The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

[Wetherby Pond]

Originally posted by Fellwanderer@Aug 20 2005, 11:36 AM Thanks for that - it confirms what I'd thought. There are a couple of Criterion dvds I was seriously thinking about.

Bear in mind that a tiny handful of Criterions are Region 1 - usually for contractual reasons. I know for a fact that all their Japanese stuff sourced from Toho Studios is Region 1, as are their mainstream Hollywood blockbusters (Armageddon, The Rock, etc.), but there are a few other one-off instances, so it's always worth checking.

Just to give a British film example, Criterion's Fiend Without A Face is Region 1 - I've no idea why, but I suspect there's some contractual/copyright thing behind it.

[Fellwanderer]

Having re-watched this film twice in the last week, I find myself becoming more and more drawn towards it. A week ago I probably wouldn't have picked it as a front runner for my Desert Island DVDs - now, I'm pretty confident it would be one of the eight.

A masterpiece that should be in everyone's library.

FELL

[Steve Crook]

Originally posted by Fellwanderer@Sep 1 2005, 05:27 PM Having re-watched this film twice in the last week, I find myself becoming more and more drawn towards it. A week ago I probably wouldn't have picked it as a front runner for my Desert Island DVDs - now, I'm pretty confident it would be one of the eight. A masterpiece that should be in everyone's library. FELL

Even though Jenny Agutter isn't in it?
You're right though, it is a classic that should be in everyone's library.

Steve

[Fellwanderer]

Originally posted by Steve Crook@Sep 1 2005, 11:30 PM Even though Jenny Agutter isn't in it? You're right though, it is a classic that should be in everyone's library. Steve

Yes - which means it must be good!

I'm drawing up my Desert Island DVD list at the moment - trying to hone it down and firm up the reasoning - and am certain it will be on the list. May start that as a thread next week as I'm away for the weekend.

FELL

[ChristineCB]

I've just heard that this film will be part of a local April film festival, making this the first chance I've had to see this on the big-screen. We've seen this 3 times in the past five weeks, and I believe we're going to see it a few more times this weekend as one of our neighbors is going to give us his version of the film's importance. Should be fun.

[Moor Larkin]

I noticed when I was on Patrick Macnee's website that his film debut was in Blimp.

Macnee went on to win a scholarship to Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and got his start in show business in 1941 with a small role in a stage production of Little Women. One year later he made his debut in films as an extra in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.
Life
Anyone spotted him?

[ChristineCB]

Not I! I will pay closer this weekend. We've been volunteered for another lecture-series trial run on the film, and maybe we can have some kind of prize for the Patrick McNee sighting. A cane and a hat? Hmmm...

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin I noticed when I was on Patrick Macnee's website that his film debut was in Blimp. Macnee went on to win a scholarship to Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and got his start in show business in 1941 with a small role in a stage production of Little Women. One year later he made his debut in films as an extra in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. Life Anyone spotted him?

I never have, and I've been looking out for him whenever I've seen it over the last few years. I do suspect that he might have worked on it but not made the final edit. He might have been one of the soldiers in Spud's troop or in a crowd scene like at the Berlin cafe. I've been told that he doesn't mention Blimp in his autobiography. He was in the Navy while it was being filmed and they weren't given permission to use any service personnel. But they weren't meant to be using all those army trucks or uniforms either.

Macnee was in The Small Back Room, The Elusive Pimpernel and The Battle of the River Plate so he wasn't unknown to Powell & Pressburger. But was he known to them back in 1943?

Steve

[Moor Larkin]

Well. I had never seen it. How can I have lived all these years and not done so. My parents must be punished.........

After the first ten or fifteen minutes, I was beginning to think those guys on Britmovie have sold me a dud here........

Suffice to say I was fighting for breath by the end........

I hope those old cinema carpets were waterproof........

Deborah Kerr must have had a great time. Three roles in one movie!! Her final 'chipper' youngster was brilliant.

Thanks guys......

[penfold]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin Well. I had never seen it. How can I have lived all these years and not done so. My parents must be punished.........

Not necessarily....Blimp was only available to be seen in a truncated - by 43 minutes - version until restoration in 1981.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin Well. I had never seen it. How can I have lived all these years and not done so. My parents must be punished......... After the first ten or fifteen minutes, I was beginning to think those guys on Britmovie have sold me a dud here........ Suffice to say I was fighting for breath by the end........ I hope those old cinema carpets were waterproof........ Deborah Kerr must have had a great time. Three roles in one movie!! Her final 'chipper' youngster was brilliant. Thanks guys......

The start is a bit of a slow burn on the high drama, but it has plenty of time to develop that. The opening is interesting and unusual (as are the openings of most P&P films) with things like the despatch riders and it slowly draws you in to an epic story.

Yes, Deborah must have had a great time. But what about Roger Livesey and Anton Walbrook? They had to show the same characters ageing over that same period. Roger especially, the way he loses his hair and puts on all that weight.

Scorsese got De Niro to watch it before they made Raging Bull where Jake La Motta undergoes a similar transformation. They asked Micky Powell how Roger Livesey did it and he said "Through skilful use of make-up, and good acting". But De Niro, being schooled in "the method" decided to put the weight on for real.

But what about Anton's speeches? The one at the tribunal explaining the rise of Nazism and the other one after Clive's broadcast is cancelled, explaining why Nazism must be fought. A stunning piece of work from Anton.

And the cheek of making a film during the blitz where the British hero's best friend is a German!

Steve

[David Brent]

For those living in Australia - I was able to buy a three DVD "Silver Screen Collection" set that included 'The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp', 'The Day Will Dawn' (1952) and 'Secret Mission' (1942) from my local Woolworths Supermarket for $8.90. Thats around 3.60 sterling. Excellent value.

There are currently eight releases in the "Silver Screen Collection" all around the same price. Titles include -

1.Morning Departure, In Which We Serve, We Dive At Dawn.
2.Operation Amsterdam, A Town Like Alice, The Silver Fleet
4.The Heroes Of Telemark, Reach For The Sky, Malta Story
5.The Battle Of The River Plate, Above Us The Waves, 49th Parallel
6.Appointment With Venus, The Flemish Farm, The Way Ahead
7.King Soloman's Mines, North West Frontier, Ferry To Hong Kong
8. Morcambe and Wise Film Collection.

Let's hope that this is the start of more vintage British film releases over here at a good price.

Dave.

[Nick Dando]

Originally Posted by David Brent 6.Appointment With Venus, The Flemish Farm, The Way Ahead Let's hope that this is the start of more vintage British film releases over here at a good price. Dave.

Is Appointment With Venus available separately or only as part of a compilation (and I've already got the other two films)?

Nick

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by penfold Not necessarily....Blimp was only available to be seen in a truncated - by 43 minutes - version until restoration in 1981.

Only myself to blame then.......

= stevecrook= what about Roger Livesey especially, the way he loses his hair and puts on all that weight. Scorsese got De Niro to watch it before they made Raging Bull where Jake La Motta undergoes a similar transformation. They asked Micky Powell how Roger Livesey did it and he said "Through skilful use of make-up, and good acting". But De Niro, being schooled in "the method" decided to put the weight on for real.

Reminds me of the story told by the man in a suitcase when he was punching himself to look authentic and one of his 'decadent' British co-stars remarked, "Why don't you just act it old chap?"........ (To his credit I think Richard Bradford was the one who told the story).

= stevecrook= But what about Anton's speeches? The one at the tribunal explaining the rise of Nazism and the other one after Clive's broadcast is cancelled, explaining why Nazism must be fought. A stunning piece of work from Anton.

Cue the wet carpet, that, and the trauma of Roger meeting the same beautiful girl over and over again.........

And the cheek of making a film during the blitz where the British hero's best friend is a German!

To be fair to Winston, it wasn't really the sort of thing to ginger up the troops (especially the ones at home) was it. I'm not sure intellectual rigour has that much place until after you've retired from the battlefield........

Speaking of ginger? Where did they find all those red-heads and ginger-nuts to show the Technicolor at it's most fulsome???

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin To be fair to Winston, it wasn't really the sort of thing to ginger up the troops (especially the ones at home) was it. I'm not sure intellectual rigour has that much place until after you've retired from the battlefield........ Speaking of ginger? Where did they find all those red-heads and ginger-nuts to show the Technicolor at it's most fulsome???

The main aim (or one of them) was to show that the British Army was no longer class bound and run by "Colonel Blimp" types. That they still existed, but that they now knew that they had to change - that's why the title mentions the "death of Colonel Blimp". I think that would have been appreciated and understood by most of the troops that saw it.

Churchill complained about it long before he saw it, or even saw the full story. His early complaints were based on an inaccurate synopsis by a civil servant. But when he did finally see it, he didn't like it. Anton was appearing in the stage play "Watch on the Rhine" while the film was still in production (he had to leave Denham studios early on matinée days) and Churchill was trying to get it stopped. A blustering, red faced (Blimp like?) Churchill proceeded to berate Anton saying "What's this supposed to mean? I suppose you regard it as good propaganda for Britain?" Anton calmly replied "No people in the world other than the English would have had the courage, in the midst of war, to tell the people such unvarnished truth."

As for the red heads, most of them were natural. Roger Livesey's certainly was - before he shaved it. Deborah's was as well. Powell did have a thing for redheads.

Steve