... The quality of the films themselves is terrible, and one would think that in the age of digital re mastering that something would have been done to touch up some of the more grainy and poor quality pictures in this collection. It would be wonderful to see a larger range of perhaps more diverse ... Read review
Ealing Studios output from the 1940s and 1950s helped define what was arguably the golden ... more
age for British cinema. It fostered great directors such as Alexander Mackendrick and Robert Hamer, while giving stars such as Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers the...
Ealing Studios output from the 1940s and 1950s helped define what was arguably the golden ... more
age for British cinema. It fostered great directors such as Alexander Mackendrick and Robert Hamer, while giving stars such as Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers the chance to shine.These four classic films are testament to the studio's considerable influence on film-making both in the UK and beyond.Kind Hearts And Coronets:Louis Mazzini's mother belongs to the aristocratic family D'Ascoyne, but she ran away with an opera singer. Therefore, the D'Ascoynes rejected her and Louis. Once adult, Louis (Dennis Price) decides to avenge his mother and him, by becoming the next Duke of the family. Murdering every potential successor - all famously played by Alec Guinness - is clearly the safest way to achieve his goal.Passport To Pimlico:When an unexploded WWII bomb is accidentally detonated in Pimlico, it reveals a treasure trove and documents proving that the region is in fact part of Burgundy, France, and thus foreign territory. The British Government attempts to regain control by setting up border controls and cutting off services to the area. Written by Ealing regular T.E.B. Clarke, the film was nominated by BAFTA in the Best British film category.Nicholas Nickleby:Based on Charles Dickens' novel, Nicholas Nickleby tells the story of the eponymous hero and his attempts to escape the clutches of his greedy moneylender Uncle Ralph by joining a troope of actors. Staying true to the dark mood of the book, Ealing stalwart Alberto Cavalcanti conjures up a triumphantly atmospheric adaptation of the literary classic featuring great performances from Cedric Hardwicke and Derek Bond, who went on to star in several other Ealing classics.Went The Day Well?:Based on a story by Grahame Greene, Went The Day Well? is a classic piece of propagandist entertainment, a warning to British citizens to remain ever alert for the arrival of the enemy. Alberto Cavalcanti's film tells the story of a quiet English village which has been infiltrated by German soldiers masquerading as British troops, leaving the plucky villagers to uncover the plot and fight back.
Ealing Studio output from the 1940s and 1950s helped define what was arguably the golden ... more
age for British cinema. It fostered great directors such as Alexander Mackendrick and Robert Hamer, while giving star such as Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers the chance to shine.These four classic films are testament to the studio's considerable influence on film-making both in the UK and beyond.The Lavender Hill Mob:Holland (Alec Guinness), is a shy retiring man who works as a bank transfer agent for the delivery of gold bullion. One day he befriends Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway), a maker of souvenirs. Holland remarks that, with Pendlebury's smelting equipment, one could forge the gold into harmless-looking toy Eiffel Towers and smuggle the gold into France. Soon after, they gain the services of professional criminals Lackery (Sid James) and Shorty (Alfie Bass) and the four plot their crime, unaware of the pitfalls which lie ahead.The Titfield Thunderbolt: When British Railways announce the closure of the Titfield to Mallingford branch line, a group of local village residents make a bid to run it themselves, backed by a monied member of the community who is attracted by the complete lack of licensing hours on trains. Unfortunately this puts them into direct competition with the local bus company.Hue And Cry: Hue and Cry has since become known as the first of the Ealing comedies proper, and was also the first to make brilliant use of post-war London's exterior locations.. The story follows a boy who becomes convinced that a major heist is being planned and executed through the pages of boys' weekly serial The Trump. Having been laughed out of the police station, he and the rest of his friends set about entrapping the culprits and exposing the plot.Dead Of Night: Starring Mervyn Johns, Michael Redgrave and Googie Withers, Dead of Night represented a departure for Ealing from the classic comedy mould and is instead a spooky psychological thriller made up of 5 chilling ghost stories. An architect visits a country house only to get trapped in recurring nightmare involving tales of the occult told by fellow guests at the manor. A portmanteau work from four of Ealing's best directors, Dead of Night preyed masterfully on the country's post-war fears and paranoia.
The Ladykillers: With iconic performances from Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers and Herbert ... more
Lom, The Ladykillers is quintessential Ealing. Director Alexander Mackendrick's film centres on a criminal gang planning their next job, who find themselves boarding with an innocent old lady who thinks they are musicians. When the gang set out to kill Mrs Wilberforce, they run into one problem after another, and they get what they deserve. Mackendrick's last film as director before his move to Hollywood, The Ladykillers remains one of the best British comedies ever made.The Man In The White Suit: Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness), a humble inventor, develops a fabric, which never gets dirty or wears out. This would seem to be a boon for mankind, but the established garment manufacturers don't see it that way; they try to suppress it. Nevertheless, Sidney is determined to put his invention on the market, forcing the clothing factory bigwigs to resort to more desperate measures.The Magnet: Charles Frend's film stars a young James Fox as a small boy who cons another boy out of his toy magnet, and is then wracked with guilt when he wrongly believes this has led to the other boy's death. A wonderfully evocative portrait of the trials and tribulations of youth in post-War Liverpool.Scott Of The Antarctic: John Mills stars as Captain Robert Scott in this film of the explorer's ill-fated expedition to be the first man to discover the South Pole. Directed by Charles Frend who went on to direct The Magnet, the film was nominated for both the Golden Lion in Venice and the BAFTA for Best British Film.
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Christopher Ettridge, Victor McGuire, Emma Amos, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Elizabeth Carling
Advantages: Loveley Movies Disadvantages: Bad quality, predictable selection of movies
...films enjoyed by individuals around the world. Several Box sets have been released over the years and this ' Definitive Collection' seems to contain yet again the same small selection of films favoured in previous collections.
It would be nice to see a wider range of Ealings productions available, especially seeing as the Studios had and still have a massive fanbase for their work. The quality of the films themselves is terrible, and one ... more
Ealing studios have a history which spreads across over a hundred classic films enjoyed by individuals around the world. Several Box sets have been released over the years and this ' Definitive Collection' seems to contain yet again the same small selection of films favoured in previous collections. It would be nice to see a wider range of Ealings productions available, especially seeing as the Studios had and still have a massive fanbase for their work. The quality of the films themselves is terrible, and one would think that in the age of digital re mastering that something would have been done to touch up some of the more grainy and poor quality pictures in this collection. It would be wonderful to see a larger range of perhaps more diverse Ealing Studios Productions, or at least some remastered versions of these popular movies.
techie_fairy 15.01.2009 (15.01.2009)
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Review of The Definitive Ealing Studios Collection (DVD)
Product Information for "The Definitive Ealing Studios Collection (DVD)" »
Product details
Genre
Comedy
Classification
Parental Guidance
Running Time
23 hours 40 minutes
Video Category
Feature Film
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
OPTIMUM HOME ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Release date
16/10/2006
No of Discs
16
Catalogue No
OPTD 0601
Barcode
5060034576549
Languages
Main Language
English
DVD Description
This exhaustive collection celebrates one of Britain’s greatest filmic institutions; Ealing Studios. While world famous for creating classic comedies, Ealing was also home to a raft of other films form all kinds of genres. This box set features CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE, DEAD OF NIGHT, HUE AND CRY, IT ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAY, KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, THE LADYKILLERS, THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, THE MAGIE, THE MAGNET, THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT, NICHOLAS NICKELBY, PASSPORT TO PIMLICO, SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC, THE TITFIELD THUNDERBOLT, WENT THE DAY WELL and WHISKY GALORE.
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