"Director: Charles Frend"

• Cone Of Silence | DVD | (25/02/2008) from £18.99   |  Saving you £-6.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Veteran pilot George Gort (Bernard Lee) faces a Court of Inquiry as the result of the crash of a Phoenix jet airliner He is severely cross-examined by Sir Arnold Hobbes Q.C. (Gorge Sanders) and found guilty of a pilot error. The pressure mounts on Gort when Captain Judd (Peter Cushing) accuses him of bringing the aircraft in too low at Calcutta. With passenger lives at risk Gort's daughter Charlotte (Elizabeth Seal) fights to clear her father's name by enlisting the help of Captain Dallas (Michael Craig).

• British War DVD Collection | DVD | (27/05/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The four films presented in The British War Collection unapologetically embody the dogged spirit and pluck of an embattled nation during its greatest crisis; that they also represent the zenith of post-war British cinema is a testament to both their quality and veracity. First in chronological order is The Cruel Sea (1953), a rivetingly faithful adaptation of Nicholas Monsarrat's gripping novel (itself semi-autobiographical) in which Jack Hawkins is the epitome of determined professionalism in the face of ever-present disaster. Moving from sea to air, The Dam Busters (1954) uses the same documentary-style approach to storytelling, though combined here with the more overt patriotic appeal of Eric Coates' famous march theme. A similar never-say-die spirit pervades both The Colditz Story (1955)--an authentic retelling of PR Reid's narrative--and Ice Cold in Alex (1958). Coincidentally or not, both films star the always indomitable John Mills. In Colditz, Mills heads a distinguished ensemble of British thespians as they attempt to escape from the infamous fortress, while in Alex he and his marvellously tight-knit cast journey painstakingly towards what is probably the most famous glass of lager in the world. On the DVDs: The British War Collection comes in a neat fold-out package with postcard-style cards for each movie. All four discs are presented in their original aspect ratios (Cruel Sea and Dam Busters, 1.33:1; Alex and Colditz, 1.66:1). The black and white prints are in pretty good condition, and are accompanied by reasonably clean mono soundtracks. Other than the original theatrical trailers there are no extras. --Mark Walker

• The Magnet (Ealing) *Digitally Restored | DVD | (15/06/2015) from £8.00   |  Saving you £9.99 (124.88%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Ten-year-old Johnny Brent (James Fox - The Servant) tricks a young boy to swap him a toy magnet for his ‘invisible watch’. Troubled afterwards by his conscience Johnny rids himself of the magnet presenting it to a charitable fund. When news of this touching sacrifice by an unknown child appeals to the imagination of the sentimental public the magnet is auctioned for charity and raises several hundred pounds. This leads to a search to find the donor and when Johnny learns of this he concludes that is wanted by the police for obtaining the magnet by false pretences prompting him to go on the run! Directed by Academy Award nominee Charles Frend (Scott of the Antarctic) written by Academy Award winner T.E.B. Clarke (The Lavender Hill Mob) and co-starring Stephen Murray (A Tale of Two Cities) and Kay Walsh (Oliver Twist) THE MAGNET is an outstanding Ealing comedy which has been digitally restored to its former glory.

• The Sentimental Agent - Complete Series | DVD | (17/05/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Carlos Varella (Carlos Thompson) is an import-export agent with a finger in every pie. Charming, elegant, sophisticated and widely travelled, he's the sort of man that people come to for help. With the aid of his secretary Suzy Carter, manservant Chin (the legendary Burt Kwouk) and fellow Mercury International employee Bill Randall, Carlos's devil-maycare attitude and infectious sense of humour see him through the stickiest of situations!

• The Cruel Sea | DVD | (15/01/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The courageous story of the Battle of the Atlantic: a story of an ocean a ship and a handful of men. The brave crew are the heroes. The heroine is the ship. The only villain is the sea that man and war have made even more brutal...

• A Run For Your Money | DVD | (02/02/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A Run For Your Money

• The Complete War Collection (12 Discs) | DVD | (06/11/2006) from £59.99   |  Saving you £20.00 (33.34%)   |  RRP £79.99

  A complete collection of the best of British war movies! Films comprise: 1. The Colditz Story (Dir. Guy Hamilton 1955) 2. The Cruel Sea (Dir. Charles Frend 1953) 3. The Dam Busters (Dir. Michael Anderson 1954) 4. I Was Monty's Double (Dir. John Guillermin 1958) 5. Ice Cold In Alex (Dir. J. Lee Thompson 1958) 6. Went The Day Well? (Dir. Alberto Cavalcanti 1942) 7. The Wooden Horse (Dir. Jack Lee 1950) 8. They Who Dare (Dir. Lewis Milestone 1954) 9. Cross Of Iron (Dir. Sam Peckinpah 1977) 10. The Way Ahead (Dir. Carol Reed 1944) 11. In Which We Serve (Dir. Noel Coward/David Lean 1942) 12. The Battle Of The River Plate (Dir. Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger 1956)

• Ealing Comedy DVD Collection - The Complete Set | DVD | (08/11/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £69.99

  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!

• Danger Man - The Complete Series 1 | DVD | (05/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  John Drake is a special agent in the deadly world of international espionage and intrigue. A master in his field he is free to go wherever duty calls. Danger Man does not simply attract danger he thrives on it. Episode titles: The Key View From the Villa Find and Return Time To Kill Under the Lake The Journey Ends Halfway Position of Trust The Sisters An Affair Of State Deadline Bury The Dead The Girl In Pink Pyjamas Sabotage The Traitor The Nurse The Blue Veil The Lovers The Sanctuary The Deputy Coyannis Story The Brothers Colonel Rodriguez The Relaxed Informer Find and Destroy The Prisoner The Lonely Chair Dead Man Walks The Contessa Josetta The Island The Conspirators Name Date and Place The Leak The Honeymooners The Girl Who Liked GI's Hired Assassin The Gallows Tree The Vacation The Trap The Actor.

• The Magnet | DVD | (13/11/2006) from £17.13   |  Saving you £-4.14 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A classic Ealing film of half-truths whispers and wild imaginations! 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 Cruel Sea | DVD | (18/04/2005) from £13.46   |  Saving you £0.53 (3.94%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Nicholas Monsarrat's novel is an unflinching, realistic and emotionally involving account of naval life during the Second World War in which the "heroes" are the men, the "heroines" the ships and the "villain" is not so much the German U-Boats lurking below as "the cruel sea" itself. This 1953 film has become a classic of British cinema largely because it is a straightforward, no-frills adaptation of the book and retain's much of the original's compelling yet almost understated dramatic focus. On convoy duty in the North Atlantic, the crew of HMS Compass Rose face as a matter of routine the threat of destruction from U-Boats as well as a constant struggle against the elements. The convoys themselves are Britain's only lifeline and their loss would lead to certain defeat, but in the early years of the war the ships sent to protect them can do almost nothing to prevent the U-Boat attacks. Jack Hawkins gives one of his finest performances as Captain Ericson, the commander who has to balance destroying the enemy against saving the lives of the men under his care. In one unforgettable scene--a crucial turning point for all the characters--he must decide whether to depth charge a suspected submarine despite the presence of British sailors in the water. As with the book, the individual officers and their lives are carefully delineated, helped by the strength of a cast of (then) young actors (notably Donald Sinden and Denholm Elliot). Ultimately what makes The Cruel Sea such an undeniable classic is that it has neither the flag-waving jingoism nor the war-is-hell melodrama so common to most war movies: instead it relates in an almost matter-of-fact way the bitterness of the conflict at sea fought by ordinary men placed in the most extraordinary of circumstances. --Mark Walker

• Girl on Approval | DVD | (16/01/2012) from £7.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (62.58%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Sheila's 14. Her father abandoned her as a baby, her mum's in jail and she's stuck in a children's home. Every family that's tried to look after her has found her too difficult. Now Anne and John Howland want to foster Sheila. But if they can't make a home for her, her future looks bleak...Starring Oscar Nominated actress Rachel Roberts (This Sporting Life, O Lucky Man!) as Anne andsensitively directed by Charles Frend (The Cruel Sea, Scott of the Antarctic) Girl on Approval is a major example of the British New Wave, a brilliant study of troubled lives.

• Johnny Frenchman | Blu Ray | (08/02/2021) from £15.19   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Renowned farceur Tom Walls stars alongside French cinematic icon Francoise Rosay in this heart-warming comedy-drama from Ealing Films. Made as World War Two was coming to an end but set during its opening months, Johnny Frenchman is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. There exists an age-old rivalry between the Cornish and Breton fisherfolk, but harbourmaster Nat Pomeroy holds a particular grudge... not just for the Bretons' incessant poaching, but for the harbour dues he loses in the process!

• The Tommy Trinder Collection | DVD | (11/02/2008) from £59.99   |  Saving you £-25.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £34.99

  Save a Little Sunshine (Dir. Norman Lee) (1938): In this musical comedy a man earns a reward and decides to spend some of it on restoring a ramshackle boarding house. Unfortunately his endeavor fails and he ends up working there to make ends meet. Later his ingenious girl friend saves the day by suggesting he turn the house into a fancy restaurant. Sailors Three (Dir. Walter Forde) (1940): Three British sailors find they've accidentally strayed on board a Nazi ship during WWII. They then proceed to take it over and requisition it for the Royal Navy. The Foreman Went To France (Dir. Charles Frend) (1942): Based on the true story of Melbourne Johns an aircraft factory foreman sent to France to prevent the Nazis getting hold of some vital equipment. Fiddlers Three (Dir. Harry Watt) (1944): A pair of Jolly Jack Tars on shore leave take a Wren (lady sailor) to Stonehenge and get caught in a time warp finishing up in ancient Rome. The Bells Go Down (Dir. Basil Dearden) (1943): Comedian Tommy Trinder plays it straight in this tribute to the wartime AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service). The dedicated band who kept the fires of London under control during the blitz and fire bombings of WWII. Bitter Springs (Dir. Ralph Smart) (1950): Tommy Trinder is called in to smooth things out when Wally King encroaches upon Aboriginal Tribal ground. Champagne Charlie (Dir. Alberto Cavalcanti) (1944): The story of a 19th century English music hall (vaudeville) performer and life behind the scenes.

• The Magnet | DVD | (12/07/2004) from £6.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (100.14%)   |  RRP £13.99

  A classic Ealing film of half-truths whispers and wild imaginations! 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 ar

• Danger Man - Series 1 | DVD | (25/01/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Danger Man: Series 1 (6 Discs)