Time to Celebrate British Cinema July 17, 2006
Posted by John Hodson in : Film General, British Film , 11 commentsMy old mum, bless her, tells me that before I was even a glint in my dad’s eye, that she would go nowhere near the local Odeon if a British made film was showing. They were all, without exception ‘rubbish’. My old mum has, I’m afraid, as I often tell her, no taste whatsover. ..
Surveying my ever diminishing shelf space, I can see a wealth of treasures from the vaults of Hollywood; terrific sets devoted to Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Greta Garbo, Busby Berkeley et al. Set devoted to genres (Film Noir, Golden Age Comedies) and whole eras on which studio fortunes were built (Universal Horror, Gangsters).
But where are the sets, and features packed special editions, devoted to classic British cinema? Why aren’t there boxed sets of carefully restored British films, loaded with the extras we’ve come to expect from the best American releases? Why not boxed sets featuring London Films, the Kordas, the Boulting Brothers, British Lion? While other Eurpean countries have sets of films featuring Alfred Hitchcock’s early period, we have no equivalent. Madness. Isn’t there a market for a Dirk Bogarde box, John Mills, Noel Coward, Charles Laughton, Jessie Matthews, George Formby; someone, somewhere is probably gasping for Gracie Fields to be boxed (and, I realise, there are a 1001 witty retorts to that; try and restrain yourselves…) and granted acknowledgement of the superstar status she enjoyed at the height of her fame? Why not a Betty Box, er, box?
Where is there a decent DVD of Seven Days to Noon, Things to Come, The Private Life of Henry VIII, Pimpernel Smith, Contraband, The Spy in Black, Rembrandt - 100s and 100s of films, seemingly unloved. I’m perfectly aware that some of those titles have indeed been transferred to a digital medium, not with any sense of style or celebration of the fact that they emerged from British studios.
Surely there’s a market in this country for boxed sets of Hammer films, chock full of extras? DD Home Entertainment have tried, but both their range of titles, and their expertise it would seem, is limited. It’s frustrating that Warners hold the Hammer ‘crown jewels’, but seemingly refuse to present them in anything but barebones fashion. Even Anchor Bay UK have apparently gone off the boil, and I had high hopes after their Amicus set; but, then, they have an excuse. Prising licenses from the grasp of rights holders is both difficult and expensive.
Yes, Carlton - now Granada Ventures - who hold the rights of 100s of British films, did produce some box sets, notably for Will Hay (rumoured to be being prepped for reissue with extras - huzzah!), Norman Wisdom and the ‘Carry On’ series. There are their ‘Powell and Pressburger’ and ‘Rank 70th Anniversary’ boxes, but both those sets are reissues of extant material (save one film in the P&P box), and in some cases, the material is in dire need of further restoration.
Since the Granada Ventures takeover there has also been a shift in strategy; many of the old Carlton titles went out of print, as Granada issued licenses to first Network, then DD Home Entertainment (apparently a loop-hole in the Network contract means that we have the ridiculous situation of both firms issuing the same films). Network have been improving, in some cases, the old Carlton transfers and, again in some cases, adding decent extras; but it’s laborious work, with no boxed or themed material on the horizon. DD have been slapping films into boxes with little fanfare, but it’s ever so slightly shoddy stuff - three film sets for Alastair Sim and John Mills; nothing really to write home about.
There is also some hope following the end of Warners UK license with Studio Canal, the rights holder for many, many British films, including Ealing titles. Studio Canal has now sealed a deal with Optimum who produced the very best of the Ealing box sets in terms of extras and quality. Indeed, Optimum’s handling of Whisky Galore! showed just how it can be - should be - done for quality British films. In this respect, it is surprising that the BFI hasn’t been more on the ball; the BFI’s pricing of discs is breathtaking, sometimes it’s not reflected in the content. And on the marketing front, it can be argued that the British Film Institute has not always been seen as a champion of British film; it may not be the actualité, but it’s certainly the perception.
The British are just awful at promoting themselves; we stand around, coyly looking down, refusing to raise our hands, waiting for someone else - usually Anchor Bay US or Criterion - to tell us how terrific we are.
Isn’t it about time that the British celebrated the fact that we have made some terrific films over the years, films that have had a profound effect on cinema as a whole? Celebrated them with releases containing genuinly useful and informative extras, with transfers that sparkle like the jewels that they are?