International Classic British DVD titles from Network! (1 Viewer)

[classicmovieguy]

I haven't spun "Piccadilly Incident" yet, but, by and large, the quality of the other Dame Anna Neagle films released by Network thus far has been very good.

 

[Doug Bull]

Byron beware of Anna Neagle's "King's Rhapsody" as it's truly awful. (as is the movie itself)
It's Anamorphic, but the picture and sound quality is abysmal. It's one of my softest and worst looking Widescreen DVDs.
Shame, because most of the Network releases are excellent. Not sure what went wrong with that one.

View attachment 10854

Doug.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I have "King's Rhapsody" and although the soundtrack isn't optimal, the print is decent (very strong colour). I watched it twice over 2 consecutive nights, and found it a thoroughly delightful film. Guess I'm a sucker for a sweet, sentimental operetta romance.

 

[moviepas]

Today(Ties June 3 2014) I received a small package from Amazon UK from Network pre-orders I had placed:

Ealing Studios Rarities Volume 13: 4 more films from the mid-30s. One, The Great Dictator(1935) is the 1943 re-release version retitled(for obvious reasons) For the Love of a Queen. It does not say if the running time is reduced from the original but often when Network state they are using the re-release cut, the films are cut as much as a reel.

BRITISH MUSICALS VOLUME 2:

BLOSSOM TIME(1934). Richard Tauber as Franz Schubert. Nice print and one I had on VHS.
OVER THE GARDEN WALL(1934). Stage star Bobby Howes(father of Sally-Ann) in this one.
MISTER CINDERS(1934). Film version of earlier stage musical which had starred Bobby Howes & Binnie Hale(once Jessie Matthews sister-in-law). They are not in this film.
EVERYTHING IS RHYTHM(1936). Harry Roy & His Band & Roy;s then wife. A good dance band musical that had been on VHS in UK(I have it). At 69mins those versions are longer than the 16mm that was hovering around in USA in the 1970s(about a reel longer).
BOTTOMS UP(1960). Comedian Jimmy Edwards as headmaster of a boys school in UK. This was the film version of Edwards TV series for the BBC called Whack-O and included Arthur Howard(Leslie's brother) from theTV series. Most of the very popular TV series was junked and one episode I found on You Tube is about the masters going to a nightclub etc and does not include the school & the pupils.

The final title I got was the Blu Ray restoration of THE PROFESSIONALS: Series 1-13-eps(Gordon Jackson) and extras on Blu Ray. There is a 180-page book included in the package about the restoration and film elements etc found in France. It is spread on 4-discs

 

[classicmovieguy]

More new titles announced:

* The Birthday Present (Tony Britton & Sylvia Syms) 1st September
* The Hypnotist (Roland Culver & Patricia Roc) 6th October
* Make Up (Nils Asther & June Clyde) 15th September
* The Woman's Angle (Cathy O'Donnell) 10th November

 

[classicmovieguy]

I watched "The Door With Seven Locks" and "Operation Bullshine" last night - both movies I'd never seen before.

"Door With Seven Locks" is a fun gothic-mystery with Lilli Palmer - an absolutely ravishing heroine (at one point she wears a divine white ermine hooded jacket). The disc has 2 versions of the film - a 35mm print and a bonus 16mm print. The 16mm has been included because the 35mm is littered with lots of tiny jumps and other damage (indeed - the film runs 86 minutes in 16mm and only 77 minutes on the 35mm version). I watched the 16mm version which is damage-free but the soundtrack is rather murky. Strangely the soundtrack is better in the 35mm version.

"Operation Bullshine" is a very sweet WW2 comedy with Donald Sinden and Barbara Murray as secret husband and wife in an English countryside Army barracks. Sinden must uphold his "bachelor" status and is mercilessly chased by just about every girl in sight. Dora Bryan co-stars - along with stunning blonde Carole Lesley and a young Daniel Massey. Anamorphic widescreen at 1:66 (picture is slightly pillar-boxed).

 

[classicmovieguy]

Even more new titles announced!

* Into the Blue (Michael Wilding & Odile Versois) 15th September
* The Last Chance (Frank Leighton & Judy Kelly) 8th September
* Twins of Evil (Hammer Horror) 13th October BLU

 

[classicmovieguy]

@byron -- thanks for the list-- Invasion is a tight little film, looking forward to this (and one can never have too much Yoko Tani!)
btw, what is the quality like on Piccadilly Incident?

@doug -- thanks for the review of Best of British Musicals v.2, I have this on order and thoroughly enjoyed vol. 1.

"Piccadilly Incident" comes from a very nice print, rather worn but still watchable. Most of the damage is during reel-changes. Its not my favourite Neagle/Wilding title but I found it entertaining.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Another new title announcement:

* Countess Dracula (Hammer Horror) 20th October BLU

 

[classicmovieguy]

2 more new titles announced:

* The Young and the Guilty (Janet Munro) 13th October
* Your Witness (Robert Montgomery) 20th October

 

[classicmovieguy]

More new titles added:

* Father's Doing Fine (Richard Attenborough) 10th November
* The Franchise Affair (Michael Denison & Dulcie Gray) 13th October
* The Key Man (Lee Patterson & Hy Hazel) 10th November
* Royal Cavalcade 8th September
* Women Aren't Angels (Hare & Drayton) 21st July

 

[classicmovieguy]

New additions:

* Please Teacher (Bobby Howes) 3rd November
* Saturday Night Revue (Sally Gray) 18th August

 

[classicmovieguy]

New additions:

* The Great Defender (Matheson Lang) 18th August
* The Shout (Alan Bates) 15th September BLU
* Why Sailors Leave Home (Leslie Fuller) 11th August

 

[Alan Tully]

New additions: * The Great Defender (Matheson Lang) 18th August* The Shout (Alan Bates) 15th September BLU* Why Sailors Leave Home (Leslie Fuller) 11th August

I saw The Shout at the NFT a couple of months ago. I went with an old workmate & her friend, I don't think they were very impressed (it was my choice of film), it is very arty, a strange movie. I think I enjoyed it more thinking about it afterwards than at the time.

 

[classicmovieguy]

New titles:

* The Lady Vanishes (Margaret Lockwood) 3rd November BLU
* The Love Race (Stanley Lupino) 18th August

 

[Doug Bull]

I will certainly purchase "The Love Race"

Talk about all in the family.
It's directed by Lupino Lane.
Stars his cousin Stanley Lupino.
Is the first film appearance of his second cousin and Daughter to Stanley, Ida Lupino. (who would have realised she is actually British?)
also cast is Wallace Lupino, younger brother of Stanley.

Bottom line is that I've now become a big fan of the Musicals starring both Lupino Lane and Stanley Lupino.
The Lupino collection is growing thanks to Network and their great quality DVDs.

Doug.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I've got my fingers crossed we'll see some of the missing Margaret Lockwood titles like "Jassy", "Madness of the Heart" and "I'll Be Your Sweetheart".

Somebody on the Network FB page asked roughly how many titles were slated for the 'British Film' range, and apparently there are around 350 films being prepped for the series, to be released over the next 2 years. Very exciting.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I've also just found out that the 14th instalment of Network's "Ealing Studios Rarities" range will probably be its last, as Network mines deeper into the vaults with their 'British Film' range.

Volume 14 of "Ealing Studios Rarities" streets on August 28 and includes "Lonely Road" (1936), "The Water Gipsies" (1932), "The Sign of Four" (1932) and "Feather Your Nest" (1937).

 

[Doug Bull]

There are two British 50s Technicolor Musicals that I would love to have good quality copies of.
"Happy Go Lovely" with the beautiful Vera-Ellen.
"Let's Be Happy" also with Vera-Ellen.

There are several less than impressive PD copies of Happy Go Lovely around, so a decent studio sourced edition would be most welcome.
Let's Be Happy has never had a DVD release. It's long over due.
I'm not sure if Network has access to these films, but it would be terrific if they did.

Doug.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I'm not sure if Network has those, but they'd certainly be welcome.