Courtesy of Studiocanal
by James Cameron-wilson
Two of the most famous characters Audrey Hepburn ever played were Eliza Dolittle and Maid Marion. In StudioCanal’s new 4K restoration home entertainment release of The Lavender Hill Mob, Audrey Hepburn shares her first film with Stanley Holloway, who played Eliza’s father in My Fair Lady, and Robert Shaw, who played the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin & Marion. Not that Audrey Hepburn actually shares the screen in The Lavender Hill Mob with either Stanley Holloway or Robert Shaw, but she does get the film off to a bright start with a nuzzle with Alec Guinness The Lavender Hill Mob arrived in the middle of the golden era of the Ealing Comedy cycle, two years after Kind Hearts and Coronets and just four years before The Ladykillers. And it remains a pure joy. Unlike heist movies of the future, it manages to be...
by James Cameron-wilson
Two of the most famous characters Audrey Hepburn ever played were Eliza Dolittle and Maid Marion. In StudioCanal’s new 4K restoration home entertainment release of The Lavender Hill Mob, Audrey Hepburn shares her first film with Stanley Holloway, who played Eliza’s father in My Fair Lady, and Robert Shaw, who played the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin & Marion. Not that Audrey Hepburn actually shares the screen in The Lavender Hill Mob with either Stanley Holloway or Robert Shaw, but she does get the film off to a bright start with a nuzzle with Alec Guinness The Lavender Hill Mob arrived in the middle of the golden era of the Ealing Comedy cycle, two years after Kind Hearts and Coronets and just four years before The Ladykillers. And it remains a pure joy. Unlike heist movies of the future, it manages to be...
- 5/1/2024
- by James Cameron-Wilson
- Film Review Daily
Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front earned 14 BAFTA Award nominations on Thursday morning in London, including one for Best Film. The other Best Film nominees are Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s Everything Everywhere all at Once and Todd Field’s Tár.
The following photo gallery includes BAFTA Awards Best Film winners from 1990, starting with Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas through last year’s winner, The Power of the Dog, from Jane Campion.
Some notable BAFTA highlights:
Most awards won by a single film: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), with nine wins.
Most nominations received by a single film: Gandhi (1982), with 16 nominations.
Most nominations without winning an award: Women in Love (1969) and Finding Neverland (2004), with 11 nominations each.
Oldest person to win an award: Emmanuelle Riva winning Best Actress in a Leading Role for Amour (84 years old).
Youngest...
The following photo gallery includes BAFTA Awards Best Film winners from 1990, starting with Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas through last year’s winner, The Power of the Dog, from Jane Campion.
Some notable BAFTA highlights:
Most awards won by a single film: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), with nine wins.
Most nominations received by a single film: Gandhi (1982), with 16 nominations.
Most nominations without winning an award: Women in Love (1969) and Finding Neverland (2004), with 11 nominations each.
Oldest person to win an award: Emmanuelle Riva winning Best Actress in a Leading Role for Amour (84 years old).
Youngest...
- 1/19/2023
- by David Morgan
- Deadline Film + TV
All those British crime films once deemed undesirable for the National Image are beginning to get the attention they deserve. This story of a single day in a working class section of London has plenty of criminal activity but blends it in with the everyday crimes of desperation and boredom. The Sandigate girls are flirting with trouble but Googie Withers’ Rose Sandigate has gone much further: she’s hiding an escaped fugitive who was once her lover in the vain hope of recapturing her lost youth. Director Robert Hamer examines a dozen distinctive characters on the edge of respectability, in one of the most original ‘Brit noirs’ we’ve seen to date.
It Always Rains on Sunday
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1947 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 92 min. / Street Date November 5, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Googie Withers, John McCallum, Jack Warner, Edward Chapman, Susan Shaw, Patricia Plunkett, Nigel Stock, David Lines, Sydney Tafler,...
It Always Rains on Sunday
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1947 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 92 min. / Street Date November 5, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Googie Withers, John McCallum, Jack Warner, Edward Chapman, Susan Shaw, Patricia Plunkett, Nigel Stock, David Lines, Sydney Tafler,...
- 12/10/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Alfred Hitchcock described his third film, The Lodger, as the true beginning of his directorial career but it would prove a near fatal screen debut for its leading light June Tripp
December 1925 was a busy month for June. A fixture of the West End stage since childhood, her surname, Tripp, had been excised by the impresario Charles B Cochran because it “sounds a bit comical for a dancer”. She spent the days rehearsing for a musical, Kid Boots, the evenings starring in another, Mercenary Mary, and then would “rush to the studio at midnight”, to act in a horse-racing short film opposite the fading American film star Carlyle Blackwell. The studio was at Poole Street, Islington, in north London, built five years earlier by Paramount but now rented out, most often to a British company, Gainsborough, run by Michael Balcon.
The short, Riding for a King, starred the celebrated jockey...
December 1925 was a busy month for June. A fixture of the West End stage since childhood, her surname, Tripp, had been excised by the impresario Charles B Cochran because it “sounds a bit comical for a dancer”. She spent the days rehearsing for a musical, Kid Boots, the evenings starring in another, Mercenary Mary, and then would “rush to the studio at midnight”, to act in a horse-racing short film opposite the fading American film star Carlyle Blackwell. The studio was at Poole Street, Islington, in north London, built five years earlier by Paramount but now rented out, most often to a British company, Gainsborough, run by Michael Balcon.
The short, Riding for a King, starred the celebrated jockey...
- 1/12/2022
- by Henry K Miller
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s the granddaddy of British cop dramas of the modern era. The most popular English picture of 1950 introduced PC George Dixon, a warm-hearted constable who would become a staple on BBC TV for 21 years. T.E.B. Clarke’s screenplay of a murder manhunt is stocked with actors American fans know well — Dirk Bogarde, Bernard Lee — and some we should know better — Jack Warner, Robert Flemyng, Dora Bryan. The show was made by the top craftsmen of Ealing Studios, and its fast pace and Brit sensibility will definitely impress. And remember — the Bobbies on the beat don’t even carry guns.
The Blue Lamp
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1950 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 85 min. / Street Date June 1, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Jack Warner, Jimmy Hanley, Dirk Bogarde, Robert Flemyng, Bernard Lee, Peggy Evans, Patric Doonan, Bruce Seton, Meredith Edwards, Dora Bryan, Gladys Henson, Tessie O’Shea, Betty Ann Davies, Jennifer Jayne, Sam Kydd,...
The Blue Lamp
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1950 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 85 min. / Street Date June 1, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Jack Warner, Jimmy Hanley, Dirk Bogarde, Robert Flemyng, Bernard Lee, Peggy Evans, Patric Doonan, Bruce Seton, Meredith Edwards, Dora Bryan, Gladys Henson, Tessie O’Shea, Betty Ann Davies, Jennifer Jayne, Sam Kydd,...
- 5/11/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
As Disney quietly disappears huge swathes of film history into its vaults, I'm going to spend 2020 celebrating Twentieth Century Fox and the Fox Film Corporation's films, what one might call their output if only someone were putting it out.***"Like watching Shirley Temple pull the wings off a fly," was one critic's evocative summary of A High Wind in Jamaica (1965), Alexander Mackendrick's disturbingly faithful rendition of Richard Hughes' striking novel.The book had been a passion project of Mackendrick for years, and he'd tried unsuccessfully to set it up at Ealing, the little British studio which had launched his career, but the story, in which a crew of anachronistic Victorian pirates find themselves inadvertent abductors of a family of schoolchildren, was much too strange and upsetting for producer Michael Balcon. You see, the children utterly destroy the pirates. It was a variation on the theme of "lethal innocence...
- 10/29/2020
- MUBI
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“Ealing Goes Scottish”
By Raymond Benson
The famous British studio, Ealing, made many kinds of pictures and became a major force in the U.K.’s film industry, especially after producer Michael Balcon took it over. While the studio had already made a few comedies, for some reason in the late 1940s it started producing more of them. The natures of these comedies shifted and became more intelligent, dry, and focused on underdog characters who valiantly attempt to overcome a series of obstacles. Sometimes the protagonists are successful—and sometimes not. Along the way, though, a series of misadventures occur. They range from “amusing” to “riotously funny.” It all worked, and the Ealing Comedies became a sub-genre unto themselves, especially when they starred the likes of Alec Guinness, Alastair Sim, or Stanley Holloway.
The year 1949 is generally considered the beginning of the run,...
“Ealing Goes Scottish”
By Raymond Benson
The famous British studio, Ealing, made many kinds of pictures and became a major force in the U.K.’s film industry, especially after producer Michael Balcon took it over. While the studio had already made a few comedies, for some reason in the late 1940s it started producing more of them. The natures of these comedies shifted and became more intelligent, dry, and focused on underdog characters who valiantly attempt to overcome a series of obstacles. Sometimes the protagonists are successful—and sometimes not. Along the way, though, a series of misadventures occur. They range from “amusing” to “riotously funny.” It all worked, and the Ealing Comedies became a sub-genre unto themselves, especially when they starred the likes of Alec Guinness, Alastair Sim, or Stanley Holloway.
The year 1949 is generally considered the beginning of the run,...
- 5/20/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
I’d never heard of this gem of a British production; now it goes on my list of highly recommended titles. A dock area on the Thames is ‘the pool,’ and the sailors that disembark from the cargo ships are susceptible to the temptations of black market trade. A single eventful weekend traces the fates of a half-dozen young people, the women that like the sailors, and the sailor that gets mixed up in a deadly serious crime. Director Basil Dearden’s excellent cast is mostly unfamiliar to us Yanks, but we get really tied up in their problems. This picture should be much better known. It’s the first English movie to depict an interracial romance, and it does so without sensationalism or special pleading. The best new extra is an interview with actor Earl Cameron, who at 103 years of age has his act (and his memories) totally together.
- 5/16/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Can a war movie be reassuring in a time of crisis? Each of the films in this excellent collection stress people working together: to repel invaders, escape from or attack the enemy, and just to survive in sticky situations. All are inspirational in that they see cooperation, organization and leadership doing good work. See: the ‘other’ great escape picture, the original account of Dunkirk, and the aerial bombing movie that inspired the final battle in Star Wars. Plus a tense ‘what if?’ invasion tale, and a desert trek suspense ordeal that’s one of the best war films ever. The most relevant dialogue in the set? Seeing the total screw-up at Dunkirk, Bernard Lee determines that England will have to re-organize with new people in key leadership positions, people who know what they’re doing. I’m all for that Here and Now, fella.
Their Finest Hour 5 British WWII Classics
Went The Day Well,...
Their Finest Hour 5 British WWII Classics
Went The Day Well,...
- 4/4/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Actor and filmmaker to receive honour at the 2020 Baftas.
Actor and filmmaker Andy Serkis is to receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2020 Bafta film awards.
Serkis is best known for his pioneering performance capture work, portraying Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit films as well as the lead role of Caesar in the Planet of the Apes franchise.
But he has more recently moved into directing with Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and Breathe. He is currently directing Venom 2, starring Tom Hardy.
In 2011, Serkis founded performance capture company The Imaginarium, with producer Jonathan Cavendish,...
Actor and filmmaker Andy Serkis is to receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2020 Bafta film awards.
Serkis is best known for his pioneering performance capture work, portraying Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit films as well as the lead role of Caesar in the Planet of the Apes franchise.
But he has more recently moved into directing with Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and Breathe. He is currently directing Venom 2, starring Tom Hardy.
In 2011, Serkis founded performance capture company The Imaginarium, with producer Jonathan Cavendish,...
- 1/23/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Much of Ealing Studios’ core appeal begins right here, with T.E.B. Clarke’s astute look at the character of pragmatic, energetic Londoners, who in this fantasy face an outrageous situation with spirit, pluck, and a determination not to be cheated. What happens when a few square blocks of London discover that they’re no longer even part of the British Empire? A classic of wartime ‘adjustments,’ the ensemble comedy even begins with a Tex Avery- like ode to rationing.
Passport to Pimlico
Blu-ray
Film Movement Classics
1949 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 84 min. / Street Date December 20, 2019 / 29.95
Starring: Stanley Holloway, Hermione Baddeley, Margaret Rutherford, Sydney Tafler, Betty Warren, Barbara Murray, Paul Dupuis, John Slater, Jane Hylton, Raymond Huntley, Philip Stainton, Roy Carr, Nancy Gabrielle, Malcolm Knight, Roy Gladdish, Frederick Piper, Charles Hawtrey, Stuart Lindsell, Naunton Wayne, Basil Radford, Gilbert Davis, Michael Hordern, Arthur Howard, Bill Shine, Harry Locke, Sam Kydd.
Cinematography: Lionel...
Passport to Pimlico
Blu-ray
Film Movement Classics
1949 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 84 min. / Street Date December 20, 2019 / 29.95
Starring: Stanley Holloway, Hermione Baddeley, Margaret Rutherford, Sydney Tafler, Betty Warren, Barbara Murray, Paul Dupuis, John Slater, Jane Hylton, Raymond Huntley, Philip Stainton, Roy Carr, Nancy Gabrielle, Malcolm Knight, Roy Gladdish, Frederick Piper, Charles Hawtrey, Stuart Lindsell, Naunton Wayne, Basil Radford, Gilbert Davis, Michael Hordern, Arthur Howard, Bill Shine, Harry Locke, Sam Kydd.
Cinematography: Lionel...
- 12/31/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
They’re ‘The Men Who Broke the Bank and Lost the Cargo!’ Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway shine in one of the funniest crime comedies ever, Ealing Studios’ tale of a pair of nobodies who take the Bank of England for millions. Guinness’s bank clerk follows his dreams into a big time bullion heist, and the joke is that his ad-hoc mob is the most loyal, ethical band of brothers in the history of crime. This being a caper picture, the suspense is steep as well — just what is going to trip up these brilliantly gifted amateurs?
The Lavender Hill Mob
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 81 min. / Street Date September 3, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, Audrey Hepburn.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Film Editor: Seth Holt
Original Music: Georges Auric
Written by T.E.B. Clarke
Produced by Michael Balcon
Directed by...
The Lavender Hill Mob
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 81 min. / Street Date September 3, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, Audrey Hepburn.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Film Editor: Seth Holt
Original Music: Georges Auric
Written by T.E.B. Clarke
Produced by Michael Balcon
Directed by...
- 10/15/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“Ealing Exquisiteness”
By Raymond Benson
Ealing Studios has a long history of greatness and is one of the finest motion picture studios in Great Britain. While it is most well known for its post-war comedies, several of which starred the inimitable Alec Guinness, the studio site has been active since the silent era. When producer Michael Balcon took it over in the late 1930s and renamed it Ealing, many successful pictures—both dramas and comedies—were made under its banner. Ealing is still operating today and is also the home of the Met Film School London.
The Lavender Hill Mob, released in 1951, is one of Ealing’s jewels in the crown, often cited as the best of the bunch. Director Crighton helmed several of the Ealing pictures, and, at age 77, was finally nominated for a Best Director Oscar for his work on A Fish Called Wanda in 1988 (it was because...
By Raymond Benson
Ealing Studios has a long history of greatness and is one of the finest motion picture studios in Great Britain. While it is most well known for its post-war comedies, several of which starred the inimitable Alec Guinness, the studio site has been active since the silent era. When producer Michael Balcon took it over in the late 1930s and renamed it Ealing, many successful pictures—both dramas and comedies—were made under its banner. Ealing is still operating today and is also the home of the Met Film School London.
The Lavender Hill Mob, released in 1951, is one of Ealing’s jewels in the crown, often cited as the best of the bunch. Director Crighton helmed several of the Ealing pictures, and, at age 77, was finally nominated for a Best Director Oscar for his work on A Fish Called Wanda in 1988 (it was because...
- 9/15/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
File this great comedy under social science fiction, subheading ‘H’ for hilarious. Alec Guinness’s comic boffin hero is both a bringer of miracles and one of the most dangerous men alive. The story of Sidney Stratton, brilliant chemist and inadvertent industrial terrorist, is a consistent laugh riot. Call the jokes droll, understated, dry, and reserved, but they certainly aren’t stupid — Ealing’s high-class comedy is slapstick heaven, yet hides a lesson about modern economics that most people still haven’t learned. And Guinness’s romantic foil is the woman with the velvet-gravel voice, Joan Greenwood.
The Man in the White Suit
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 85 min. / Street Date September 3, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough, Ernest Thesiger, Howard Marion-Crawford, Henry Mollison, Vida Hope.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Art Direction: Jim Morahan
Film Editor: Bernard Gribble
Original Music:...
The Man in the White Suit
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 85 min. / Street Date September 3, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough, Ernest Thesiger, Howard Marion-Crawford, Henry Mollison, Vida Hope.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Art Direction: Jim Morahan
Film Editor: Bernard Gribble
Original Music:...
- 8/24/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, the producers of such films as “Carol,” “Their Finest” and the recent “Colette” starring Keira Knightley, will receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the BAFTA Film Awards.
The prolific pair run Number 9 Films and have a long list of credits. They will pick up their accolade at the awards ceremony on Feb. 10, joining a roster of previous winners who include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, and Ridley and Tony Scott.
“Elizabeth and Stephen are two of the U.K.’s leading producers, whose contribution to the British film industry over the last four decades is outstanding,” Marc Samuelson, chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, said. “Their commitment to producing independent films in the U.K. which breaks down barriers and connects with audiences internationally is an inspiration to us all.”
Woolley’s film career stretches back to the 1970s. He ran the legendary...
The prolific pair run Number 9 Films and have a long list of credits. They will pick up their accolade at the awards ceremony on Feb. 10, joining a roster of previous winners who include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, and Ridley and Tony Scott.
“Elizabeth and Stephen are two of the U.K.’s leading producers, whose contribution to the British film industry over the last four decades is outstanding,” Marc Samuelson, chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, said. “Their commitment to producing independent films in the U.K. which breaks down barriers and connects with audiences internationally is an inspiration to us all.”
Woolley’s film career stretches back to the 1970s. He ran the legendary...
- 12/17/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
The producers of Carol and Colette will receive the honour at the 2019 Bafta film awards.
Producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, co-founders of Number 9 Films, will receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2019 Bafta film awards (February 10).
The husband-and-wife producing duo founded independent powerhouse Number 9 in 2002. Known as makers of taste-driven, quality UK cinema, Karlsen and Woolley’s films include Todd Haynes’ Carol, which was nominated for six Oscars in 2016, On Chesil Beach, Their Finest, Made In Dagenham and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth (as co-producers).
Upcoming Number 9 projects include So Much Love starring Gemma Arterton as Dusty Springfield,...
Producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, co-founders of Number 9 Films, will receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2019 Bafta film awards (February 10).
The husband-and-wife producing duo founded independent powerhouse Number 9 in 2002. Known as makers of taste-driven, quality UK cinema, Karlsen and Woolley’s films include Todd Haynes’ Carol, which was nominated for six Oscars in 2016, On Chesil Beach, Their Finest, Made In Dagenham and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth (as co-producers).
Upcoming Number 9 projects include So Much Love starring Gemma Arterton as Dusty Springfield,...
- 12/17/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Carol and Colette producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, co-founders of Number 9 Films, are to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the 72nd BAFTAs on Sunday 10 February in London. Previous recipients of the prestigious BAFTA award include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title, John Hurt and BBC Films.
Producing duo Woolley and Karlsen are among the most prolific indie film producers working in the UK today. Woolley began his career in the mid-70s before owning and running iconic repertory cinema, the Scala. Alongside Nik Powell, he founded Palace Pictures, distributing more than 250 films from the likes of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach as well as international hits like Paris, Texas, When Harry Met Sally and The Evil Dead. On the production side, 1983 marked the beginning of his collaboration with Neil Jordan. The Company of Wolves was their first film together, which was nominated for four BAFTAs.
Producing duo Woolley and Karlsen are among the most prolific indie film producers working in the UK today. Woolley began his career in the mid-70s before owning and running iconic repertory cinema, the Scala. Alongside Nik Powell, he founded Palace Pictures, distributing more than 250 films from the likes of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach as well as international hits like Paris, Texas, When Harry Met Sally and The Evil Dead. On the production side, 1983 marked the beginning of his collaboration with Neil Jordan. The Company of Wolves was their first film together, which was nominated for four BAFTAs.
- 12/16/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, the powerhouse production duo behind Number 9 Films, are set to receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the BAFTA awards ceremony on 10 February.
Previous recipients of the award – presented annual in honor of British producer Michael Balcon – include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films, Lewis Gilbert, the Harry Potter series of films, John Hurt, Peter Greenaway, Tessa Ross, BBC Films, Angels Costumes and Curzon. The National Film and Television School was the recipient at 2018’s Film Awards.
Woolley began ...
Previous recipients of the award – presented annual in honor of British producer Michael Balcon – include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films, Lewis Gilbert, the Harry Potter series of films, John Hurt, Peter Greenaway, Tessa Ross, BBC Films, Angels Costumes and Curzon. The National Film and Television School was the recipient at 2018’s Film Awards.
Woolley began ...
- 12/16/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, the powerhouse production duo behind Number 9 Films, are set to receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the BAFTA awards ceremony on 10 February.
Previous recipients of the award – presented annual in honor of British producer Michael Balcon – include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films, Lewis Gilbert, the Harry Potter series of films, John Hurt, Peter Greenaway, Tessa Ross, BBC Films, Angels Costumes and Curzon. The National Film and Television School was the recipient at 2018’s Film Awards.
Woolley began ...
Previous recipients of the award – presented annual in honor of British producer Michael Balcon – include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films, Lewis Gilbert, the Harry Potter series of films, John Hurt, Peter Greenaway, Tessa Ross, BBC Films, Angels Costumes and Curzon. The National Film and Television School was the recipient at 2018’s Film Awards.
Woolley began ...
- 12/16/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
School to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award.
The UK’s National Film and Television School will receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at this year’s Bafta ceremony on Feb 18.
Source: Nfts
Marc Samuelson, chair of Bafta’s Film Committee, explained the decision: “The Nfts provides a fantastic training ground for the next generation of creative talent - each year many of Bafta’s talented scholarship recipients receive their training at the school, and an overwhelming number of its students and alumni go on to become Bafta-winners and household names. The Nfts is a truly integral part of our industry, and is hugely deserving of this award.”
Opened in 1971, the Nfts boasts alumni including directors Sarah Gavron (Suffragette), Lynne Ramsay (We Need To Talk About Kevin) and David Yates (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), cinematographers Roger Deakins (Skyfall) and Charlotte Bruus Christensen (Molly’s Game), and composer Dario Marianelli (Darkest House).
The...
The UK’s National Film and Television School will receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at this year’s Bafta ceremony on Feb 18.
Source: Nfts
Marc Samuelson, chair of Bafta’s Film Committee, explained the decision: “The Nfts provides a fantastic training ground for the next generation of creative talent - each year many of Bafta’s talented scholarship recipients receive their training at the school, and an overwhelming number of its students and alumni go on to become Bafta-winners and household names. The Nfts is a truly integral part of our industry, and is hugely deserving of this award.”
Opened in 1971, the Nfts boasts alumni including directors Sarah Gavron (Suffragette), Lynne Ramsay (We Need To Talk About Kevin) and David Yates (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), cinematographers Roger Deakins (Skyfall) and Charlotte Bruus Christensen (Molly’s Game), and composer Dario Marianelli (Darkest House).
The...
- 1/26/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
“Hitch Begins”
By Raymond Benson
The British silent film period of director Alfred Hitchcock is simultaneously interesting and frustrating. It’s the former because it allows one to view a genius at the very beginning of his career—the kernels of motifs and themes, as well as stylistic choices, can be spotted and analyzed. It’s the latter because only one or two of the nine silent pictures he made are truly memorable and most are available today solely as poor quality public domain transfers.
The Criterion Collection has just released a bang-up, marvelous new edition of Hitchcock’s most celebrated silent work, The Lodger—A Story of the London Fog. The disk also contains one of the rarer silent titles, Downhill (also 1927), which might be reason enough for Hitchcock enthusiasts to purchase the package.
A bit of history: Hitchcock was working for Gainsborough Pictures under the auspices of Michael Balcon...
By Raymond Benson
The British silent film period of director Alfred Hitchcock is simultaneously interesting and frustrating. It’s the former because it allows one to view a genius at the very beginning of his career—the kernels of motifs and themes, as well as stylistic choices, can be spotted and analyzed. It’s the latter because only one or two of the nine silent pictures he made are truly memorable and most are available today solely as poor quality public domain transfers.
The Criterion Collection has just released a bang-up, marvelous new edition of Hitchcock’s most celebrated silent work, The Lodger—A Story of the London Fog. The disk also contains one of the rarer silent titles, Downhill (also 1927), which might be reason enough for Hitchcock enthusiasts to purchase the package.
A bit of history: Hitchcock was working for Gainsborough Pictures under the auspices of Michael Balcon...
- 6/29/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Hitchcock’s first self-professed ‘Hitch’ picture is still a winner. Many of his recurring themes are present, and some of his visual fluidity – in this finely tuned commercial ‘shock’ movie with witty visual tricks from Hitchcock’s own background as an art director. And hey, he secured a real box office name to star as the mysterious maybe-slayer, ‘The Avenger.’
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 885
1927 / B&W + Color tints / 1:33 Silent Ap / 91 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 27, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Ivor Novello, June Tripp, Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, Malcolm Keen.
Cinematography: Gaetano di Ventimiglia
Film Editor + titles: Ivor Montagu
Assistant director: Alma Reville
Written by Eliot Stannard from the book by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Produced by Michael Balcon and Carlyle Blackwell
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock became the most notable English film director for all the right reasons — he was talented and creative,...
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 885
1927 / B&W + Color tints / 1:33 Silent Ap / 91 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 27, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Ivor Novello, June Tripp, Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, Malcolm Keen.
Cinematography: Gaetano di Ventimiglia
Film Editor + titles: Ivor Montagu
Assistant director: Alma Reville
Written by Eliot Stannard from the book by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Produced by Michael Balcon and Carlyle Blackwell
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock became the most notable English film director for all the right reasons — he was talented and creative,...
- 6/13/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
UK banner Curzon, which operates arthouse cinemas across the country and distributes indie titles through its Curzon Artificial Eye, will be the recipient of this year's BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. The award, which is presented annually in honor of Michael Balcon, the Brit film producer known for his work with Ealing Studios, will be presented to Curzon at the British Academy Film Awards on February 12 at London's Royal Albert Hall…...
- 1/17/2017
- Deadline
Cinema chain and distribution label to be recognised at this year’s Bafta ceremony.
Arthouse cinema group Curzon will receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2017 Bafta film awards (held on 12 February).
Curzon operates a network of 15 independent cinemas, as well as distribution label Curzon Artificial eye and video-on-demand platform Curzon Home Cinema.
The innovative cinema brand opened in 1934 with the Curzon Mayfair and now has venues in Soho, Canterbury and Sheffield.
Distribution label Curzon Artificial Eye, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, champions new and classic cinema from Britain, Europe and around the world.
Its catalogue includes works by Andrei Tarkovsky, Satyajit Ray, Claire Denis, Charlie Chaplin, Lynne Ramsay, Michael Haneke and Mia Hansen-Løve.
Philip Knatchbull, CEO of Curzon, said: “I’m delighted that Curzon’s contribution to film has been recognised by Bafta. Curzon has a long and proud history in the British film industry and many talented and passionate people...
Arthouse cinema group Curzon will receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2017 Bafta film awards (held on 12 February).
Curzon operates a network of 15 independent cinemas, as well as distribution label Curzon Artificial eye and video-on-demand platform Curzon Home Cinema.
The innovative cinema brand opened in 1934 with the Curzon Mayfair and now has venues in Soho, Canterbury and Sheffield.
Distribution label Curzon Artificial Eye, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, champions new and classic cinema from Britain, Europe and around the world.
Its catalogue includes works by Andrei Tarkovsky, Satyajit Ray, Claire Denis, Charlie Chaplin, Lynne Ramsay, Michael Haneke and Mia Hansen-Løve.
Philip Knatchbull, CEO of Curzon, said: “I’m delighted that Curzon’s contribution to film has been recognised by Bafta. Curzon has a long and proud history in the British film industry and many talented and passionate people...
- 1/17/2017
- ScreenDaily
Cinema chain and distribution label to be recognised at this year’s Bafta ceremony.
Arthouse cinema group Curzon will receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2017 Bafta film awards (held on 12 February).
Curzon operates a network of 15 independent cinemas, as well as distribution label Curzon Artificial eye and video-on-demand platform Curzon Home Cinema.
The innovative cinema brand opened in 1934 with the Curzon Mayfair and now has venues in Soho, Canterbury and Sheffield.
Distribution label Curzon Artificial Eye, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, champions new and classic cinema from Britain, Europe and around the world.
Its catalogue includes works by Andrei Tarkovsky, Satyajit Ray, Claire Denis, Charlie Chaplin, Lynne Ramsay, Michael Haneke and Mia Hansen-Løve.
Philip Knatchbull, CEO of Curzon, said: “I’m delighted that Curzon’s contribution to film has been recognised by Bafta. Curzon has a long and proud history in the British film industry and many talented and passionate people...
Arthouse cinema group Curzon will receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2017 Bafta film awards (held on 12 February).
Curzon operates a network of 15 independent cinemas, as well as distribution label Curzon Artificial eye and video-on-demand platform Curzon Home Cinema.
The innovative cinema brand opened in 1934 with the Curzon Mayfair and now has venues in Soho, Canterbury and Sheffield.
Distribution label Curzon Artificial Eye, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, champions new and classic cinema from Britain, Europe and around the world.
Its catalogue includes works by Andrei Tarkovsky, Satyajit Ray, Claire Denis, Charlie Chaplin, Lynne Ramsay, Michael Haneke and Mia Hansen-Løve.
Philip Knatchbull, CEO of Curzon, said: “I’m delighted that Curzon’s contribution to film has been recognised by Bafta. Curzon has a long and proud history in the British film industry and many talented and passionate people...
- 1/17/2017
- ScreenDaily
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts said Tuesday that U.K. arthouse cinema group Curzon will receive the annual award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema at the Ee British Academy Film Awards.
The awards will be handed out on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. La La Land leads the nominations.
The Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award is presented annually in honor of Michael Balcon, a British film producer known for his work with Ealing Studios. Previous recipients include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films,...
The awards will be handed out on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. La La Land leads the nominations.
The Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award is presented annually in honor of Michael Balcon, a British film producer known for his work with Ealing Studios. Previous recipients include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films,...
- 1/17/2017
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There's nothing more earnest than an English national epic, and this is a valiant expedition that becomes a low-key disaster. Told straight and clean, it's a primer on how to behave in the face of doom. Scott of the Antarctic Region B Blu-ray Studiocanal (UK) 1948 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 110 min. / Street Date June 6, 2016 / Available from Amazon UK £ 14.99 Starring John Mills, Derek Bond, Harold Warrender, James Robertson Justice, Kenneth More, Reginald Beckwith. Cinematography Osmond Borradaile, Jack Cardiff, Geoffrey Unsworth Editor Peter Tanner Original Music Vaughan Williams Written by Walter Meade, Ivor Montagu, Mary Hayley Bell Produced by Michael Balcon Directed by Charles Frend
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
English film companies fell on hard times during the postwar austerity period. But the relatively small Ealing Studios maintained its creative underdog brand even after it was taken over by Rank, and is still celebrated for wartime greats like Went the Day Well?, the singular masterpiece Dead of Night,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
English film companies fell on hard times during the postwar austerity period. But the relatively small Ealing Studios maintained its creative underdog brand even after it was taken over by Rank, and is still celebrated for wartime greats like Went the Day Well?, the singular masterpiece Dead of Night,...
- 7/10/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Costume house that has serviced films from Hitchcock to Hammer and Harry Potter to receive honourary BAFTA.
Angels Costumes is to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the Ee British Academy Film Awards ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on Feb 14.
Now in its 175th year, Angels Costumes is the world’s longest-established and largest professional costume house, and has worked with film luminaries including Alfred Hitchcock, Powell and Pressburger, David Lean, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg on features from the Ealing Comedies, films produced by Gainsborough Studios and Hammer, to the Carry On films, Bond, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter.
The Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award is presented annually in honour of film producer Michael Balcon and previous recipients include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films, Lewis Gilbert, the Harry Potter series of films, John Hurt, [link...
Angels Costumes is to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the Ee British Academy Film Awards ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on Feb 14.
Now in its 175th year, Angels Costumes is the world’s longest-established and largest professional costume house, and has worked with film luminaries including Alfred Hitchcock, Powell and Pressburger, David Lean, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg on features from the Ealing Comedies, films produced by Gainsborough Studios and Hammer, to the Carry On films, Bond, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter.
The Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award is presented annually in honour of film producer Michael Balcon and previous recipients include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films, Lewis Gilbert, the Harry Potter series of films, John Hurt, [link...
- 1/18/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, and Ingrid Bergman: The 'Notorious' British (Hitchcock, Grant) and Swedish (Bergman) talent. British actors and directors in Hollywood; Hollywood actors and directors in Britain: Anthony Slide's 'A Special Relationship.' 'A Special Relationship' Q&A: Britain in Hollywood and Hollywood in Britain First of all, what made you think of a book on “the special relationship” between the American and British film industries – particularly on the British side? I was aware of a couple of books on the British in Hollywood, but I wanted to move beyond that somewhat limited discussion and document the whole British/American relationship as it applied to filmmaking. Growing up in England, I had always been interested in the history of the British cinema, but generally my writing on film history has been concentrated on America. I suppose to a certain extent I wanted to go back into my archives,...
- 1/5/2016
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
'Saint Joan': Constance Cummings as the George Bernard Shaw heroine. Constance Cummings on stage: From sex-change farce and Emma Bovary to Juliet and 'Saint Joan' (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Frank Capra, Mae West and Columbia Lawsuit.”) In the mid-1930s, Constance Cummings landed the title roles in two of husband Benn W. Levy's stage adaptations: Levy and Hubert Griffith's Young Madame Conti (1936), starring Cummings as a demimondaine who falls in love with a villainous character. She ends up killing him – or does she? Adapted from Bruno Frank's German-language original, Young Madame Conti was presented on both sides of the Atlantic; on Broadway, it had a brief run in spring 1937 at the Music Box Theatre. Based on the Gustave Flaubert novel, the Theatre Guild-produced Madame Bovary (1937) was staged in late fall at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre. Referring to the London production of Young Madame Conti, The...
- 11/10/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
BBC Films to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the BAFTA Awards next week.
BBC Films is to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the BAFTA Awards at London’s Royal Opera House on Feb 8.
The prize is presented annually in honour of Michael Balcon, with previous recipients including Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films, Lewis Gilbert, the Harry Potter series of films, John Hurt and Tessa Ross.
Last year’s recipient was British writer-director Peter Greenaway.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, BBC Films has a strong track record in developing and co-producing award-winning films, most recently Pride and Philomena.
Christine Langan, head of BBC Films, said: “For the past 25 years, great effort has gone into establishing BBC Films as a nurturing and collaborative home for filmmakers - one which showcases British talent to the world and deepens the impression of the...
BBC Films is to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the BAFTA Awards at London’s Royal Opera House on Feb 8.
The prize is presented annually in honour of Michael Balcon, with previous recipients including Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jarman, Mary Selway, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title Films, Lewis Gilbert, the Harry Potter series of films, John Hurt and Tessa Ross.
Last year’s recipient was British writer-director Peter Greenaway.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, BBC Films has a strong track record in developing and co-producing award-winning films, most recently Pride and Philomena.
Christine Langan, head of BBC Films, said: “For the past 25 years, great effort has gone into establishing BBC Films as a nurturing and collaborative home for filmmakers - one which showcases British talent to the world and deepens the impression of the...
- 1/28/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) are to host a special evening dedicated to Michael Palin.
The Monty Python star will discuss his career at the 'Life in Television' event at BAFTA headquarters in London on Tuesday, March 17.
Palin will speak about his five-decade career, including projects on TV, film and stage and as a writer, performer and presenter.
Andrew Newman, Chair of the BAFTA Television Committee, said: "From Monty Python to Ripping Yarns to GBH to Around the World in 80 Days and beyond, Michael Palin has been a comedian, a writer, an actor and a factual presenter and has excelled at every one of them.
"We're excited to celebrate his remarkable career at this second event in our new 'BAFTA A Life in Television' strand. 'BAFTA A Life in Television' offers the chance to hear directly from unique talents and explore what makes them so special to British television.
The Monty Python star will discuss his career at the 'Life in Television' event at BAFTA headquarters in London on Tuesday, March 17.
Palin will speak about his five-decade career, including projects on TV, film and stage and as a writer, performer and presenter.
Andrew Newman, Chair of the BAFTA Television Committee, said: "From Monty Python to Ripping Yarns to GBH to Around the World in 80 Days and beyond, Michael Palin has been a comedian, a writer, an actor and a factual presenter and has excelled at every one of them.
"We're excited to celebrate his remarkable career at this second event in our new 'BAFTA A Life in Television' strand. 'BAFTA A Life in Television' offers the chance to hear directly from unique talents and explore what makes them so special to British television.
- 1/27/2015
- Digital Spy
Since the recent BFI restoration of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1927 silent work The Lodger, the film has been reexamined by historians and critics, who have singled it out as the first true thriller in the director’s canon. Based on a story by Marie Belloc Lowndes and a play titled Who Is He? (cowritten by Belloc Lowndes), The Lodger focuses on the hunt for a Jack the Ripper-style serial killer who preys on young blondes (natch) in foggy London. Drawing on the ominous German Expressionist style of iconic directors F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang, The Lodger features many of the themes that would dominate the director’s work and mark his signature style. The movie almost didn’t come to be as Michael Balcon, one of the major producers of the picture, almost shelved the...
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- 7/7/2014
- by Alison Nastasi
- Movies.com
Documentary maker who battled sexism in the film industry of postwar Britain and went on to work in continuity
The pioneering film-maker Kay Mander, who has died aged 98, was a member of the British documentary movement and began directing during the second world war, making training films and social documentaries for the Ministry of Information. In 1944, she established her own production company, Basic Films, and like many of her male contemporaries attempted to break into feature films after the war. But she struggled to find directing jobs and spent the rest of her long career in continuity.
Born in Hull, east Yorkshire, Mander grew up in Paris, later boarding at Queenwood ladies' college, in Eastbourne, East Sussex. After leaving school, she moved to Berlin, where her father was employed as an accountant. While working as a receptionist at an international film congress in 1935, she met British film-makers who suggested she...
The pioneering film-maker Kay Mander, who has died aged 98, was a member of the British documentary movement and began directing during the second world war, making training films and social documentaries for the Ministry of Information. In 1944, she established her own production company, Basic Films, and like many of her male contemporaries attempted to break into feature films after the war. But she struggled to find directing jobs and spent the rest of her long career in continuity.
Born in Hull, east Yorkshire, Mander grew up in Paris, later boarding at Queenwood ladies' college, in Eastbourne, East Sussex. After leaving school, she moved to Berlin, where her father was employed as an accountant. While working as a receptionist at an international film congress in 1935, she met British film-makers who suggested she...
- 2/23/2014
- by Sarah Easen
- The Guardian - Film News
Production manager worked on Chariots of Fire and An American Werewolf in London.
Veteran production manager Joyce Herlihy has died, aged 92. Her son, Sean Herlihy, confirmed to ScreenDaily that she died on Monday (Feb 10).
Herlihy worked in the British film industry for nearly 50 years. She began her career as a personal assistant to actress Deborah Kerr, where her duties included answering fan mail and signing autographs.
Herlihy moved on to work with Terence Young when he directed the first James Bond film, Dr. No (1962) as well as features including Thunderball (1965) and Wait Until Dark (1967).
She worked as a production secretary throughout the 1960s, rising to the position of production manager - a position rare for a woman to hold at that time in the industry.
Herlihy worked steadily throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s with producers such as David Puttnam and Jeremy Thomas.
Her credits include cult John Landis horror An American Werewolf In London (1980) and London Underground chiller...
Veteran production manager Joyce Herlihy has died, aged 92. Her son, Sean Herlihy, confirmed to ScreenDaily that she died on Monday (Feb 10).
Herlihy worked in the British film industry for nearly 50 years. She began her career as a personal assistant to actress Deborah Kerr, where her duties included answering fan mail and signing autographs.
Herlihy moved on to work with Terence Young when he directed the first James Bond film, Dr. No (1962) as well as features including Thunderball (1965) and Wait Until Dark (1967).
She worked as a production secretary throughout the 1960s, rising to the position of production manager - a position rare for a woman to hold at that time in the industry.
Herlihy worked steadily throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s with producers such as David Puttnam and Jeremy Thomas.
Her credits include cult John Landis horror An American Werewolf In London (1980) and London Underground chiller...
- 2/14/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Philomena, The Selfish Giant, Gravity … some of the year's best and biggest movies have their roots in the UK. Rush producer Andrew Eaton says it's time to fly the flag for British films
• Is British film all kitsch 'n' sink? Director Mike Figgis argues that the UK movie industry holds back film-makers
• Black British film talent tops Golden Globe nominations
As someone who was born and grew up in Northern Ireland, I've always been aware of the pitfalls of labelling something "British". I've been surprised many times about how messy it gets in the world of film. Everyone remembers Colin Welland's battle cry when Chariots of Fire triumphed at the Oscars in 1981: "The British are coming!"
Unfortunately, for much of my working life in film, very much inspired by Mr Welland and his colleagues, labelling a film "British" has usually been the kiss of death, both in terms of reviews and box office.
• Is British film all kitsch 'n' sink? Director Mike Figgis argues that the UK movie industry holds back film-makers
• Black British film talent tops Golden Globe nominations
As someone who was born and grew up in Northern Ireland, I've always been aware of the pitfalls of labelling something "British". I've been surprised many times about how messy it gets in the world of film. Everyone remembers Colin Welland's battle cry when Chariots of Fire triumphed at the Oscars in 1981: "The British are coming!"
Unfortunately, for much of my working life in film, very much inspired by Mr Welland and his colleagues, labelling a film "British" has usually been the kiss of death, both in terms of reviews and box office.
- 12/17/2013
- by Andrew Eaton
- The Guardian - Film News
In her new book Rachel Cooke re-examines the 1950s through 10 women who pioneered in their careers. In this extract she tells the stories of sisters-in-law Muriel and Betty Box, two prominent women in the British film industry
Until recently, anyone who wanted to see the film To Dorothy a Son had to lock themselves deep in the bowels of the British Film Institute off Tottenham Court Road, London, and watch it on an old Steenbeck editing machine. A little-known comedy from 1954, To Dorothy is no one's idea of a classic. It has an infuriating star in Shelley Winters, a creaky screenplay by Peter Rogers (later the producer of the Carry On series) and a set that looks as if it is on loan from a local amateur dramatics society.
We are in the home of Tony (John Gregson) and his baby-faced wife, Dorothy (Peggy Cummins). Dorothy is heavily pregnant, and confined to bed.
Until recently, anyone who wanted to see the film To Dorothy a Son had to lock themselves deep in the bowels of the British Film Institute off Tottenham Court Road, London, and watch it on an old Steenbeck editing machine. A little-known comedy from 1954, To Dorothy is no one's idea of a classic. It has an infuriating star in Shelley Winters, a creaky screenplay by Peter Rogers (later the producer of the Carry On series) and a set that looks as if it is on loan from a local amateur dramatics society.
We are in the home of Tony (John Gregson) and his baby-faced wife, Dorothy (Peggy Cummins). Dorothy is heavily pregnant, and confined to bed.
- 10/5/2013
- by Rachel Cooke
- The Guardian - Film News
Above: Spectacular full-scale derailment from the 1931 version of The Ghost Train (and also the 1941 version).
Arnold Ridley is fondly remembered in the UK as one of the stars of seventies sitcom Dad’s Army, about an incompetent and mainly superannuated group of volunteer soldiers in the WWII home guard, a show which made Ridley a national star at age 72 (it continued until he was 81). His sweetly doddering persona made a brilliant foil to the petulant Arthur Lowe, the dithering John Le Mesurier and gloomy Scot John Laurie.
One day, shooting on location in a graveyard, one of Ridley’s younger co-stars mused, “Hardly worth your leaving, is it, Arnold?” A rather harsh bit of humor: if you find it too mean, take comfort in the fact that the young thesp predeceased Ridley by some years, owing to liver failure. What larks!
But looong before Dad’s Army, Arnold Ridley found...
Arnold Ridley is fondly remembered in the UK as one of the stars of seventies sitcom Dad’s Army, about an incompetent and mainly superannuated group of volunteer soldiers in the WWII home guard, a show which made Ridley a national star at age 72 (it continued until he was 81). His sweetly doddering persona made a brilliant foil to the petulant Arthur Lowe, the dithering John Le Mesurier and gloomy Scot John Laurie.
One day, shooting on location in a graveyard, one of Ridley’s younger co-stars mused, “Hardly worth your leaving, is it, Arnold?” A rather harsh bit of humor: if you find it too mean, take comfort in the fact that the young thesp predeceased Ridley by some years, owing to liver failure. What larks!
But looong before Dad’s Army, Arnold Ridley found...
- 9/9/2013
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
(1932-50, Network, PG)
This third collection of less well-known (or unknown) movies from the British studio that ran from the early 1930s to 1959 includes two very minor low-budget B-movies from those early years when it was called Associated Talking Pictures and was run by Basil Dean, and two polished dramas from its glory days in the 40s and 50s under Michael Balcon's aegis. From the Dean era, only the motor-racing drama Death Drives Through (1935) is worth a look because John Huston co-wrote it. The Balcon productions, however, are polished dramas of considerable historical interest. Both are directed by the prolific Basil Dearden and star David Farrar, famous for playing cruel, handsome, middle-class cads in British movies and later for villains in Hollywood epics.
In Frieda (1947), Farrar plays an Raf officer who escapes from a PoW camp at the end of the second world war with the aid of a young German woman (Mai Zetterling,...
This third collection of less well-known (or unknown) movies from the British studio that ran from the early 1930s to 1959 includes two very minor low-budget B-movies from those early years when it was called Associated Talking Pictures and was run by Basil Dean, and two polished dramas from its glory days in the 40s and 50s under Michael Balcon's aegis. From the Dean era, only the motor-racing drama Death Drives Through (1935) is worth a look because John Huston co-wrote it. The Balcon productions, however, are polished dramas of considerable historical interest. Both are directed by the prolific Basil Dearden and star David Farrar, famous for playing cruel, handsome, middle-class cads in British movies and later for villains in Hollywood epics.
In Frieda (1947), Farrar plays an Raf officer who escapes from a PoW camp at the end of the second world war with the aid of a young German woman (Mai Zetterling,...
- 7/6/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
1935-42, PG, Network
The first volume of this series was disappointing, but this one is both valuable and entertaining. The first disc from pre-Michael Balcon days has the more significant films. The likable 18th-century children's naval yarn Midshipman Easy (1935) stars future TV star Hughie Green as an idealistic, naive teenager turning up trumps at sea and waving a cutlass ashore while serving on a Royal Navy sloop command by Roger Livesey. It's significant as the directorial debut of Carol Reed and welcomed by his future collaborator Graham Greene in his Spectator film column.
The other film, Brief Ecstasy (1937), directed by Edmond T Gréville, a French film-maker at home on both sides of the Channel, is a little gem about a handsome middle-class Englishman (Hugh Williams) and the attractive student (Linden Travers) with whom he has a one-night stand in London and then meets again five years later, when she's...
The first volume of this series was disappointing, but this one is both valuable and entertaining. The first disc from pre-Michael Balcon days has the more significant films. The likable 18th-century children's naval yarn Midshipman Easy (1935) stars future TV star Hughie Green as an idealistic, naive teenager turning up trumps at sea and waving a cutlass ashore while serving on a Royal Navy sloop command by Roger Livesey. It's significant as the directorial debut of Carol Reed and welcomed by his future collaborator Graham Greene in his Spectator film column.
The other film, Brief Ecstasy (1937), directed by Edmond T Gréville, a French film-maker at home on both sides of the Channel, is a little gem about a handsome middle-class Englishman (Hugh Williams) and the attractive student (Linden Travers) with whom he has a one-night stand in London and then meets again five years later, when she's...
- 5/11/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
(Charles Crichton, 1950; StudioCanal, PG)
Made during Ealing Studios's peak period from the early 40s to the mid-1950s, Dance Hall is virtually the only movie produced by that male-dominated studio that might be considered a feminist work. Co-scripted by Diana Morgan, the sole woman admitted by Ealing boss Michael Balcon to his elite creative team, it looks at the world from the point of view of four young working-class women (Natasha Parry, Petula Clark, Jane Hylton and Diana Dors). They live in council flats, work in the same west London factory, and find romance and an escape from their drab lives at the local dance hall. Except for the middle-class accents, the film presents an honest, down-to-earth portrait of Britain in the postwar age of austerity. Typically for its time, Parry (future wife of the director Peter Brook) is torn between glamorous sports car-driving spiv Bonar Colleano and dull,...
Made during Ealing Studios's peak period from the early 40s to the mid-1950s, Dance Hall is virtually the only movie produced by that male-dominated studio that might be considered a feminist work. Co-scripted by Diana Morgan, the sole woman admitted by Ealing boss Michael Balcon to his elite creative team, it looks at the world from the point of view of four young working-class women (Natasha Parry, Petula Clark, Jane Hylton and Diana Dors). They live in council flats, work in the same west London factory, and find romance and an escape from their drab lives at the local dance hall. Except for the middle-class accents, the film presents an honest, down-to-earth portrait of Britain in the postwar age of austerity. Typically for its time, Parry (future wife of the director Peter Brook) is torn between glamorous sports car-driving spiv Bonar Colleano and dull,...
- 4/22/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Sundance London returns with a keen momentum to the O2 Arena from the 25th to the 28th of April and this year the festival’s twin strands of music and film are even more intertwined with some must-see headline events.
Below we’ve picked three of the events we’ll be looking out for in our coverage and we’ll be in attendance bringing you reviews of the festival’s films and events. If the events spark your interest we’ve included further information and booking details for each of our selection and for the list of features playing in this year’s festival get busy clicking here.
Our interview with John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival and Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival can be found here and you can see all of our coverage for Sundance here, and, importantly, here’s the...
Below we’ve picked three of the events we’ll be looking out for in our coverage and we’ll be in attendance bringing you reviews of the festival’s films and events. If the events spark your interest we’ve included further information and booking details for each of our selection and for the list of features playing in this year’s festival get busy clicking here.
Our interview with John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival and Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival can be found here and you can see all of our coverage for Sundance here, and, importantly, here’s the...
- 4/9/2013
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Tom Hooper's musical wins four awards and Ben Affleck's drama scoops three, including best director and picture – while Lincoln goes home with one
A rallying cry for patriotism resounded from the Royal Opera House this evening, as the Baftas gave a hearty handshake to the best of British, and a light slap to our American friends.
Heading into the ceremony, Steven Spielberg's much acclaimed biopic of Abraham Lincoln had led the pack with 10 nominations, while Ang Lee's Life of Pi and Tom Hooper's Les Misérables both trailed with nine, and Skyfall – Sam Mendes' revamp of the Bond franchise – had eight.
Yet the frontrunner emerged from the awards – which took place in the Royal Opera House and were hosted by Stephen Fry – with just one gong: for Daniel Day-Lewis's performance as the president.
In a typically restrained speech, the ultimate method actor, explained that he'd...
A rallying cry for patriotism resounded from the Royal Opera House this evening, as the Baftas gave a hearty handshake to the best of British, and a light slap to our American friends.
Heading into the ceremony, Steven Spielberg's much acclaimed biopic of Abraham Lincoln had led the pack with 10 nominations, while Ang Lee's Life of Pi and Tom Hooper's Les Misérables both trailed with nine, and Skyfall – Sam Mendes' revamp of the Bond franchise – had eight.
Yet the frontrunner emerged from the awards – which took place in the Royal Opera House and were hosted by Stephen Fry – with just one gong: for Daniel Day-Lewis's performance as the president.
In a typically restrained speech, the ultimate method actor, explained that he'd...
- 2/11/2013
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
London – Tessa Ross, Film4 chief and controller of film and drama for the U.K.'s Channel 4, is to pick up a top honor from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Ross, who heads up the broadcaster's standalone movie unit in addition to the channel's drama interests, will receive BAFTA's outstanding British contribution to cinema award during the Ee British Academy Film Awards ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on Feb. 10. Photos: What the Bookies Are Saying About the Oscars The nod is presented annually in honor of Michael Balcon, with previous honorees including Mike Leigh, Kenneth
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- 1/29/2013
- by Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Seth Holt, 1958, StudioCanal, PG)
In 1956 Sir Michael Balcon appointed the Observer's energetic 29-year-old theatre critic, Kenneth Tynan, as Ealing Studios' script editor at a handsome £2,000 a year. His job was to bring in new writers, actors and ideas. Little came of this. Tynan suggested some interesting projects, all passed on to other studios. He wrote a brilliant six-page letter to Balcon about what was wrong with the unadventurous way he ran Ealing that was probably never posted, and he co-scripted the tough, low-budget thriller Nowhere to Go, the studio's penultimate production.
Tynan's collaborator on Nowhere to Go was Seth Holt, veteran Ealing editor and producer who was determined his directorial debut should be "the least Ealing film ever made". A realistic noir thriller in an American tradition that was then coming to an end, it has none of Ealing's Little Englishness, respect for authority or sense of community. Its...
In 1956 Sir Michael Balcon appointed the Observer's energetic 29-year-old theatre critic, Kenneth Tynan, as Ealing Studios' script editor at a handsome £2,000 a year. His job was to bring in new writers, actors and ideas. Little came of this. Tynan suggested some interesting projects, all passed on to other studios. He wrote a brilliant six-page letter to Balcon about what was wrong with the unadventurous way he ran Ealing that was probably never posted, and he co-scripted the tough, low-budget thriller Nowhere to Go, the studio's penultimate production.
Tynan's collaborator on Nowhere to Go was Seth Holt, veteran Ealing editor and producer who was determined his directorial debut should be "the least Ealing film ever made". A realistic noir thriller in an American tradition that was then coming to an end, it has none of Ealing's Little Englishness, respect for authority or sense of community. Its...
- 1/20/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
(Alexander Mackendrick, 1951, Studiocanal, U)
Last September marked the centenary of the birth of Alexander Mackendrick (1912-93). Born in the States, raised in Scotland, he was, with Richard Hamer, one of the two truly great products of Ealing Studios. Their output was small (each made made five movies under Michael Balcon's aegis), but distinguished and distinctive and always digging beneath Ealing's cosy Little England ethos. Oscar-nominated for its screenplay (by Mackendrick, his brother-in-law the playwright Roger MacDougall and John Dighton, Hamer's collaborator on Kind Hearts and Coronets), The Man in the White Suit is arguably Mackendrick's most trenchant comedy.
It stars Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton, a dreamily eccentric inventor who develops an artificial fibre that's indestructible and resistant to dirt. Apparently a boon to humanity, this fabric spreads alarm in a Lancashire mill town whose prosperity the invention threatens. Management and workers unite against the starry-eyed idealist Stratton, who...
Last September marked the centenary of the birth of Alexander Mackendrick (1912-93). Born in the States, raised in Scotland, he was, with Richard Hamer, one of the two truly great products of Ealing Studios. Their output was small (each made made five movies under Michael Balcon's aegis), but distinguished and distinctive and always digging beneath Ealing's cosy Little England ethos. Oscar-nominated for its screenplay (by Mackendrick, his brother-in-law the playwright Roger MacDougall and John Dighton, Hamer's collaborator on Kind Hearts and Coronets), The Man in the White Suit is arguably Mackendrick's most trenchant comedy.
It stars Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton, a dreamily eccentric inventor who develops an artificial fibre that's indestructible and resistant to dirt. Apparently a boon to humanity, this fabric spreads alarm in a Lancashire mill town whose prosperity the invention threatens. Management and workers unite against the starry-eyed idealist Stratton, who...
- 12/16/2012
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
After World War Two, just as the Us was getting hot under the collar about imaginary left-wing plots to seduce the nation via hidden messages in the movies, by a remarkable coincidence British cinema was infiltrated by a genuine socialist conspiracy.
Late in the war, as victory began to seem graspable, people started thinking about what kind of United Kingdom they wanted to live in: Winston Churchill may have led the nation through the conflict, but now something different was required. Sir Michael Balcon, head of Ealing Studios, was part of a group of filmmakers and creative types working behind the scenes to prepare the ground for a Labour government and the introduction of socialist programmes like the National Health Service.
Humphrey Jennings' eloquently understated propaganda short A Diary for Timothy looks at a new-born baby and wonders what kind of world he'll grow up in: as critic Raymond Durgnat observed,...
Late in the war, as victory began to seem graspable, people started thinking about what kind of United Kingdom they wanted to live in: Winston Churchill may have led the nation through the conflict, but now something different was required. Sir Michael Balcon, head of Ealing Studios, was part of a group of filmmakers and creative types working behind the scenes to prepare the ground for a Labour government and the introduction of socialist programmes like the National Health Service.
Humphrey Jennings' eloquently understated propaganda short A Diary for Timothy looks at a new-born baby and wonders what kind of world he'll grow up in: as critic Raymond Durgnat observed,...
- 11/28/2012
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
The man, often hailed as the greatest screen actor of his generation, is famous – some say notorious – for his obsessive attention to detail in building character. His latest role, playing Abraham Lincoln, is no exception
Thick mud and blood mingle in the opening scenes of Steven Spielberg's latest film, Lincoln. In a brutal demonstration of what happens when politics fails, bodies pile up across a boggy battlefield. The rest of the film, also full of dark and muddy tones, looks steadily at how politicians might end or prolong such a grim civil war. And at the heart of the matter, trying to abolish slavery and adorned with a representation of one of the most famous beards of all time, stands Daniel Day-Lewis.
In playing the revered 16th president of the United States, the 55-year old actor adds to the series of New World archetypes he has tackled on screen.
Thick mud and blood mingle in the opening scenes of Steven Spielberg's latest film, Lincoln. In a brutal demonstration of what happens when politics fails, bodies pile up across a boggy battlefield. The rest of the film, also full of dark and muddy tones, looks steadily at how politicians might end or prolong such a grim civil war. And at the heart of the matter, trying to abolish slavery and adorned with a representation of one of the most famous beards of all time, stands Daniel Day-Lewis.
In playing the revered 16th president of the United States, the 55-year old actor adds to the series of New World archetypes he has tackled on screen.
- 11/19/2012
- by Vanessa Thorpe
- The Guardian - Film News
Cast your mind back to the pre-internet age (admittedly, a tough task) where film-related content was sparse, and finding out about the latest releases and industry news was an altogether frugal and challenging task. Luckily, there was one perennial TV figure who provided a regular means of getting your cinematic fix (providing your parents remembered to hit record on the video, or you caught the repeats on a Saturday morning).
For the better part of three decades, cinema lovers tuned in to watch Barry Norman report on forthcoming features, chat with the Hollywood elite and cast his critical eye over the weekly big-screen releases via the BBC’s revered Film programme. Norman was popular enough to spawn a famous, oft-quoted catchphrase (“and why not?”) and his reviews informed a whole generation of film fans.
We had the enviable opportunity to chat to the legendary figure recently over the phone and...
For the better part of three decades, cinema lovers tuned in to watch Barry Norman report on forthcoming features, chat with the Hollywood elite and cast his critical eye over the weekly big-screen releases via the BBC’s revered Film programme. Norman was popular enough to spawn a famous, oft-quoted catchphrase (“and why not?”) and his reviews informed a whole generation of film fans.
We had the enviable opportunity to chat to the legendary figure recently over the phone and...
- 11/14/2012
- by Adam Lowes
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Queen enjoys vintage royal footage, while Derek Jacobi's Sidney Turtlebaum character is set to ride again
Royal album
Trash was thrilled to witness the Queen visiting BFI Southbank last week as the old place celebrated its 60th birthday. The Queen appeared to enjoy the film presentation in the venerable National Film Theatre and, dressed in elegant purple coat and hat, flashed a satisfied smile at me – or so I like to think – as she walked along the aisle to the exit. She had just been treated to some lovely stuff from the BFI archive, including Scenes at Balmoral (1896), the first known filmed images of a British monarch, which depicted Queen Victoria and Tsar Nicholas II in the grounds of the Scottish castle.
Her Majesty – it's "Ma'am as in jam", according to the protocol instructions I received – must have then been very moved to see home cine footage from...
Royal album
Trash was thrilled to witness the Queen visiting BFI Southbank last week as the old place celebrated its 60th birthday. The Queen appeared to enjoy the film presentation in the venerable National Film Theatre and, dressed in elegant purple coat and hat, flashed a satisfied smile at me – or so I like to think – as she walked along the aisle to the exit. She had just been treated to some lovely stuff from the BFI archive, including Scenes at Balmoral (1896), the first known filmed images of a British monarch, which depicted Queen Victoria and Tsar Nicholas II in the grounds of the Scottish castle.
Her Majesty – it's "Ma'am as in jam", according to the protocol instructions I received – must have then been very moved to see home cine footage from...
- 10/27/2012
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
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