A Little Showing Soon; Another Mills Bomb, Ms Lockwood Requests… February 13, 2008
Posted by John Hodson in : DVD News & Info, Showing Soon , trackbackShowing Soon in R2
Apologies to be back so soon, but I’ve made some decent discoveries (and plain forgot to include some others) since the last Showing Soon, only a couple of days ago, that I feel I must share them post-haste, gentle reader…
Tartan has scheduled March for a release of Nicolas Philibert and René Allio’s I, Pierre Riviere, a little-seen film based on the disturbing true story of a peasant who murdered his family in 1835. It’s released in conjuction with Philibert’s documentary Back To Normandy; ‘All the main parts in ‘I, Pierre Rivière’ were played by non-professional actors from Normandy. Here, thirty years after the film’s release, Philibert takes his camera back to the region to learn about the lives of its stars during the intervening years. Weaving through time - between 1975, the present time, and the nineteenth century - Philibert creates yet another captivating documentary.’
Still no word on what makes Network’s March release This Sporting Life: Special Edition so ’special’. It will have to be some set to come near Criterion’s recent R1, a sumptuous transfer replete with superb extras.
Late March, Network release Espionage an interesting ITC Series little seen since its broadcast in 1963-’64, on six discs. The BFI says the series: “Presented an above-average anthology series of European-filmed suspense dramas dealing with undercover agents and their activities, ranging in period from the American Revolution politics of the 18th century to contemporary Cold War capers. 24 hour-long episodes were produced by George Justin”
No only that, in a knowing bit of marketing, Network is to release a single disc set of all three Espionage episodes directed by Michael Powell (for even the Great Man had to stoop to TV work as times became lean) one of which was written by his Peeping Tom screenwriter Leo Marks. Excellent.
Coming early April is The Crimson Pirate from Warner**, mentioned in a past Showing Soon, as is Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season 3 (5 Discs), and another release for the excellent western series Lonesome Dove; Acorn promises this transfer is newly ‘digitally remastered’ and it also includes an interview with Larry McMurtry and Suzanne De Passe. PD specialist Orbit is giving an R2 outing to Vincent Price’s Last Man on Earth in April, while Artificial Eye release’s Robert Bresson’s The Devil, Probably and A Man Escaped.
Following the good news last time that this month’s John Mills Centenary Box Set had been bumped from a six disc collection to nine, ITVDVD has now announced the hoped for second set to celebrate 100 years since the birth of an actor who was, variously throughout his career, described as the ‘British James Cagney’ and an ‘English everyman’. The eight disc John Mills Centenary Collection II: Icon Box Set, coming May, boasts:
Car Of Dreams (Dir. Graham Cutts and Austin Melford) (1935): John mills stars as playboy Robert Miller, the son and heir of a wealthy tycoon who owns a musical instrument factory. Robert is in love with Vera Hart (Grete Mosheim), a poor girl who works at his father’s factory–but neither is aware of the other’s true identity. When Robert anonymously buys Vera a Rolls-Royce, he discovers her low social class and must further conceal his identity to avoid a family scandal.
This Happy Breed (Dir. David Lean) (1944): A dramatisation of Noel Coward’s play which details the lives of ordinary people between WWI and WWII.
The Way To The Stars (Dir. Anthony Asquith) (1945): In 1940, a deserted airfield somewhere in the heart of England becomes a bustling bomber command station. In 1942 advance units of the American Air Force arrive to join The Royal Air Force and help turn the tide of World War II. So unfolds the story of a group of flyers and their ‘missions’.
Peter Penrose (John Mills), a young RAF pilot is sent to Halfpenny Field, close to the small town of Shepley. His Squadron Leader, Flight Lieutenant David Archdale (Michael Redgrave) gives him inspiration and encouragement and they fast become friends. They are joined by a young American pilot Johnny (Douglas Montgomery) which complicates the friendship. This is the story of the group’s private lives - particularly their loves during war-time.
The Long Memory (Dir. Robert Hamer) (1952): After a long jail term for a crime he did not commit, a man is torn between revenge or making a new life for himself.
The Vicious Circle (Dir. Gerald Thomas) (1957): When Dr Howard Latimer finds the German Actress that he has just met at London Airport murdered in his flat, it leads him into the world of murder, blackmail and a fake passport scam.
Above Us The Waves (Dir. Ralph Thomas) (1955): The dramatic World War II story of Britain’s heroic attempts to sink the monster German battleship Tirpitz in a Norwegian Fjord using midget submarines. In this adventure of unsurpassed courage, the crews of the Navy become human torpedos.
Tiger Bay (Dir. J. Lee Thompson) (1959): Polish sailor Korchinsky (Buchholz) is furious to discover his lover has left him for another man and, in a confrontation, murders her. The crime is witnessed by 10 year old Gillie (Hayley Mills) who steals the gun used and as officer Graham (John Mills) closes in, Korchinsky abducts Gillie…
Forever England (Dir. Walter Forde) (1935): A war drama, based on the story by C.S. Forrester, in which the illegitimate son of a British naval officer singlehandedly brings about the downfall of a German battleship during World War I.
Lumme. All this and Morning Departure just announced for R1 release too. By the way, on the same tack, Universal hasn’t forgotten that 17 disc box set for Jimmy Stewart that they announced last year; they’ve sensibly delayed it until later in ‘08, June to be precise, better to celebrate the centenary of the birth of James Maitland Stewart, 24-carat Hollywood star and a modest, but genuine hero of the Second World War to boot.
May and archive telly fans can look forward to Auf Wiedersehen Pet: 25 Years Ultimate Box Set, Rumpole Of The Bailey: Series 5, The Rockford Files: Season 5, Love Thy Neighbour: Series 8, Homicide: Series 5, Last Of The Summer Wine: Series 9 & 10 (3 Discs), Top Cat: Vol 2, Cybill: Complete Series 3 (4 Discs), Little House On The Prairie Season 4 (6 Discs) and Magnum P.I.: Season 8 (3 Discs).
Channel 4 has been delving into the back catalogue, releasing and re-releasing some of the films and series they have financed, but reports are that they’ve been making something of a mess with very poor transfers. Fingers crossed for an improvement - in March expect East Is East, The Bostonians, Bread & Roses, Dogma, The Europeans, Heat & Dust, Life Is Sweet, Maurice, Monsoon Wedding, My Beautiful Laundrette, My Name Is Joe, Raining Stones, and Riff Raff. Coming May are Ken Loach’s Ladybird, Ladybird, The Limey, The Straight Story, Porterhouse Blue, My Left Foot, Shackleton, The Camomile Lawn and Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero.
June and ITVDVD are at it again. The eight disc* - count ‘em - Margaret Lockwood Collection includes:
The Wicked Lady (Dir.Leslie Arliss) (1945): The lusty, bawdy, epic story of England’s legendary highwayperson Lady Barbara Skelton, who married a nobleman, lusted after a highway-man, and sought the love of the only man she could never have…
Love Story (Dir. Leslie Arliss) (1944): After successful pianist Lissa Campbell is diagnosed with a terminal heart defect, she vows to make her last months worth living. She takes a trip to Cornwall where she meets Tom Tanner, Kit Firth and Judy Martin.
Bank Holiday (Dir. Carol Reed) (1938): Various people set off on an August bank holiday, including a raucous Cockney family, a would-be beauty queen, and two young lovers - whose relationship starts to come apart when one has to deal with a bereavement at the hospital where she works.
Jassy (Dir. Bernard Knowles) (1947): Based on the novel by Norah Losts Jassy is a gypsy girl blessed with the gift of second sight. When superstitious villagers are on the point of submitting her to a ducking in the village pool, a young man, Barney, intervenes to save her. They are separated soon afterwards when it becomes clear Jassy has romantic feelings towards Barnery, but from her humble beginnings as a servant girl she eventually succeeds in becoming mistress of a fine old English mansion.
Give Us The Moon (Dir. Val Guest) (1944): A young man, Sascha, joins a group call ‘The Elephants’ whose principle is to abide by a complete disregard for work. However chaos ensues when the group decides to help run the hotel owned by Sascha’s father!
I’ll Be Your Sweetheart (Dir. Val Guest) (1945): A lighthearted, romantic musical, featuring many classic songs built round an engaging story the establishment of copyrighting in the music industry.
Highly Dangerous (Dir. Roy Ward Baker) (1950): When British Intelligence discovers that a (mythical) Iron Curtain country is developing insects as weapons they dispatch entomologist Fraces Gray to get into the county and collect specimens. However her cover is almost immediately blown on her arrival and her contact is murdered…
Madness Of The Heart (Dir. Charles Bennett) (1949): A blind woman seeks sanctuary in a convent before deciding to pursue her destiny with her French lover.
The Lady Vanishes (Dir. Alfred Hitchcock) (1938): Intrigue and espionage, and the effects on the lives and futures of passengers aboard a Trans-Continental Express emerge, when a girl traveller (Margaret Lockwood) returning from a holiday, strikes up an acquaintance with a middle-aged English governess who, during the journey mysteriously disappears from her compartment. The girl, seeking an explanation for the disappearance, is accused of hallucinating and is nearly convinced that her new friend does not exist.However, further inquiries made among the passengers reveal the curious behaviour of a group of foreign government agents who are also travelling as passengers…
A very nice looking set spotlighting one British cinema’s biggest post-war stars, though a star which shone brightly, yet relatively briefly at the very top - it probably will involve some double-dipping…
*Feb. 27 EDIT: Thanks to Glyn for alerting me to the fact that it looks like ITVDVD have now trimmed the set down to six films. See the comments on this post for the titles. **And The Crimson Pirate comes from Orbit, not Warner, unfortunately.
Comments»
That second Mills set looks just great and I’m especially happy to see ‘The Long Memory’ in there- thanks for posting this John.
Not at all; good to see someone else appreciates Mills - I’ve become a big fan in recent years and it’s marvellous we’ve got two such excellent DVD sets in the offing.
BTW, ‘The Works’ is currently offering a really nice coffee table book - Shepperton Studios; A Visual Celebration - for only £9.99, it’s an excellent and weightly tome with some marvellous photographs, a DVD of movie trailers, and a foreword by by Sir John written just before he passed away. Highly recommended and a real bargain.
Yes, it’s great to see Mills honoured in this way. I think that, all too often, the British film industry has tended to ignore many of those who contributed so much. As such, it’s nice to see some respect accorded.
BTW I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve cut and pasted some of the post to add to the DVD Forums upcoming thread - and credited the source, of course.
No problem; appreciate it.
According to Amazon there are only six films in The Margaret Lockwood Collection: THE LADY VANISHES (1938); LOVE STORY (1944) ; THE WICKED LADY (1945) ; BANK HOLIDAY (1938) ; HIGHLY DANGEROUS (1950) ; GIVE US THE MOON (1944) .
You’re right, as does HMV, and now Play.com; it looks like ITVDVD have done it again. This underlines my comment recently that you have to stay aware of the latest specs from both ITVDVD and Optimum before you buy; the recent John Mills Collection went from nine discs, to six, and back to nine before release, the Kenneth More Collection went from eight, IIRC, discs down to five; in fact some etailers are still listing it at the original rrp, despite the fact that that came down too, along with the number of films included. The titles for the second George Formby set appeared on various sites before Optimum declared they had no intention of releasing one anyway…
Thanks for the info, a fortnight is clearly a long time in the world of DVD - I’ll keep an eye on the Lockwood collection.
Great that the Lockwood set is coming out. Just a shame they dropped a few. Jassy is deserving of a DVD issue, it’s not particularly great, but it IS in colour.