberto Cavalcanti 1944) 3. The Maggie (Dir. Alexander Mackendrick 1954) 4. It Always Rains on Sunday (Dir. Robert Hamer 1947)
An all-star cast feature in this stylish adaptation of Agatha Christie's quintessential murder mystery, produced and co-written by legendary B-movie mogul Harry Alan Towers. Directed by George Pollock (who had previously won great acclaim with the Miss Marple films starring Margaret Rutherford) and sporting the ultimate gimmick of a 60-second Whodunnit Break prior to the final reveal, Ten Little Indians is featured here as a High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Ten strangers arrive at a snowbound mansion invited by their host, the shadowy Mr U.N. Owen. During dinner, an audio tape of Owen's voice is played, revealing that each guest has a scandalous secret a secret that each would be willing to kill to protect. It's not long before the first guest is murdered. It won't be the last. Special Features Theatrical trailer Image gallery
Otto Preminger's sprawling Second World War drama, In Harm's Way, packs a lot in its 165 minutes, beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor (which Preminger re-creates in amazing detail) and ending a couple of years later with America's return to the South Pacific in force. John Wayne and Kirk Douglas star as a career naval captain and his self-pitying commander in the peacetime navy who are thrust into battle when Pearl Harbour is bombed while they are on manoeuvres. Minutes into World War II, they are already scapegoated and demoted by the embarrassed military brass. Wayne romances a WAVE nurse (Patricia Neal) and attempts a reconciliation with his estranged, spoiled son (Brandon de Wilde) while Douglas sinks into the bottle after the death of his cheating wife until the American fleet rebuilds and calls upon Wayne to lead one of the initial invasion forces. Henry Fonda makes a brief but commanding appearance as the fleet admiral. Burgess Meredith is a former writer turned witty commander, Dana Andrews a showy but indecisive admiral, and Stanley Holloway a genial Australian scout working with the American invasion forces. Tom Tryon and Paula Prentiss play newlyweds torn apart by the war, and also appearing are Franchot Tone, Carroll O'Conner, Slim Pickens, George Kennedy, Bruce Cabot, and Larry Hagman, among many, many more. Loyal Griggs's handsome black-and-white photography is topped only by Saul Bass's impressive closing credits sequence, a rising cascade of crashing waves and rough surf reportedly paced to mirror the dramatic rhythm of the film. --Sean Axmaker
The life and highly entertaining times of 19th century English music hall performer George Leybourne (aka Champagne Charlie) and his rivalry with the Great Vance (Stanley Holloway)... A thoroughly enjoyable but sadly neglected musical comedy from the Ealing Studio.
By George they've got it! Newly transferred from elements painstakingly restored in 1994 the film version of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady is lavish lovely and the acclaimed recipient of eight 1964 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director (George Cukor). Best Actor Oscar winner Rex Harrison reprises his signature stage role of Henry Higgins the supremely assured phoeneticist who wagers that under his tutelage cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle can pass for a duchess at the embassy ball. In one of her best-loved roles. Audrey Hepburn plays Eliza. If ever there was a face the professor could grow accustomed to it's hers. In Hertford Hereford and Hampshire (and elsewhere) no one's fairer than My Fair lady one of the most irresistible musicals ever.
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! Director Charles Crichton and writer Tibby Clarke team up again for the first Ealing comedy to be produced in Technicolor. The defiance of authority by local inhabitants was a favourite topic in the 40's and 50's and embellishes the characteristic Ealing theme - 'small is beautiful and big is bad'.
Running a Railway is the third release in bfi Video's digitally re-mastered double-disc DVD series of British Transport Films combining favourites from the much loved and best-selling video series with additional material. This new collection contains four hours of footage including the multi-award-winning Terminus directed by John Schlesinger. Among these rare gems are: Farmer Moving South (1952): The true story of a Yorkshire farmer who decided to sell his land and move his entire stock - cattle pigs and poultry machinery ploughs and tractors - south to Sussex by rail in December on what was the coldest night of the year. I Am A Litter Basket (1959): Every day the people who use railway stations drop hundreds of tons of litter all over the place while me and my mates have to stand by empty and starving. Until one day we get so desperate we go foraging for ourselves. And what happens? Take a look at this film. It makes me weep to think of it. I nearly gave up all hope until - but wait and see! Modelling for the Future (1961) Visions of an earlier Channel Tunnel scheme and a model of the proposed terminal. This film demonstrates a range of facilities and shows the possibilities of an age-old dream - a dry land crossing between England and France. The Third Sam (1962) - Sam Smith is taught to drive an electric locomotive. He learns the new job without difficulty but one day his train breaks down and Sam summons up three sides of his character to deal with the emergency. With narration in typical rhyming monologue by Stanley Holloway this is an original and amusing approach to instructional filmmaking. E For Experimental (1975): An account of the development of British Rail's experimental Advanced Passenger Train (APT) The film explains in simple terms some of the many novel design features of the APT including the tilt mechanism and the hydro-kinetic brake and shows the train in action during its trials. All these films are now preserved in the bfi National Film and Television Archive. The DVDs are a 'must' not only for the transport enthusiast but also for anyone who enjoys historical documentary films. A booklet containing an introduction and film notes by BTF historian Steven Foxon accompanies the discs.
Available for the first time on DVD! Based on the novel by Walter Macken. A boy and his little sister run away to Ireland to escape from their cruel stepfather. Their evil uncle is the next of kin and when he discovers that they are heirs to a fortune he chases after them with one wicked purpose in mind!
Kind Hearts and Coronets (Dir. Robert Hamer 1949): Sir Alec Guinness became an international star with his extraordinary performance as eight different characters in this 1949 Ealing Studios classic. Dennis Price (I'm All Right Jack Private Progress) co-stars as Edwardian gentleman Louis Mazzini who plots to avenge his mother's death by seizing the dukedom of the aristocratic d'Ascoyne family. But to gain this inheritance Mazzini must first murder the line of eccentric relatives who stand between him and the title including General d'Ascoyne Admiral d'Ascoyne The Duke of Chalfont Lady Agatha d'Ascoyne and four more all brillantly portrayed by Guinness and leading to one of the most delicious final twists in comedy history. Passport To Pimlico (Dir. Henry Cornelius 1949): An ancient document reveals that London's Pimlico district really belongs to France. And the Pimlico community eager to abandon post-War constraints quickly establish their independence as a ration-free state with hilarious results. Nicholas Nickleby (Dir. Alberto Cavalcanti 1947): The classic Charles Dicken's tale of 'Nicholas Nickleby ' a man who is deprived of his inheritance and travels to seek his fortune with a group of gypsies. Went The Day Well? (Dir. Alberto Cavalcanti 1942): The residents of a British village during WWII welcome a platoon of soldiers only to discover that they're actually Germans!
The son of a Victorian hangman is driven insane by thoughts of his father's profession. The young man emulates his father by strangling young women. He then meets and falls in love with a woman but can he suppress his urge to kill her?
This collection features four classic British films from the Ealing studio. Whisky Galore: The Scottish islanders of Todday by-pass war time rationing and delight in smuggling cases of their favourite tipple from a wrecked ship. Basil Radford stars as the teetotal English official who is totally unable to comprehend the significance of whisky to the islanders. Marvellously detailed and well played it firmly established the richest Ealing vein with the common theme of a small group triumphing over a more powerful opponent. Champagne Charlie: Tommy Trinder gives one of the very best performances of his career in this lively musical comedy about the career of music hall star George Leybourne - better known to one and all as Champagne Charlie. It Always Rains on Sunday: Rose Sandigate used to be engaged to local bad-boy Tommy Swann but he found himself locked up and thrown in Dartmoor prison. Rose eventually marries George a sedate but gentle man. However Tommy has escaped from Dartmoor and needs Rose's help... The Maggie: It looks as if the 'Maggie' an old and decrepit puffer boat is destined for the scrap-yard. That is until an American shipping company accidentally awards the puffer boat a valuable contract. When the mistake is discovered the head of the company himself decides to put things right. Calvin B. Marshall is a first rate hustler but the puffer crew outsmart him at every turn to keep their contract.
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. Prolific Ealing writer T.E.B. Clarke won an Oscar for his deft script but he was helped greatly by the precise direction and impeccable timing of director Charles Crichton and by the brilliance of Alec Guinness's performance. When he tries to recruit Mr. Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway) as Pendlebury chips away at one of his sculptures Guinness circles Holloway playfully seducing him into the idea of robbery and as Holloway finally understands the proposition Guinness looks back over his shoulder like some elfin Lucifer. When the mob goes over its robbery plans Guinness insists on a detail and Shorty (Alfie Bass) acknowledges that Guinness is the boss. Guinness concentrating agrees. Then as he relaxes and eases back in his chair Guinness sheds his years of servitude to the bank - Dutch Holland is indeed the boss...
In 1940 a deserted airfield somewhere in the heart of England becomes a bustling bomber command station. In 1942 advance units of the American Air Force arrive to join The Royal Air Force and help turn the tide of World War II. So unfolds the story of a group of flyers and their 'missions'. Peter Penrose (John Mills) a young RAF pilot is sent to Halfpenny Field close to the small town of Shepley. His Squadron Leader Flight Lieutenant David Archdale (Michael Redgrave) gives him inspiration and encouragement and they fast become friends. They are joined by a young American pilot Johnny (Douglas Montgomery) which complicates the friendship. This is the story of the group's private lives - particularly their loves during war-time.
Dennis Price and Stanley Holloway star in this classic, early 1950s comedy from legendary film-makers Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat. A cautionary tale of fame and fortune, Lady Godiva Rides Again also features Kay Kendall, Diana Dors and George Cole and is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. A starstruck provincial waitress wins the local beauty contest to ride as Lady Godiva in the town pageant. She goes on to win first prize in the Fascination Soap Beauty Contest and immediately finds herself plunged into a strange new world of privilege, glamour... and not a little danger! Special Feature: Image gallery
Boxset of four classic films from the 1960s. 'No Love for Johnnie' (1961) stars Peter Finch as an MP whose thirst for greater power leads him to political intrigue. Johnnie Byrne (Finch) aspires to the big time and his hopes are raised when his party triumphs in a general election. As Johnnie is overlooked for a role on the front benches his personal life also hangs in the balance as his wife (Rosalie Crutchley) decides to leave him. When Johnny is approached by a couple of fellow backbenchers for help in a scheme that may destabilise the government but advance their careers, Johnny is faced with a difficult decision. 'The Beauty Jungle' (1964) is a British comedy drama in which a young woman finds a new career as a beauty queen. Attractive typist Shirley Freeman (Janette Scott) is encouraged by newspaper journalist Don Mackenzie (Ian Hendry) to enter a beauty pageant while on holiday. After winning she decides to quit her job and become a full time contestant, proving to be very successful. However, her success won't last forever... 'The High Bright Sun' (1964) is set in Cyprus in 1957 against the backdrop of Cyprus's determined struggle for independence from British rule. Dirk Bogarde stars as a British Intelligence Officer whose sense of duty imperils the life of the woman he loves. 'Flame in the Streets' (1961) is a hard-hitting melodrama about racial tensions in early 1960s England starring John Mills and Sylvia Sims. Jacko Palmer (Mills) is a union man who has to confront the prejudices of his members when a black foreman (Earl Cameron) is appointed and the members threaten to strike. When he discovers that his daughter (Sims) wants to marry Jamaican schoolteacher Peter Lincoln (Johnny Sekka) however, Jacko must confront his own prejudices and become a bigger man.
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy