Ealing Cinema

[Corky]

Does anyone out there know of any plans for any forthcomimg Ealing movies to be released on DVD?

Corky

[smudge]

If you look hard enough most of the recent Ealing Films output has hit DVD and will likely continue to do so as it will be one of their bigger revenue streams. You are lucky to find a lot of them in cinemas for long - particularly outside London - so such subsequent sales will be their lifeblood.

Smudge

[Corky]

I was think more the films up to 1959 (ish) ie when Ealing stopped producing. I scan the Movie Mail www in the hope of some new movies coming to DVD. A bit long winded-just hoped someone out there had a quicker route to discovering forthcoming releases.

Corky

[batman]

These are the current UK DVDs ....

link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...ilms&x=12&y=14

[JamesM]

2010 saw eight releases on DVD but there have only been three this year. The latest was Halfway House in June.

Still waiting for 26 feature film releases:-

The Gaunt Stranger (1938)
The Ware Case (1938)
There Ain't No justice (1939)
The Four Just Men (1939)
Young Man's Fancy (1939)

Return To Yesterday (1940)
Convoy (1940)
Saloon Bar (1940)
The Big Blockade (1942)
They Came To a City (1944)
Frieda (1947)
The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947)
Eureka Stockade (1949)

Dance Hall (1950)
Cage of Gold (1950)
The Kangaroo Kid (1950)
Wherever She Goes (1951)
His Excellency (1952)
I Believe in You (1952)
Meet Mr Lucifer (1953)
Lease of Life (1954)
The Divided Heart (1954)
That Feminine Touch (1956)
The Shiralee (1957)
Davy (1957)
Nowhere to Go (1958)

[Brief Encounter]

Are those just the ones made under the Ealing name? There are other ATP films we are awaiting - like those of the recently departed Betty Driver!

[CaptainWaggett]

I assume so. No Cheer Boys Cheer This blog might be of interest to Ealing fans

Dr Keith M Johnston

[JamesM]

I had not included the ATP films.

[MrT]

"Wherever she goes" and "The kangaroo Kid" were filmed at Ealing but were independent productions so are not strictly "Ealing films". Other films that could be included in this category are "Headline" (1944) and Flanagan and Allen's "Here comes the sun" (1945).

The rights to "They came to a city" passed to Raymond Rohauer so probably isn't available, and some of the earlier films such as "There ain't no justice" were redistributed by independent companies in the late 1940s. The rest though are true Ealing thoroughbreds and surely must be held by Studio Canal, so here's hoping.

MrT

[Mr Pastry Time]

Lets hope any new releases will be of better quality in the transfer... These DVD's were expensive when first released and often not very good transfers as in the Formby set which is the top contender for a good transfer and re-issue. 50 years since George died and still not a good quality DVD set out of his Ealing work. Thank goodness the Columbia set is of much better quality than the shocking Optimum set.

[Film Man]

I think you should know that Optimum spent a fortune on a High Definition transfer machine...just look at the quality on 'Painted Boats. and 'Kind Hearts and Coronets'...they can only transfer what they are given. Columbia have access to American prints/negatives and we have often seen differences in USA and English transfers. You can't get 5.1 sound from a 78 rpm record...Optimum do a first class job with what originals they are given.
Film Man.

[CaptainWaggett]

I think you should know that Optimum spent a fortune on a High Definition transfer machine...just look at the quality on 'Painted Boats. and 'Kind Hearts and Coronets'...they can only transfer what they are given. Columbia have access to American prints/negatives and we have often seen differences in USA and English transfers. You can't get 5.1 sound from a 78 rpm record...Optimum do a first class job with what originals they are given.
Film Man.

Didn't they notice that their print of The Long Arm doesn't have a soundtrack ?

[MrT]

Optimum's releases have varied between outstanding and truly awful - the restored versions of "It always rains on Sunday" and "Champagne Charlie" for example couldn't be bettered in my opinion. On the negative side, a really tatty print was used for the release of "San Demetrio London", and the colour and contrast of the image on "Out of the clouds" was very poor indeed. Strange these two, because far superior prints of both films have been screened on C4 and Film Four in recent years. The sound problems on "The Long Arm" are particularly disappointing as the image quality is much higher. Also some of the classics such as "Hue and Cry" and "Passport to Pimlico" still haven't had a proper digital makeover.

For some reason they don't seem to be able to achieve a consistent standard of output - almost looks as if they can't be bothered, or the skills of the technicians doing the transfers vary wildly.
I haven't bought their newly released blu-ray editions of "The Lavendar Hill Mob" or "Went the day well?". Has anyone any experience of these - are they worth getting?

MrT

[Mr Pastry Time]

Many of the old B&W film prints are loaned from private collectors for DVD anyway possibly as better copies are under lock and key and inaccessible from those who hold the key fob. It’s a blinkin good job we have private collectors or else we would have never got chance to see many of the DVD releases in 2011 to name but a few. As far as Ealing is concerned it would be nice to have seen one Blu-ray of Formby this year to mark the 50 years since he died although thankfully much has featured on TV and in some places on stage. I am amazed the BFI missed this opportunity to allow one of George’s films to escape in HD to mark 50 years since the wartime top box office star left us.

Off me box..

[Brief Encounter]

The BFI would have to lease one of those titles though, from Studio Canal or Sony, which is unlikely.

[Johnallan]

I don't think The Loves of Joanna Godden has had an official release either. A DVD release would have been nice to remember Googie Withers but I suppose only us film buffs think like that.

[Film Man]

Plus the folks who live in Rye, johnallan....one day it will surface from a prime 35mm print...we can but dream!
Film Man.

[JamesM]

I don't think The Loves of Joanna Godden has had an official release either. A DVD release would have been nice to remember Googie Withers but I suppose only us film buffs think like that.

I meant to include it. I shall add it now.

[Grant]

I'd love to see releases for Convoy, Eureka Stockade and The Divided Heart.