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5 more titles in Network's 'The British Film' collection on DVD in September

11 September 2015

Network have announced another five titles as part of their ongoing 'The British Film' collection for a September UK DVD release: The Conquest of the Air, an Historical drama starring Laurence Olivier; Two Letter Alibi, a 1960s thriller based on a screenplay by Roger Marshall; Let's Be Happy, a British musical from 1950 starring Vera Ellen and Tony Martin; You Made Me Love You, a 30s comedy starring Stanley Lupino and Thelma Todd; and British Comedies of the 1930s: Volume 4, the fourth installement of the British Comedies series, featuring Their Night Out and Doctor's Orders.

 

The Conquest of the Air (1936)

Charting man’s complicated journey towards and mastery over flight, this fascinating film uses both drama and documentary footage to present a highly cinematic account of the evolution of aviation, encompassing early experiments in automated flight, the development of bombers and aircraft carriers, and the earliest experiments in vertical rotary flight.

Starring Oscar-winner Laurence Olivier (Othello, Rebecca), Frederick Culley (The Four Feathers, Drums) and Franklin Dyall (Easy Virtue, Atlantic), The Conquest of the Air was a project initiated in 1935 by Alexander Korda as a potential collaboration with then Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It was produced over the next five years with it being eventually being released in 1940 as a propaganda film of sorts to help aid the war effort.

Featured here in a brand-new digital transfer, with its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio, The Conquest of the Air is out on UK DVD on 14th September 2015 at the RRP of £9.99 as part of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection.

The only extra feature is an image gallery.

 

 

Two Letter Alibi (1962)

Charles Hilary is in love with Kathy Forrester, a beautiful television personality, but is married to Louise, an alcoholic with as many lovers as whisky bottles. His pleas for a divorce are met with threats and abuse. "You’ll have to murder me first", Louise tells him – and three hours later she is found dead, shot with her husband's pistol. When Charles is arrested, Kathy desperately sets to work to prove his innocence.

This rare 1960s thriller features an early screenplay by Roger Marshall, the future co-creator of Public Eye whose credits would also go on to include The Sweeney, The Gentle Touch and The Professionals.

A taut, compelling drama, Two Letter Alibi is out on UK DVD on 14th September 2015 at the RRP of £9.99, courtesy of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection.

Featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio, the disc will have these extras:

  • US titles
  • Image gallery
  • Promotional material PDF

 

Let's Be Happy (1957)

On receiving an inheritance from her grandfather, Canadian Jeannie MacLean decides to visit the family's Scottish roots. On the plane she meets businessman Stanley Smith, and romance blossoms in Edinburgh. The complications begin when Stanley breaks a date with Jeannie to woo voluptuous redhead Helene, and Jeannie is flattered by the attentions of the impoverished Lord McNairn; he's heard about her good fortune, and gallantly offers to show her the city… much to the annoyance of Stanley!

A lavish British musical from the 1950s, this glamorous romantic comedy stars actress and dancer Vera-Ellen (On The Town, White Christmas) alongside singer and actor Tony Martin (Music In My Heart, The Big Store) and then-rising British starlet Zena Marshall (Dr. No, The Terrornauts).

Featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements, in its as exhibited theatrical aspect ratio, Let’s Be Happy will be released on UK DVD on 14th September 2015 at the RRP of £9.99, courtesy of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection.

Special features are:

  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Image gallery
  • Promotional materials PDF

 

 

You Made Me Love You (1933)

Encountering a captivatingly beautiful young woman in a traffic jam, songwriter Tom Daly is inspired to pen a new number, ‘What’s Her Name?’ The song proves to be a great success, signalling a merger between the family business, Daly Music Publishers, and the company of American millionaire Oliver Berne.

When Tom tracks down his mystery blonde he finds she’s none other Pamela Berne, the horribly spoilt, fear-inspiring heiress to the Berne family fortune, who also remains violently opposed to the idea of marriage.

Featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio, You Made Me Love You is out on UK DVD at the RRP of £9.99 on 21st September 2015, as part of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection.

Special features:

  • Image gallery
  • Original script PDF

 

 

British Comedies of the 1930s Volume 4

The ebullient comedy films of the 1930s brought escape and laughter to millions of British cinemagoers, enabling veteran stars of music-hall and theatre to reach out to a wider audience.

Although comedy would prove to be the decade’s most successful film genre, many of these classic early talkies have remained unseen since their original release. From boisterous knockabout humour to polished adaptations of popular stage farces, this ongoing collection showcases a wealth of rare features, each presented uncut, in a brand-new transfer from the best available elements in their as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.

The films in this set are:

Their Night Out (1933)
Featuring Claude Hulbert (My Learned Friend) in his first leading role, this sprightly comedy charts the shenanigans of a business executive who thinks he can extract himself from trouble by telling a few creative fibs. What begins as a quiet evening out at a nightclub with a client ends in the theft of his wallet, a police raid and far too many cocktails!

Doctor’s Orders (1934)
Leslie Fuller (Boy’s Will Be Girls) stars as travelling medicine man with John Mills (Great Expectations) as his son who becomes a qualified doctor in complete ignorance of his father's less than respectable occupation. An alternative set of titles for this film is included on the disc.

British Comedies Of The 1930s Volume 4 will be available on DVD from 21st September 2015 at the RRP of £12.99, courtesy of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection.