Five more titles in Network's 'The British Film' collection in March
5 March 2015
Network have announced another five titles as part of their ongoing 'The British Film' collection: Captain Bill, a nautical comedy from Hal Roach veteran director Ralph Ceder; Little Red Monkey, a tylish cold war thriller starring Richard Conte; No Trees In The Street, a drama set in the slums of pre-war London starring Sylvia Syms and directed by Oscar-nominee J Lee-Thompson; The March Hare, an Irish comedy starring Terrence Morgan and co-scripted by Oscar nominated writer Gordon Wellesley; and Guilt Is My Shadow, a crime thriller based on the novel by best selling author Norah Lofts.
Captain Bill (1936)
The Thames provides a backdrop to the high-spirited clowning of rubber-faced vaudevillian Leslie Fuller (Boys Will Be Girls, The Doctor’s Secret) in this breezy nautical comedy co-scripted by BAFTA nominee Val Valentine (The Constant Husband, We Dive At Dawn) and Fuller’s regular collaborator, Syd Courtenay (The Outcast, The Pride Of The Force). The film was directed by silent film, Hal Roach and Laurel & Hardy veteran Ralph Ceder.
Made at the height of his fame in 1935, Captain Bill features Fuller in the hugely popular role of the dim-witted Cockney – this time as a luckless bargee who unwittingly gets himself involved with a gang of gun-runners!
Also starring noted character player Hal Gordon (East Of Ludgate Hill, The Amazing Adventure), this classic comedy feature is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Captain Bill will be released on UK DVD on 9th March 2015 at the RRP of £9.99, courtesy of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection.
No extra features have been listed.
Little Red Monkey (1955)
A mysterious assassin is targeting eminent British atomic scientists, leading to fears for the safety of Leon Dushenko, a Russian defector and guided-missile expert who is arriving in London en route to the United States. Responsible for Dushenko’s safety in Britain is Superintendent Harrington of Special Branch; from the American State Department comes Bill Locklin, who will guard the respected scientist on the last leg of his journey to the States. Can they stop Dushenko becoming the next victim?
Richard Conte (The Godfather) stars with Russell Napier (Scotland Yard’s Superintendent Duggan) and noted Scottish actress Rona Anderson (The Professionals) in this stylish Cold War thriller. A global box-office success for Anglo-Amalgamated in 1955, it was made at the company’s famous Merton Park Studios and provided an early showcase for future Primetime Emmy-winning director Ken Hughes (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Cromwell).
Little Red Monkey will be released on UK DVD on 9th March 2015 at the RRP of £9.99, courtesy of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection. Ther film is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements.
Special features will include:
Alternative beginning
Original UK and overseas trailers
Image gallery
Promotional material PDFs
No Trees on the Street (1959)
Encouraged by his mother, Jess, Tommy opts to earn money the easy way by working for Wilkie, a local racketeer who preys on the families of Kennedy Street. Jess also tries to force daughter Hetty to marry Wilkie, but unable to bear her squalid existence any longer, Hetty tries to leave home.
A hard-hitting drama set in the slums of pre-war London, directed by Oscar nominee J. Lee-Thompson and adapted by Dixon of Dock Green creator Ted Willis from his own play, No Trees in the Street earned BAFTA nominations for Sylvia Syms (Victim, The Tamarind Seed) for Best British Actress and Best British Screenplay for Willis.
No Trees in the Street is available to own on DVD from 16th March 2015 at the RRP of £9.99, courtesy of Network Distributing’s ‘The British Film’ collection. The film is presented here in a brand-new transfer from original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Special features will include:
Image gallery
Promotional material PDFs
Original theatrical trailer
The March Hare (1956)
Morgan takes the more endearing role of the impoverished Irish baronet Sir Charles Hare who gambles his all on one of his horses at Ascot, but the horse is 'pulled' on the instructions of Hardwick, a big bookmaker. Sir Charles is forced to sell his Irish estate – including the racing stud that was the chief delight of his life, however, his aunt attends the sale and buys a promising foal, which she intends to raise in secret for the Charles.
A frequently villainous onscreen presence throughout the 1950s, Terence Morgan (Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.) stars in this charming Irish comedy co-scripted by Oscar nominated writer Gordon Wellesley (Night Train To Munich).
The March Hare will be available to own on DVD from 16th March 2015 at the RRP of £9.99, courtesy of Network Distributing’s ‘The British Film’ collection. The film is featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
No extra features have been listed.
Guilt is My Shadow (1950)
On the outskirts of the little village of Welford in Devon lives a young farmer. He lives alone, undisturbed by strangers, and he prefers it that way, but when his nephew arrives – on the run from the police – a series of tragic events is set in motion.
Based on a novel by bestselling author Norah Lofts, Elizabeth Sellars (Floodtide) gives a powerful performance as a woman tormented by her own conscience in this haunting, atmospheric crime thriller filmed on location in Devon.
Guilt is my Shadow is out on DVD on 16th March 2015 at the RRP £9.99, courtesy of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection. Released in 1950, Guilt is my Shadow is featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
