The ebullient comedy films of the 1930s brought escape and laughter to millions of British cinemagoers, enabling veteran stars of the music-hall and theatre to reach out to a wider audience making household names of performers like Leslie Fuller, Hal Gordon, Bobby Howes, Ernest Lotinga and Gene Gerrard. Although comedy would prove to be the decade's most successful film genre, many of these classic early talkies have remained unseen since their original release. From boisterous knockabout humour to polished adaptations of popular stage farces, this ongoing collection showcases a wealth of rare features, each presented uncut, in a brand-new transfer from the best available elements in their as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. JOY RIDE (1935) Two cousins invite their girlfriends on a joy-ride, but car trouble leads to catastrophe! RADIO LOVER (1936) A penniless young charmer hits upon an ingenious route to fame and fortune...
A detective gets involved with a wealthy socialite who can't seem to stop hiccupping.
Angela Barrows (Constance Cummings) is a man-eating businesswoman who is sent by her American employer to investigate their export opportunities in Edinburgh. En route she meets Robert MacPherson (Robert Morley) a businessman who asks for help to bring his company into the 20th century. The staff led by Mr Martin (Peter Sellers) has other ideas however and a comic battle between the old and new business methods soon breaks out. A vintage Peter Sellers comedy that ranks amongst his funniest!
The story of William Buffalo Bill Cody, legendary westerner, from his days as an army scout to his later activities as owner of a Wild West show.
While 'Born To Dance' is the movie musical most associated with James Stewart the largely forgotten Pot o' Gold is the one in which he is most involved with music. The plot has Stewart as Jimmy Haskell a music-loving harmonica-playing man who comes across a poor but excellent band (led by Horace Heidt) that rehearses on a boarding-house roof. Jimmy becomes interested in the people who own the boarding-house Ma McCorkle (Mary Gordon) and her lovely daughter Molly (Paulette Goddard). Jimmy and Molly combine forces to promote the career of Horace and the lads but that task is made difficult by Jimmy's wealthy Uncle Charley. This is a rare opportunity to hear Stewart sing with surprisingly pleasant results. Songs from a group of writers include: Do You Believe In Fairy tales? (Mack David Vee Lawnhurst) When Johnny Toots His Horn (Hy Heath Fred Rose) Slap happy Band Hi Cy What's Cookin'? Pete The Piper Broadway Cabellero (Henry Sullivan Lou Forbes). The movie was produced by James Roosevelt son of FDR
She can never be a part of his world. But she can tear his world apart. Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Jones (Duel In The Sun The Song Of Bernadette) delivers a powerful performance as a strong-willed Southern beauty from the wrong side of the tracks in this bold sweeping drama co-starring Oscar winners Charlton Heston and Karl Malden. She was raised in the rugged swamplands. He was born into wealth and privilege. Yet from the moment Ruby (Jones) first laid eyes on Boake (Heston) she vowed to have him for her own. Now the residents of the small tidewater town will do everything in their power to stand in her way. But they've never seen a passion like this one...and they've never met a woman like Ruby!
Aida Live From Royal Opera House July 1994
Elegiac and atmospheric Shakespeare Wallah made in 1965 was the feature film that really put Merchant Ivory Productions on the international movie map winning them great critical acclaim. It is now recognised as a classic.Starring a young FELICITY KENDAL SHASHI KAPOOR and MADHUR JAFFREY the film's inspiration lies behind the real-life adventures of Felicity Kendal's family as a travelling theatre troupe in India during the twilight days of English colonial rule. Essentially a culture-clash romance which blends Shakespeare and British tradition with the emerging Indian 'pop' culture the film traces the developing relationship between Lizzie one of the members of the acting troupe with Sanju a wealthy Indian playboy. But their romance is beset by hindrances not the least being the machinations of Manjula a fiery Indian cinema star who is also in love with Sanju.
Subway In The Sky
Now It Can Be Told recreates the top secret missions of British agents behind enemy lines during the Second World War. What makes the film so unusual - and so compelling - is that the 'stars' of the film are the real life secret agents replaying their wartime roles in front of the cameras. Captain Harry Ree DSO OBE Croix de Guerre Medaille de La Resistance and Jacqueline Nearne MBE faithfully recreate their wartime missions as agents 'Felix' and 'Cat'. Together they help to harass Nazi troops in occupied France and to assist the Allies by paving the way for the D-Day invasion. In addition to real agents the film also depicts real procedures and locations used in agent training giving it value as a historical record that sets it apart from the more dramatic films about resistance fighters. Filming began in 1944 although the film was not shown in the cinema before 1946 when it first appeared as School for Danger.
Journey Together is a unique feature length documentary-drama film written by Terence Rattigan directed by John Boulting and produced by the RAF. It provides a vivid and gripping depiction of the selection and training process for the RAF pilots and aircrew during the Second World War and follows new recruits through the arduous procedure of their first mission - a night bombing raid on Berlin.
In this charming musical comedy Rock Hudson plays a faithful soda jerk who finds his atentions to the lovely Millicent (Piper Laurie) turned down after her family gains a large sum of money.
Two old, bored and fabulously wealthy brothers, Roderick and Oliver Montpelier, strike up a cruel wager. They draw up a currency note worth £1 million. Roderick believes it would be quite useless for any poor but honest man to use. Oliver however believes that - just by possessing the note and never cashing it - any man could live like a lord. To find out who is right, the two old millionaires pick on Henry Adams (Gregory Peck), a young and impoverished American hopelessly adrift in London. Will the £1 million pound note change his life for the better or the worse? This classic, sparkling comedy - an updated version of the riotous short story by Mark Twain - sees Gregory Peck giving one of his finest performances aided and abetted by a distinguished cast which includes Joyce Grenfell and Wilfrid Hyde White.
Before Private Ryan was saved the Sullivan Brothers did their part for World War II. This rivetting and tragic drama was the basis for Steven Speilgberg's Saving Private Ryan and follows the true story of the five Sullivan brothers who served together at Guadalcanal in 1942. Their patriotisim and devotion to each other was overwhelming and took precedence over all else with tragic results. One of Hollywood's lost classics it was originally pulled from cinemas after its devastating effect on audiences of the time. The Fighting Sullivans is a story you may never have heard of but it's a movie you will never forget.
A peerless filmmaker of substance and scale David Lean directs Boris Pasternak's tumultuous tale of Russia divided by war and hearts torn by love. Epic images abound: revolution in the streets an infantry charge into no-man’s-land the train ride to the Urals an icebound dacha. Omar Sharif plays the title role Julie Christie is his haunting long-time love Lara and both are caught up in the tidal wave of history. Hauntingly scored by Maurice Jarre (who earned one of the film’s five Academy Awards) and full of indelible performances Doctor Zhivago is a moviemaking wonder.
Agrippina was staged for the first time in late December 1709 - or possibly at the beginning of 1710 - at Venice's Teatro San Grisostomo and met with enormous success as testified by twenty-seven following performances a record number even for 18th-century standards. Agrippina's triumph sanctioned Handel's definitive investiture as an operatic composer. After nearly 300 years this opera appears as a masterpiece of 18th-century music and an innovative work considering that when Handel composed it he was just twenty-four years old. The composer's melodic creativity and sense of theatre are quite remarkable. The cast conducted by Jean-Claude Malgoire includes Vronique Gens in the title role.
Unable to land a radio contract for himself and his niece Rebecca Winstead (Temple) fly-by-night vaudevillian Henry Kipper (William Demarest) leaves the girl in the care of her aunt Miranda Wilkins (Helen Westley) who runs a little farm with the help of hired hands Homer (Slim Summerville) and Aloysius (Bill Robinson). Miranda has an intense dislike for ""show folks"" but her next-door neighbour Anthony Kent (Randolph Scott) a talent scout for a major radio network sees great pos
With the blink of her eyes and a nod of her head Barbara Eden will make your wishes come true in the premiere season of I Dream Of Jeannie. Larry Hagman stars as Captain Anthony Tony Nelson an astronaut who finds himself Master to a beautiful and crafty genie (Eden) whom he unknowingly releases from a bottle. Together he and Jeannie are a magical match. Packed with bonus features and boasting some of television's brightest guest stars such as Dabney Coleman Maureen McCormick and Bill Mumy I Dream Of Jeannie is the beloved must-own comedy series that will have you dreaming of TV's Golden Age.
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