The Alec Guinness Collection (Kind Hearts and Coronets / The Lavender Hill Mob / The Ladykillers / The Man in the White Suit / The Captain's Paradise)

Product Description

He was, quite simply, one of the greatest actors of all time. And while Sir Alec Guinness may be best known for his legendary dramatic roles, his true genius lay in his incomparable comedy performances. THE ALEC GUINNESS COLLECTION presents four of this screen legend s magnificent Ealing Studios comedies as well as the classic THE CAPTAIN S PARADISE, available exclusively in this collection.

Features:
Kind Hearts And Coronets

Full-Frame Presentation

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

The Ladykillers

Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

Languages: English; French

The Lavender Hill Mob

Full-Frame Presentation

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

The Man In The White Suit

Full-Frame Presentation

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

The Captain's Paradise

Full-Frame Presentation

Theatrical Trailer

Alec Guinness Bio

System Requirements:
Running Time: 451 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Five of the British film industry's best-loved comedies in one boxed set makes The Alec Guinness Collection absolutely essential for anyone who has any passion at all for movies. It contains Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Captain's Paradise (1953) (only available in this set), and The Ladykillers (1955). The Ealing Studio's greatest comedies captured the essence of post-war Britain, both in their evocation of a land once blighted by war but now rising doggedly and optimistically again from the ashes, and in their mordant yet graceful humor. They portray a country with an antiquated class system whose crumbling conventions are being undermined by a new spirit of individual opportunism. In the delightfully wicked Kind Hearts and Coronets, a serial killer politely murders his way into the peerage; in The Lavender Hill Mob a put-upon bank clerk schemes to rob his employers; The Man in the White Suit is a harshly satirical depiction of idealism crushed by the status quo; in The Captain's Paradise, a ferryboat captain complements his proper British wife with a fiery Spanish wife; while The Ladykillers mocks both the criminals and the authorities with its unlikely octogenarian heroine Mrs. "lop-sided" Wilberforce. Many factors contribute to these films' success--including fine music scores from composers such as Benjamin Frankel (Man in the White Suit), Malcolm Arnold (Captain's Paradise), and Tristram Cary (The Ladykillers); positively symphonic sound effects (White Suit); marvelously evocative locations (the environs of King's Cross in Ladykillers, for example); and writing that always displays Ealing's unique perspective on British social mores ("All the exuberance of Chaucer without, happily, any of the concomitant crudities of his period")--yet arguably their greatest asset is Alec Guinness, whose multifaceted performances are the keystone upon which Ealing built its biting, often macabre, yet always elegant comedy. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews:

Anyone who appreciates great comedy will treasure these........2007-01-11

No vulgarity, no nudity, just some of the cleverest stories with fine performances from all concerned.

The remakes never work. Hard to improve on perfection.

Simply Superb........2006-07-13

The best British comedy and satire. No slapstick or foul language or artistic nudity. Just great acting and great stories. Comedy mysteries with twisty endings. Example: the very ending of "The Captain's Paradise"; you would never guess.

bad news for Spanish viewers?.......2005-04-15

I know all these films and agree they are wonderful. But, is it possible that this edition have an audio track in French and no Spanish subtitles?

Great films, great value.......2004-07-16

As other reviewers have noted, these superb comedies from the golden age of British cinema showcase Alec Guinness' considerable skills, proving him to be as great an actor in his own way as the late Marlon Brando. And as others have pointed out, the DVD transfers are incredibly good for British films of this vintage. I've never seen Man in the White Suit looking better. Please note that poor sound recording equipment was a particular problem for British filmmakers of this era, so the sound can occasionally seem muted. This is a problem with the source, not the transfer.

The extras are a little disappointing compared to other Anchor Bay releases. (Yes, their Guinness filmography is incomplete.) But the value of this collection can't be beat. It's one of the best buys out there, so do yourself a favor and pick up the whole collection before Anchor Bay lets it go out of print, as other British titles in their catalogue have done.

Random comments to address other reviews:

All the films are presented in their proper aspect ratios. The Ladykillers is the only widescreen film here. (All the others were filmed before 1952, hence before the days of widescreen.)

Captain's Paradise is NOT an Ealing Studios film; it was produced at London International (the same place that oversaw production of The Third Man, so its credentials are good).

In Britain, this collection was partnered with another collection of Ealing comedies (via another distributor). Since Anchor Bay has also released Ealing's horror anthology Dead of Night (also recommended), they may be persuaded to distribute those films too if this collection sells well. Those films (Whiskey Galore, Passport to Pimlico, etc.) are equally superb, so let's keep our fingers crossed!

A remarkable collection........2003-02-19

I am 24 years old so one would not expect me to be a huge fan of these "older" films. On the contrary I am not just a fan I love them. One of my bosses turned me on to them a few years ago and I was always a huge Peter Sellers fan (mostly for his Pink Panther series) but after picking up this collection I found it to be a wonderful addition to my film library. Yesterday during the blizzard I watched four of the five disks. I found Kind Hearts and Coronets to be not only an interesting story but also darkly satiical. Many scenes were so well crafted I could not help to laugh. Alec was remarkable in this film as he played 8 different characters. Quite a feat for that time and a role Mike Meyers would love. Ladykillers was the only film I had seen previous to buying this set and I must say that not only is it an outstanding caper film but the DVD transfer was superb. The image quality really has brightened up fromt he onld VHS I saw. This film also shows some of Sir Alec's truly great acting and was brutally histerical. Peter Sellers yelling at a parrot was funny to see considering he went on to many more scenes involving fowl later on in life. The Lavender Hill Mob was probably the most intriguing of the 4 I have seen. Another crime caper flick Sir Alec really starred and the story was very solid. Also there was a car chase scene in this film that was extremely well done considering the time. The last film I managed to watch was the Man in the White Suit. While this film shows Alec again at his best I found it to be a little weaker than the other three. It was funny at times and an interesting enough plot just not as good if watched in succesion with the others. The final film is the Captain's Paradise but I have yet to view that one and will not review it. All the films look great on DVD and if you are young (like me)and have never seen any of these films you are really missing out on some of the masterpieces of the film industry. The only collection I could possibly recomend more to anyone is the Peter Sellers set. Better yet, buy them both like I did.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2-Disc Special Edition / The Comedians / The Sandpiper / The V.I.P.s) 5 Disc Set

Average customer rating:

Powerful
Timeless, nostalgic film excellence
When they were good...they were very, very good....
Could have been packaged much better
Liz Taylor/Richard Burton Film Collection

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2-Disc Special Edition / The Comedians / The Sandpiper / The V.I.P.s) 5 Disc Set
Starring: Richard Burton , Elizabeth Taylor , Alec Guinness , Peter Ustinov , and Paul Ford
Director: Peter Glenville , Vincente Minnelli , and Anthony Asquith
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000I2JDFI
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Amazon.com

The British-born Elizabeth Taylor was the quintessential Hollywood screen goddess. The Welsh-born Richard Burton was one of the most compelling British actors of his generation. Together, they were a perfect storm of talent, glamour, and offscreen scandal, which made even their lesser films essential viewing for those fascinated by cinema's royal couple. This four-film set captures the prolific couple at the height of their 1960s heyday. The essential entry is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), which earned Taylor an Academy Award, and launched the film directing career of Mike Nichols. This adaptation of Edward Albee's searing play was ahead of its time for its use of profanity, as chronicled in bonus featurettes on this two-disc Special Edition. Taylor and Burton star as the braying Martha, a college president's daughter, and her husband George, an associate history professor. An ambitious teacher (George Segal) and his mousy wife (a heartbreaking Sandy Dennis) arrive for an unforgettable night of such emasculating sport as "Humiliate the Host," "Get the Guests," and "Hump the Hostess." The V.I.P.s (1963) is a star-studded soap opera about a group of notables stranded at a fog-shrouded airport, each desperate to get off the ground. In addition to Orson Welles as a film director trying to stay one step ahead of the British tax man and Margaret Rutherford (who earned an Academy Award) as a financially strapped duchess, we have Taylor as the unhappy wife of magnate Burton, set to elope with a reformed (?) gigolo (Louis Jordan). The Sandpiper (1965) is one of those vaunted enjoyable "golden turkeys" that at least has the beautiful Big Sur coast and the Oscar-winning song "The Shadow of Your Smile" as consolation for the silly illicit romance between Taylor, an unconvincing bohemian artist, and Burton, the tortured Episcopalian reverend to whose school Taylor's illegitimate son has been sent. The Comedians (1967) is hardly a laughing matter. Graham Greene adapted his novel of upheaval in Papa Doc-run Haiti. You have to jump 40 years to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to find another couple with Taylor and Burton's wattage. This collection gives a time capsule glimpse at what all the fuss was about. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Powerful.......2007-08-22

I bought this collection primarily because I was curious about The Sandpiper. I'm a big fan of Big Sur, CA, and this movie is filmed there--right down to a scene at the Nepenthe. The story is odd, but the scenery is worth the price of this collection. I was more than floored by Liz's and Richard's performances in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. This film is almost 100 percent, highly-charged dialog. And it's almost exhausting to follow it all. It's a complex story, and the acting is amazing. If nothing else, The VIPs proves that Liz Taylor is probably the most stunning-looking woman on the planet. She puts to shame all the "coat hangers with hair" that hang out in Hollywood these days. She wasn't afraid to show off her curves, and her brazen acceptance of them is refreshing! This is an impressive collection--and it's quite reasonably priced.

Timeless, nostalgic film excellence.......2007-06-12

I can hardly say enough good about this boxed set -- there's not a clinker in the bunch. My two personal favorites are The V.I.P.s and The Comedians. The latter was Graham Greene's Opus magnus and Burton and Taylor pull it off with brilliance, finesse, and pure craft excellence. The story is generally about Papa Doc's reign of terror in Haiti (Burton owns a hotel there) and Taylor is an ambassador's wife whom, of course, has a torrid, running affair with Burton. There's a lot of action in this film, more than I ever expected. Honestly, I really love this film and watch it frequently. The V.I.P.s is bulging with major stars of the period, including Orson Wells, and the story is a good one -- Burton is a multi-millionaire whose wife (Taylor) is leaving him for a well-known gigilo.... sort of. Through a comedy of errors, Burton discovers his wife's treachery at the last minute before she can leave England and tries to win her back, at the airport and at a nearby hotel, (they get fogged in), over the next 12 hours. The viewer really cannot anticipate what is going to happen from one moment to the next. The cinematography is especially impressive and the numerous sub-plots are both amusing and dramatic. One of the most satisfying films I've ever seen, reminicent of "Hotel". I won't dwell on the remaining films of the set except to say that they're equally fine movies. These films represent some of Hollywood's finest moments. I cannot recommend the set highly enough, especially for hard-core film buffs.

When they were good...they were very, very good...........2007-05-12

As a great admirer of Richard Burton's filmwork, I snatched this set up immediately. All the films, save for Vicente Minnelli's "The Sandpiper" held my interest throughout, with "Virginia Woolf" and "The Comedians" (based on the Graham Greene novel) taking top honors.

"The VIPs" was a pleasant surprise as I was completely unfamilar with this Burton/Taylor venture. Supporting cast is excellent with Rod Taylor, Louis Jourdan (as Tayor's lover), and the unmistakably impressive Orson Welles, in a semi-comedic role opposite Elsa Martinelli.

Melodrama to be sure, but done with class, wit, and an engaging storyline that holds one's interest throughout its entire 119 minutes. It is amazing how some actors, like Burton and Taylor can take a relatively bit of fluff from Terrence Rattigan's screenplay, and transform it into something absorbing and grand.

What makes these films work? One would have to argue that the chemistry between Burton and Taylor in so many of their films was unmistakable; certainly Mike Nichol's "Virginia Woolf" is a masterpiece, but these are performers who have a intrinsic quality that is rarely seen in actors today--I think we would call it PRESENCE--players ultimately in command of their material and the roles they play who make acting seem effortless and entirely convincing. Burton is a master of roles. He can play the burnt-out professor in "Virginia Woolf" as well as a conflicted, upstanding minister and school headmaster whose life, contrained as his clerical collar, tempts an extramarital affair with the free-spirited mother (Taylor) of one of his students in "The Sandpiper."

The commentaries and extras on "Virginia Woolf" are both ample and exemplary, while shedding a new critical light on this classic play.

Could have been packaged much better.......2007-04-04

A nice collection, but rather cheaply presented. Slimline DVD cases without any booklets in them (not so much as even an insert) which i think is indicative of a lack of interest (in the name of costcutting) by warnervideo in making this DVD set the great package it could have been. It really is a slap in the face to open any dvd to find there is no supplemental reading booklet, and with a full-priced box set, you just don't expect (or i don't) that corners be cut when supplemental material on the high profile Burtons could have been unearthed and included.
The Vincente Minnelli directed 'The Sandpiper' visually is a gorgeous movie, as was every Minnelli film I've ever seen. What an artistic eye he possessed. Elizabeth is very good as the single mother bohemian artist.
'The V.I.P.s' is noteable for the early, excellent Maggie Smith performance as a secretary in love with her boss, played excellently by Rod Taylor. And Margaret Rutherford won the best supporting actress Oscar for this movie- Maggie Smith, Rod Taylor and Ruthersford really have the best roles in the picture. There's an unbelievable plotline that Elizabeth Taylor as 'Frances' is having an affair with Louis Jordan but has never had sex with him, it just doesn't play- especially as 'Frances' is planning to divorce her husband (Burton) for this man she's never even slept with. Burton does some fine and fierce acting; his line reading of 'Is he really all that much better than me" (in bed) to Taylor about his rival has a chilling intimacy that DOES ring true, unlike the chaste "affair" between 'Frances' and the worldly Jordan.
The classic ' Virginia Woolf' has been written about a lot by many, I have not much to add, just that the most impressive (to me) DVD extra is the stunning screentest of Sandy Dennis, even more impressive than her Oscar winning supporting performance in the movie.
I haven't finished watching the fourth movie, 'The Comedians' so can't really comment about it.
But I stand by my opinion that it is crummy to have no booklet, at roughly $50 for these 4 movies--it's just called for, to have it not appear as cheaply manufactured.

Liz Taylor/Richard Burton Film Collection.......2007-03-14

Received it very fast and well happy with them, haven't looked at all of them yet but very happy with the ones I have watched. Would recommend this collection for any Liz Taylor fans

Great Expectations (1946) - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Another Famous Dickens Book Comes To Life
My expectations were great. 4.5 Stars
David Lean's Great Expectations
Great Expectations - Criterion Collection
An English Teacher's Review

Great Expectations (1946) - Criterion Collection
Starring: John Mills , Anthony Wager , Valerie Hobson , Jean Simmons , and Bernard Miles
Director: David Lean
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000F17E
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Amazon.com essential video

David Lean's handsome adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel captures the warm humor and richness of character that so many filmmakers miss in their reverent recreations of Victorian England. From the nightmarish opening sequence on the windswept graveyard where young orphan Pip (Anthony Wager) meets the desperate escaped criminal Magwitch (Finlay Currie) to the shadowy, musty mansion of the widow Miss Haversham (Martita Hunt) where he first meets the impertinent young beauty Estella (Jean Simmons), Lean captures a childlike exaggeration of reality with his elegant expressionism. When Pip's sudden change in fortune sends him to London as a burgeoning gentleman in high society, Lean sketches a beautiful, bustling city. John Mills's performance as the adult Pip charts his change from the wide-eyed wonder and generous spirit of the child he was to the class snob transformed by money and social standing, an ugly flaw that Pip confronts when his mysterious benefactor is finally revealed. The outstanding cast also features Valerie Hobson as the grown-up Estella, now a beguiling enchantress, a bright young Alec Guinness in his film debut as Pip's jovial London roommate Herbert Pocket, and the imposing Francis L. Sullivan as the decidedly humorless lawyer Jaggers. Exquisitely photographed by Guy Green (who won an Oscar for his work). Lean and his collaborators effectively maintain the heart of Dickens's epic drama while cutting it to its essentials in this vivid, compelling film. --Sean Axmaker

Description

One of the great translations of literature into film, David Lean's Great Expectations brings Charles Dickens' masterpiece to robust onscreen life. Pip, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, and Estella populate Lean's magnificent miniature, beautifully photographed by Guy Green and designed by John Bryan.

Customer Reviews:

Another Famous Dickens Book Comes To Life.......2007-09-05

As I watched the beginning of this film, I couldn't help but compare the story to the only other Charles Dickens story I was familiar with: Oliver Twist. It looked like it was going to be another story of a nice, respectful boy being abused by nasty adults. However, as soon as the young boy turned into a man, the similarities ended. Poor Oliver had a lot of ups and downs but life was basically pretty good for the boy, "Pip" in "Great Expectations." Because of that, I didn't think this Dickens tale had the emotional impact of Oliver Twist, but still was great storytelling. The last 20-30 minutes of this film tied so many things together it really made it a satisfying film. From what I just researched, it sounds like the book was a lot harsher story.

John Mills looked way too old to be playing a 20-year-old "Pip Pirrip." In truth, he was too old. Mills was 38 when doing this role. At any rate, I enjoyed a number of actors in here, mainly three older ones: Martita Hunt, Findlay Currie and Francis L. Sullivan. Hunt was just great as "Miss Haversham." I found her fascinating in every sentence she delivered, all of which she did while just sitting in a chair. Currie was genuinely frightening in the beginning as the escaped convict "Magwitch." However, what a transformation that man made in this story! Francis L. Sullivan emotes convincingly enough to play the

To me, the acting took a back seat to Dickens' story and to the film's cinematography. Knowing David Lean directed this film, that Criterion usually produces nice-looking DVD transfers and that "Oliver Twist" looked fantastic on disc, I was paying as close attention to the cinematography, and I enjoyed it. The story wasn't that intense until the finale, which was very well done. Even though the screenplay is softer than the novel, most people say it still captures Dickens' flavor, and few critics had anything but praise for this classic film. Lean and cinematographer Guy Green won Oscars for their work here, so you know it's not too shabby.

The combination of Dickens, Lean, Green and a fine cast all make this a classic movie that is certainly recommended. Don't make the mistake of choosing the insipid 1998 version with Ethan Hawke and Gywneth Paltrow. This is the only version you want to see.

My expectations were great. 4.5 Stars.......2007-08-21

Considering this is a Charles Dickens adaptation and directed/written by David Lean who would go on to win two Oscars later for Lawrence of Arabia (Superbit Collection) and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Lean was also nominated for 9 other Oscars for writing and film editing as well as directing. Two of those nominations came for this film in directing and writing, so my expectations for the director were "great".

The Film itself was nominated for 5 Oscars itself, one of those for best picture, and it won 2 Oscars for cinematography and art direction.
I've heard the film is considered one of the greatest of all Dickens films. It is also on Roger Ebert's "great movies" series with outstanding company. In his review he quotes the British critic Adrian Turner who has written books on both David Lean and the great director Billy Wilder and says how the atmosphere of the mansion in Great Expectations and its deranged occupant were inspiration for Wilder's classic Sunset Boulevard made four years later. Turner also "wonders if the early graveyard scene of Magwitch jumping at Pip from outside the screen didn't inspire countless imitations in horror films ever since." So my expectations of the film itself were "great".

The story is simple enough a young boy named Pip lives with his mean sister and her caring husband Joe who is a Blacksmith. One day Pip's presence is requested by a wealthy eccentric woman by the name of Miss. Havisham who wants him to visit and play, but for what reason. Miss Havisham lives in an old wedding dress, her mansion is filled with cobwebs and she hasn't seen the light of day in many many years. A young girl by the name of Estella who is very mean and nasty lives with Miss. Havisham, she is very insulting of Pip and doesn't want to play with him, yet Miss. Havisham tells her in her ear you can break his heart. Six years go by and now Pip is 20, although the actor playing the grown up Pip John Mills was actually 38 at the time. He is delivered a letter by a lawyer by the name of Mr. Jaggers (who also happens to be Miss. Havishams lawyer), played by Francis L. Sullivan, who delivers a memorable performance and my personal favorite of the movie. This letter informs Pip he has a benefactor and is to be taken raised as a gentleman. The benefactor is to remain anonymous until they are ready to reveal themselves, although we and Pip have a good idea of who that is, or do we? Pip moves in with a roomate by the name of Herbert Pocket played by Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars) and this is where the movie starts to reveal many of it's secrets. Sounds like a great plot so again my expectations are high.

In Roger Ebert's review he says "One of the great things about Charles Dickens is the way his people colonize your memory. I wonder if there's any writer except Shakespeare who has created more characters whose names we remember, and whose types seem so true to human nature." This is very true, I read Great Expectations in school and I am now 29 and remembered some of the story but I still remembered the characters names of Pip, Miss Havisham and Estella.

My expectations were great for this film as were Pip's in the film and both Pip and the film live up to and surpass there expectations. This is a great story as far as film watching goes and is filled with all kinds of lessons on loyalty, true friendship, who we really are, revenge, how our choices effect our lives, that's just naming a few.

This is a classic and when I give a star rating I am rating it against other classics.

Highly recommend this to anyone, especially for children and families.

Criterion Dvd Special Features:
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.

David Lean's Great Expectations.......2007-06-22

Perhaps the finest Dickens adaptation ever, this rich, fascinating film about chance encounters and changing fortunes begins with a nerve-rattling sequence in a graveyard that's one of the finest moments in British film. Both Mills and Guinness are a trifle old for their roles, but their virtuosity fully compensates. Guinness, in his first significant screen appearance, is particularly striking as pocket, giving us a tantalizing taste of things to come. A bona-fide classic.

Great Expectations - Criterion Collection.......2007-01-31

I usually love Criterion editions and am willing to pay the increased price to receive all the usual Criterion extras - commentary, interviews, etc.

Unfortunately, aside from the normal remastered print of the film (very well done indeed), the trailer and the inside notes, this edition had none of the features I have come to expect (and pay dear for). Therefore, I would not recommend this item (at its current high price) to anyone who already owns a good print of the movie.

JBF

An English Teacher's Review.......2006-12-19

I should mention first that this is the only film version of "Great Expectations" that I have ever seen. There may be better ones, but I'm only qualified to talk about this one.

My 10th graders were spellbound by this film. They saw it on a big screen from an Epson 720p projector with big stereo sound, which probably helped. However, their reaction to it really surprised me. From the first frame they were rapt, and it turned into one of their favorite experiences of the year.

David Lean's brilliant cinematography is partly responsible for this - the lighting and composition are absolutely stupendous. Many people talk about the "possibilities" of black and white, but David Lean delivers them. The film is visually stunning.

The film also does a decent, if not perfect, job of following the book; obviously some scenes needed to be shortened or left out entirely or this would have been a five hour film. It is not so accurate that you can read a chapter and then watch it, but it is accurate enough that it is certainly worth showing as a reward for finishing the book.

I withhold the fifth star only because the actresses who play young Estella and "grown woman" Estella are so jarringly different as to be almost impossible to accept as the same character. For instance, young Estella seems to have a nose from Sweden, while grown Estella's nose seems to hail from somewhere near Rome. The actresses just aren't similar enough to sustain even the most willing suspension of disbelief.

The actress who plays Miss Havisham, however, is utterly perfect, and her whole broken-hearted domain is reproduced exactly as I imagined it from the book, right down to the mouse-gnawed, spider-infested wedding cake. Her 25 year-long tantrum is shown as half-hilarious, half-horrifying, which is exactly as Dickens intended it in my opinion, and the actress captures the perfect blend of nuances in portraying this unique character as perfectly as she could be portrayed.

The rest of the characters are quite well done also, including the attorney, Pip's sister, Joe and the "pale young gentleman." Even the clerk with "The Aged" father is well played, although the tour of his castle-house from the book is absent. Pip himself is portrayed very appropriately by both the young and older actors, and never disappoints.

Along with the characters, the film provides an incredible amount of tantalizing 19th century detail, enough to keep even the sleepiest, most sullen student awake at 8:02 am on a cold winter morning. All in all, well worth the $35 asking price, especially because, like all Criterion titles in my experience, the DVD transfer looks and sounds absolutely beautiful.

The Horse's Mouth - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Alex Guinness, the master
Guiness brews another stout character
The Incorrigible Individual: Gulley Jimson
All but the slapstick
Alec Guinness does comedy (again)

The Horse's Mouth - Criterion Collection
Starring: Alec Guinness , Kay Walsh , Renee Houston , Mike Morgan , and Robert Coote
Director: Ronald Neame , and D.A. Pennebaker
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000063N9O
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Amazon.com

Alec Guinness was in the full bloom of his stardom when he suggested, scripted, and starred in this wonderfully odd 1958 adaptation of Joyce Cary's novel. As Gulley Jimson, a gravel-voiced, antisocial painter, whose artistic drive is as single-minded (and as self-absorbed) as a terrier's, Guinness sketches one of his carefully constructed marvels. The film has a bumpily episodic structure, but when it works, it really works: Gulley inhabiting (and mostly destroying) a penthouse apartment when the upper-crusty owners go on holiday for six weeks, or marshaling an army of apprentices to create a masterpiece on a giant wall in a condemned building. Departing from the novel, Guinness concocted the movie's madcap ending, which is guaranteed to bring a smile. Adding verve is the music, adapted from Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé, which fits Gulley like the paint under his dirty nails. The artworks, vivid and thick, are by John Bratby. --Robert Horton

Description

In Ronald Neame's film of Joyce Cary's classic novel, Alec Guinness transforms himself into one of cinema's most indelible comic figures: the lovably scruffy painter Gulley Jimson. As the ill-behaved Jimson searches for a perfect canvas, he determines to let nothing come between himself and the realization of his exalted vision. A perceptive examination of the struggle of artistic creation, The Horse's Mouth is also director Neame's comic masterpiece.

Customer Reviews:

Alex Guinness, the master.......2007-08-31

Poignant comedy about the struggle of an artist made classic through the genius of Alex Guinness.

Guiness brews another stout character.......2007-05-15

Gully Jimson's over-the-top artistic obsession becomes endearing and disturbing in this performance by Alec Guiness, himself a masterful portrayer of larger-than-life characters. He paints Joyce Cary's artist with similarly grotesque colors of personality and behavior as in the vivid palette and bizarre imagery of Jimson's wall-size murals, so adeptly painted by the film's artists themselves. Jimson's art both destroys conventional decency and is destroyed by civil convention. Guiness himself wins another star in this crowning achievement of acting genius.

The Incorrigible Individual: Gulley Jimson.......2006-07-08

"The Horse's Mouth" is one of those British comedies that will bring a smile to your face if you already love those kind of movies and television shows, and is an indispensible DVD for fans of the great Alec Guinness. He plays Gulley Jimson (who the novel's author, Joyce Cary, based on his friend the poet Dylan Thomas.) Jimson is a broken-down, scabrous old reprobate of an artist, who is also recognized by those in the know as a genius. Dressed in shabby old clothes, Guinness scowls, sneers, growls in an unforgettable voice, insults everyone, and schemes and plots his next big painting. He is supported by Nosy, a young would-be artist, and Coker, a tough old barmaid who likes Jimson in spite of herself. Jimson worms his way into the apartment of an upper-crust couple to paint his mural on their wall "The Resurrection of Lazarus", with hilariously catastrophic results. While fleeing from the police, Jimson discovers a bare wall in an old church scheduled for demolition, and Tom Sawyer-like, recruits an army of apprentices to paint his next big mural, "The Last Judgement."

Guinness wrote the screenplay, and it has been criticized by some for softening the novel, especially the ending. But this movie is a perfectly reasonable interpretation that perhaps reflects Guinness' religious faith (check out the titles of the paintings, Coker's prayer, and Jimson's last line in the film.) Some have described Gulley as a sort of proto-hippie, but there is nothing soft, sentimental, or utopian about him. He is a tough-minded, self-critical anarchist whose faith in another world besides this one, "the world of color", carries him through his troubles. Jimson stands for the incorrigible individual against the small-minded materialistic elites that hate and fear real beauty because they have a hard time understanding it. This is a wonderful movie that deserves its high reputation and inclusion in the Criterion Collection of DVD's.

All but the slapstick.......2006-04-28

I love this movie just as I remember liking the book as a child. Guinness is wonderful, as is everyone. Rather than just appear in the know and echo that Guinness wrote the screenplay I would like to say that it is brilliant and subtle and bawdy by turns and that I had no idea he was so gifted. Also rather than just seem erudite I would like to say that the Prokofiev background was a good idea gone wrong. It was exciting for a while, but it got old. There is more to that suite than the snippet they eternally played. And (my erudition) the suite was derived from the score to a movie. I liked the human element the best. I did not care for (I'd seen the movie before and almost didn't buy it for this reason) the marble through the floor or the fate of the last wall painted. I liked the dialogue and the characterizations. It is a wonderful movie and I highly recommend it to everyone. The ending was not from the novel (as someone pointed out, I'd of course forgotten that), and just knowing that made me dislike it. I don't know why the discovery should have had that effect on me. I accepted the ending to begin with. Finally, and by the by, when I was in the military I knew a Gulley Jimson. He dabbled in art and knew no bounds. However, he had no talent, was selfish beyond belief (and Gulley?) and was a child abuser (of the mean variety, not sexual), his own daughter. So much for him. Guinness was much more colorful (like the movie) and loveable. A self-willed little grouch, but loveable.

Alec Guinness does comedy (again).......2004-10-05

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

British movie star Alec Guinness (best known fr his role of Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars eps. 4-6) stars in this fine comedy.

A painter, Gulley Jimson, just released from prison is looking for work. His attempts to find a place to paint a new mural result in comical misadventures with slapstick humor. He finds a place to paint his mural but does not realize that it is scheduled for demolition until it's too late.

This film has great acting by Alec Guinness in one of his best known comedic roles.

The Criterion Dollection DVD has some fine special features for this director-aproved edition.

There is an interview with director Ronald Neame and a theatrical trailer.

In addition, there is a short documentary by D.A. Pennebaker titled "Daybreak Express" about a now-gone NYC railroad line. This film was shown with "Horse's Mouth" during its New York City theatrical run. The film includes an introduction by Pennebaker.

Fans of 1950's British comedy will like this.

Oliver Twist (1948) - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Dissapointed
Oliver Twist
A Gift Purchase
THE GENIUS OF DAVID LEAN
The best version of Dickens' immortal story on film.

Oliver Twist (1948) - Criterion Collection
Starring: Robert Newton , Alec Guinness , Kay Walsh , Francis L. Sullivan , and John Howard Davies
Director: David Lean
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000F17A
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Amazon.com

David Lean's 1948 version of Charles Dickens' classic novel begins with a bang: the young hero's pregnant mother fighting her way through a storm, a perfect metaphor for Oliver's difficult road ahead. Set in a world of slums in the shadow of Victorian England, the story traces the boy's life in a workhouse and then with a gang of little pickpockets. A stark but good-looking film shot around some impressive sets, Lean's immortal adaptation is perhaps best known for Alec Guinness's remarkable (and slightly controversial) performance as Fagin, the old mentor to the gang of boy thieves. --Tom Keogh

Description

Expressionistic noir photography suffuses David Lean's Oliver Twist with a nightmarish quality, fitting its bleak, industrial setting. In Dickens' classic tale, an orphan wends his way from cruel apprenticeship to den of thieves in search of a true home. Here Alec Guinness is the quintessential Fagin, his controversial performance fully restored in Criterion's new digital transfer.

Customer Reviews:

Dissapointed.......2007-09-07

Ever since I saw the BBC version of Oliver Twist, I've been searching for a faithful adaption that I could watch in one night. Judging by the overwhelming popularity of the David Lean film, I thought this might be what I was looking for. Dissapointed. In this nearly two hour film, Oliver has almost no lines at all, and his personality is lamentably underdeveloped. (Sweet and naive was all I got). Rose, Harry, Mrs. Maylie, and their family Docter were left out, and Monks -- a fascinating, eccentric character from the book and the BBC film -- was poorly potrayed and given altogether only about ten minutes of screentime (!) I WAS impressed by Mr. Lean's directing ability and how gracefully he paced the movie . . . no jumping around, no boring lags, etc; etc. Eceptionally good interpretations of Sykes, Fagin, and the Artful Dodger also add interest, and this Mr. Brownlow was the best I've seen in any Oliver Twist movie. Nancy was good, but has such a small part that I couldn't get "attatched" to her. All in all, however, I feel like I wasted my money. Too many of my favorite characters and parts were either left out or watered down. David Lean should have called it "Fagin's Gang" and made Oliver a subplot character.

Oliver Twist.......2007-06-25

This masterful adaptation of a Charles Dickens novel was the second for Lean, who abridged the author's long-winded story about a young orphan's changing fortunes in Victorian England into a beautifully paced two-hour film. Among a splendid cast, Guinness and Robert Newton are truly exceptional, respectively playing the captivating Fagin and his evil accomplice, Bill Sikes, with gusto. Also fun to watch is young Anthony Newley as the Artful Dodger. Essentially a tale of triumph in a world of degrading poverty and repellent class bias, "Oliver Twist" is a first-rate drama brimming with hope, pathos, and fury, from opening shot to last.

A Gift Purchase.......2007-06-01

I purchased this for my son-in-law's birthday. He is very happy with it and consideres it the best version of "Oliver Twist" that he has ever seen!

THE GENIUS OF DAVID LEAN.......2007-04-25

David Lean is best known for his super epics, like Lawrence Of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Bridge On The River Kwai. But earlier in his career, he did some outstanding films based on the plays of Noel Coward (like Brief Encounter) and on the works of Dickens (like Great Expectations). His film Oliver Twist, from 1948, is an early masterpiece.

You can see the genius of Lean in every frame; but there is one scene in particular that stands out. It is the one in which Bill Sikes is beating Nancy to death for giving the names of him and the rest of their gang to Mr. Brownlow. Lean doesn't show the actual beating, but he shows the reaction to it by someone else in the room: Bill Sike's dog. All you hear are the girl's screams and all you see is the dog, terrified, frantically trying to get out of the room by clawing his way through the door. It is one of the most terrifying scenes I've ever watched, and yet you don't see one bit of violence. It is incredible.

Eventually, Sikes lets the dog out, and he leaves in a panic. Later, Sikes finds the dog in the streets, and he cowers before his master. I've never seen a dog tremble like he does in this scene. It, too, is incredible, and the dog should have gotten an Oscar.

Genius finds new and more effective ways to accomplish things that would normally be considered distasteful or inappropriate.

The other scene that stands out to me is near the end, when the crowd is coming to get Sikes. It is the climax of the film, and it is powerful. I've never seen a crowd scene more spectacular, or a climax more suspenseful. There's also never been a more terrifying villain than Bill Sikes (played menacingly by Robert Newton), especially in the eyes of a boy. He contrasts nicely with Oliver Twist (played by John Howard Davies) and his innocence.

Oliver Twist was banned in this country (it's British) when it came out in 1948 because the Film Board felt Alec Guinness' portrayal of Fagan was anti-Semitic. It is over-the-top, especially the nose. But Guinness is genius. Kay Walsh as Nancy, Francis L. Sullivan as Mr. Brumble, Henry Stephenson as Mr. Brownlow and Anthony Newly as the Artful Dodger are also outstanding.

Waitsel Smith

The best version of Dickens' immortal story on film. .......2006-07-12

This film of Dickens' "Oliver Twist" from 1948 is still the best that has ever been done. The choices made to tell the story in two hours are quite amazing in the detail and sub plots and choice dialogue from the book that they still keep in. David Lean can do all this because of his masterful work with the camera. The scenes are so evocative of London Dickens paints in the novel. There is faceless barren despair in the workhouse, smoke and decay in London slum near St. Paul's Cathedral, and the light and beauty of Clerkenwell (that was back then) where the wealthy Mr. Brownlow lives.

The black and white filming actually adds to the light and shadow of the story and helps evoke the right moods as much as any musical score. I think it is actually a plus for this film even though it is a bit of a chore getting young people to cue in on the contributions of black and white over color pictures. Still, my youngest son could clearly see why this was a great telling of the story.

Here we have a thirty-three year old Alec Guinness made up in a way that probably would not work nowadays and emphasizes Fagin's Jewishness, but doesn't make Fagin out to be anything more than he is as a person. Guinness does NOT make Fagin out to be bad because he is a Jew, but rather that he is a miserly criminal who happens to be Jewish. It is a fine portrayal of Fagin and masterfully acted.

Robert Newton is very threatening as the monster Bill Sikes. He pulls the job off quite well and we get a very complex picture of his attitudes towards Fagin, Nancy, and the world. As an aside, Newton was a very popular actor who harmed his career and shortened his life with drink, as did Oliver Reed who portrayed Sikes so well in "Oliver!". Just a strange coincidence.

Kay Walsh does a fine job with Nancy, who is portrayed more as she is in the book rather than the heroine she is made to be in the musical and in some sloppy versions on film or for TV. She was married to Lean at the time although they divorced in 1949. John Howard Davies really does look the part of the small and slight Oliver Twist and acts out the role quite well. He had a fine career but mostly as a director and producer including Monty Python's Flying Circus in 1969.

We also get to see the young Anthony Newly (all of sixteen) as the Artful Dodger and many other wonderful character actors as well as a huge cast of extras. Remember, this was only a couple of years after World War II and there were a lot of people grateful for any kind of work for any length of time.

This is an immortal story that millions still love to read, hear, and see. This is a telling of the story that is awfully good. While I still recommend the book most of all, if you are going to watch a film version, this is the one I would start with and recommend most highly.

Average customer rating:

Alec Guinness' finest performance.
Great story
Tunes of Glory
Tunes of Glory
A Very Powerful Treatment of Popularity viz a viz Discipline in the Military

Tunes of Glory - Criterion Collection
Starring: Alec Guinness , John Mills , Dennis Price , Kay Walsh , and John Fraser
Director: Ronald Neame
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00014K5YG
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Amazon.com

Venerable British actors Alec Guinness and John Mills give two of their finest performances in Tunes of Glory, a compelling, emotionally charged study of leadership in a peacetime Scottish battalion. In one of his most memorable roles, Guinness plays Jock Sinclair, the brash, red-haired colonel who temporarily commands his regiment of loyal, devoted soldiers. He's quick with a drink and hearty tales of military bravado, placing him in fun-loving contrast to his replacement, Col. Barrow (Mills), a hot-tempered martinet whose by-the-book style couldn't be more different, or less likable, than Sinclair's. In adapting his own novel for director Ronald Neame, James Kennaway keenly establishes the psychological opposition of these two stubborn men, demonstrating the equal merit of their military careers while exploring class distinctions and, ultimately, the inevitable tragedy of their failure to reach a mutual understanding. Ironically, Guinness was originally offered Mills's role, but suggested a switch to avoid comparison to his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai. It was an inspired decision, allowing each actor to shine in a timeless film that speaks volumes about military men and the winning (or losing) of hearts and minds. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In Ronald Neame's Tunes of Glory, the incomparable Alec Guinness inhabits the role of Jock Sinclair-a whiskey drinking, up-by-the-bootstraps commanding officer of a peacetime Scottish battalion. When Basil Barrow (John Mills)-an educated, by-the-book scion of a traditionally military family-enters the scene as Sinclair's replacement, the two men become locked in a fierce battle for control of the battalion and the hearts and minds of its men. Based on the novel by James Kennaway and featuring flawless performances by Guinness and Mills, Tunes of Glory uses the rigidly stratified hierarchy of military life as a jumping off point to examine the institutional contradictions and class divisions of English society, resulting in an unexpectedly moving drama. The DVD features new interviews with Ronald Neame and John Mills, the theatrical trailer, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Alec Guinness' finest performance........2007-09-03

Despite Sir Alec Guinness' considerable fame associated with such great films as "The Bridge on the River Kwai", I personally prefer this brilliant character study in which Sir Alec performs against type, as a boorish, overbearing, boozy, bully of an officer who seeks to destroy the better (if more brittle) man.

Great story.......2007-07-23

As a combat vet I found it very interesting to see how many PTSD symptoms that were being displayed by both Jock Sinclair and LTC Barrow. Very interesting as the concept of PRSD had yet to be discribed when this movie was made.