War classic IN WHICH WE SERVE (1 Viewer)

[RobertGr]

Last week TCM showed the great British War film IN WHICH WE SERVE. The film had the MGM/UA logo at the end of the film yet it is not available on dvd from them but from a company called Westgate Entertainemnt. Has anybody seen this dvd? Is it good quality?

 

[Charles H]

Several years ago IN WHICH WE SERVE was to have been brought out individually by MGM and as part of a David Lean Collection (IN WHICH WE SERVE, THIS HAPPY BREED, BLITHE SPIRIT, GREAT EXPECTATIONS, OLIVER TWIST, MADELINE, BRIEF ENCOUNTER, MADELINE, and THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS). The Powers-That-Be at MGM/UA-Sony- Fox deemed that these proven classics would not possibly "work" in today's Sundance-generated, sequel-oriented, dumb-teenager oriented marketplace and the collection which had made it to the artworknand release date status was effectively terminated. There is a very depressing thread on HTF about the complete indifference of the studios (particularly the usually classics-sensitive WB) during the Christmas season. Only Fox (with their massive Ford at Fox release) has any tangible classic release in December. Not good news for Tiny Tim!!!

I recommend that you invest in a region-free dvd player and get R2 DAVID LEAN COLLECTION which contains all the titles mentioned above plus THE SOUND BARRIER and HOBSON'S CHOICE. They are all superb films.

 

[RoyGBiv]

Thanks for the post about this movie having been on TCM. I have wanted to see it again for a long time. I've even had my brother check into buying the R2 version when he visits London periodically, but he has never seen it on the shelves there. So, I'm glad to hear it was on TCM, and I have just checked their web site and found it will be shown again on 11/16. I will be sure to TiVo it.

SMK

 

[Dick]

I would not be terribly surprised - in fact I would be delighted - if Criterion released this during the next year or two, as they had done a nice laser disc edition. I kind of put this and THE 49TH PARALLEL (now available on DVD) together, as I bought the two lasers from Criterion at the same time. Perhaps they will also be able to release the missing Lean films (BLITHE SPIRIT, and those previously mentioned). They've been doing awesome work lately.

 

[Jon Martin]

I rented it from Netflix.

The transfer wasn't spectacular, but watchable. Not up to a standard MGM release, but not at the public domain level.

 

[BarryM]

This film is just plain wonderful.....I'd buy the David Lean Collection in pinch if those jerks at MGM would get around to it.

I have a naughty Korean Region -0- of it from Westlake Entertainment Group which is pretty good quality (I guess it's safe to mention it 'cause it's from Korean, but rest assured, I'll buy the legit one when it's issued).

I shows up from time to time on eBay and the film is superb. The best thing Noel Coward ever starred in.

 

[Jon Martin]

The Westlake DVD is widely available. It is on Amazon for $12 and on Netflix.

 

[BarryM]

then until MGM makes a positive decision, run out and get this amazing film...in many ways, one of the very best of the WWII era.

Amazing cast too:
Celia Johnson
Richard Attenborough
John Mills
Bernard Miles

the cream of the crop of British actors at the time.

 

[Charles H]

You might want to check out DVD Beaver.....Apparently THE DAVID LEAN COLLECTION will be comong to R1!

 

[ahollis]

After MGM was sold to Sony, most of the DVD's that they had announced for release went in to release hell. I do not have any information as to what happened, but the David Lean Collection along with many others including Sergio Leone Westerns and the special edition of A Fish Called Wanda also was but on hold. And we all know that the Midnight Movies series disappeared. Now that MGM is releasing through Fox, they seem to be on the right track with releasing their catalog titles again. The reported announcements of the David Lean Collection, including "In Which We Serve," seems to be correct since all the other perviously announced but cancelled titles have found their way to our collections. That is except for the Eddie Cantor Films, but that is a story for another thread. I look forward to the Lean films, he and Robert Wise are two of my favorite directors and I always enjoy their films. Here to hoping the rumors are correct and can spend an evening with David Lean sometime early next year.