"Director: Walter Lang"

• Rodgers And Hammerstein | DVD | (05/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Released as part of the celebrations marking composer Richard Rodgers' centenary in 2002, this Rodgers and Hammerstein collection contains the film versions of State Fair (1945), Oklahoma! (1955), Carousel (1956), The King and I (1956), South Pacific (1958), and The Sound of Music (1965). By the time these pictures were made, the Broadway originals had become the standards by which all else was judged in a golden age of musical theatre. And while film versions tend to dilute the books, there are still threads of darkness for those who require a more varied texture. But it's the fabulous songs which really count. Rodgers' partnership with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein was cemented by their 1945 cinematic joint effort State Fair, rushed into production by 20th Century Fox in response to MGM's all-conquering Meet Me in St Louis and with a similarly folksy theme. Directed by Walter Lang, it's a charmingly flimsy affair with some delightful numbers. Oklahoma!, directed by Fred Zinnemann, features Agnes de Mille's renowned choreography, irresistible songs and two outstanding performances from unlikely musical actors: film noir siren Gloria Grahame playing against type as Ado Annie, the girl who can't say "no", and Rod Steiger as the menacing but tragic Jud. Carousel, the morally dubious tale of fairground barker and wife-beater Billy Bigelow (Gordon MacRae) who gets a chance to redeem himself after death, is crammed with great melodies including the tear-jerking anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone". South Pacific, which contains perhaps the most spine-tingling songs penned by Rodgers and Hammerstein--"Some Enchanted Evening" is just one--a wartime love story which also manages to touch on racism and morality; anything but lightweight. Both The King and I and The Sound of Music, of course, have become cinematic legends in their own right, thanks in no small part to their leading ladies, Deborah Kerr and Julie Andrews. On the DVD: Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musicals glow as freshly as if they were made yesterday in four of these DVD transfers, with the other two a disappointment in comparison. South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I and The Sound of Music are offered in widescreen, giving the full benefit of the original Cinemascope presentations. Oklahoma!'s titles are presented in widescreen, but unforgivably the film then reverts to a disappointing 4:3 format which hardly does justice to the big sky settings of the Scope original. The sound quality is also disappointingly muffled for Oklahoma! and State Fair, both of which are crying out for a good polish. --Piers Ford

• The Shirley Temple Collection - Classic Shorts | DVD | (28/10/2013) from £19.99   |  Saving you £-5.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Celebrating Hollywood's most famous child actor. Shirley Temple is the most popular and famous child star of all time. After making her first foray into Hollywood at the age of three she soon progressed to superstardom. Shirley could do it all: act sing and dance - and all this by the time she was five! Fans loved her and so did the studios as she clocked up appearance after appearance throughout the 1930s in Depression-hit America. In this unforgettable collection of films Shirley's talent is showcased at its very best. Little Princess (1939)When Captain Crewe (Ian Hunter) is called to fight in the Boer War he has to leave his daughter Sara (Shirley Temple) along with her pony at Miss Minchin's School for Girls. To The Last Man (1933)Lynn Hayden (Randolph Scott) moves his family from Kentucky to Nevada to escape a bloody feud but ends up involved in a conflict between members of the same warring families. Shirley Temple Shorts Collection (1932-1934) Merrily Yours (1932) The Pie Covered Wagon (1932) Glad Rags To Riches (1932) Polly Tix In Washington (1932) War Babies (1932) Kid In Hollywood (1932) Kid In Africa (1932) Dora's Dunking Donuts (1933) Managed Money (1934) Pardon My Pups (1934)

• Snow White and the Three Stooges | DVD | (30/04/2012) from £14.98   |  Saving you £-4.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Its good vs. evil in this hilariously stooged rendition of the classic fairy tale. When a benevolent king (Edgar Barrier) dies, his evil wife (Patricia Medina) locks up the man's beautiful daughter, Snow White (Olympic ice skating champion Carol Heiss), in order to claim the kingdom for herself.When the princess escapes and makes her way to the dwarves cottage she meets their houseguests - three very helpful performer's - Larry, Moe and Curly-Joe. In this frolicking winner of the 1961 WGA Award for Best Written American Musical, The Stooges' seek to restore harmony in the land and inspire romance between Snow White and her prince.

• The Little Princess | DVD | (22/10/2007) from £13.48   |  Saving you £-0.49 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Little Princess is living proof that Shirley Temple was much more than just a dimpled tot who could sing and dance on cue. Her tearful reunion with her missing dad (Ian Hunter) in a hospital ward at the conclusion of this classic story should move even the most hardened cynic. Her tears range from joy to hysteria as she tries to tell the shell-shocked soldier that she is his daughter. This is a lavish production with Shirley Temple at 12 doing an expert job as Sara the little miss who has to bear the indignities of a boarding school once her father has been declared dead in the Boer War. The harsh mistress (Mary Nash) has her stripped of all privileges and makes her live in the attic while becoming a servant in the very household where she was once called `The Little Princess by the other girls. There are departures from the original novel since the script is given a `Shirley Temple formula to ensure its success as the right vehicle for her at that time. It succeeds in being a heart-warming tale of a girls courage and determination when it seems that there is no hope of finding her father alive. The ending with Queen Victoria giving Shirley an approving nod is an added delight. One of Shirleys best performances with a wonderful cast of supporting players.

• Susannah Of The Mounties (Shirley Temple) | DVD | (05/03/2007) from £21.02   |  Saving you £-8.03 (-61.80%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Rescued by kindly mounted police officers after barely surviving an Indian attack on the Canadian frontier cute orphan Susannah Sheldon (Shirley Temple) befriends the Mounties especially Inspector ""Monty"" Montague (Randolph Scott). Moreover the adorable Susannah proves a capable negotiator between the tribes and the Mounties.

• Shirley Temple - Classic Collectors Set (Early Years 1&2. Princess) | DVD | (07/09/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Titles Comprise: 1. Early Years - Vol. 1 2. Early Years - Vol. 2 3. A Little Princess In Colour

• The King And I | DVD | (31/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  This visual and musical masterpiece features Yul Brynner's Academy Award winning performance an unforgettable Rodgers and Hammerstein score and brilliant choreography by Jerome Robbins. It tells the true story of an English woman Anna Leonowens (Kerr) who comes to Siam as schoolteacher to the royal court in the 1860s. Though she soon finds herself at odds with the stubborn monarch (Brynner) over time Anna and the King stop trying to change each other and begin to understand one another. Winner of six Academy Awards The King And I contains some of the most lavish sets in Hollywood and some of the world's best-loved songs including ''Getting To Know You'' ''I Whistle A Happy Tune'' ''Hello Young Lovers'' and ''Shall We Dance?'' Bonus CD Tracklisting: 1. Main Title 2. I Whistle A Happy Tune 3. My Lord And Master 4. March Of The Siamese Children 5. Anna And The Royal Wives 6. Hello Young Lovers 7. Puzzlement 8. Getting To Know You 9. Garden Rendezvous 10. We Kiss In A Shadow 11. I Have Dreamed 12. Shall I Tell You What I Think Of You 13. Something Wonderful 14. Prayer To Buddha 15. Waltz Of Anna And Sir Edward 16. Small House Of Uncle Thomas 17. Song Of The King 18. Shall We Dance 19. Letter 20. Something Wonderful 21. Overture

• Little Princess, The / Little Lord Fauntleroy | DVD | (08/05/2006) from £8.07   |  Saving you £-3.08 (-61.70%)   |  RRP £4.99

  Little Princess: Sara Crew (Shirley Temple) is sent to boarding school by her widowed father Captain Crewe (Ian Hunter) so he can go and fight in the Boer War. When he is reported killed Sara is treated like a servant by the spiteful headmistress and can only cling to the hope that her father will one day return. Little Lord Fauntleroy: Freddie Bartholomew stars as Ceddie Erroll a typical Brooklyn boy getting into scrapes and running around with his best friend Dick T

• Desk Set | DVD | (01/01/2001) from £6.73   |  Saving you £6.26 (48.20%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Make the office a wonderful place to love in! Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn) heads up the research department at the Federal Broadcasting Company a major TV network. And she does her job very well thank you very much. Assigned by the network president to introduce computers into some of the department's functions Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) arrives at Bunny's well-run division to observe daily activities. Unfortunately however Sumner is ordered to keep his mission se