British label Network Releasing has announced that it will add six new titles to its Blu-ray catalog. They are: Man on the Run (1949), Some People (1962), What a Crazy World (1963), The Man in Grey (1943), The Intruder (1953), and The Card (1952).
Man on the Run
Synopsis: A key post-war British Noir unseen since the late 1940s, Man on the Run stars Derek Farr as an army deserter unjustly accused of murdering a policeman during an armed robbery. Co-starring Edward Chapman, Laurence Harvey and Kenneth More, it is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
A prison escapee, army deserter Peter Burdon makes a new life for himself in London. Short of cash, he tries to pawn his old service revolver and is caught up in an armed robbery, during which a constable is shot and killed. Suspected of being part of the gang, Burdon must go on the run to prove his innocence.
Special Features and Technical Specs: BRAND NEW REMASTER OF THE FILM Image gallery Optional English subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: APRIL 6.
Some People
Synopsis: A lively musical tale of teen rebellion, Some People stars BAFTA winner Kenneth More alongside a group of young actors on the cusp of bursting onto the Swinging London film scene. Ray Brooks, Annika (Anneke) Wills and David Hemmings play the young, bored rebels "living for kicks" in this key British film from the early 1960s. Some People is featured here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Young and bored, Johnnie, Bill and Bert are teenage tearaways whose only interests are motorbikes and rock music. When they are banned from riding and fined heavily, they become convinced that society has no use for them. But a choirmaster finds them playing rock on a church organ and, for some of them at least, there seems to be a way out of a no-hope situation.
Special Features and Technical Specs: BRAND NEW REMASTER OF THE FILM Theatrical trailer Image gallery Optional English subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: APRIL 6.
What a Crazy World
Synopsis: Joe Brown stars as a likeable young dreamer who finds himself with a hit on his hands in this wonderfully endearing musical drama. Also starring Harry H. Corbett and featuring songs from Joe and his Bruvvers, Marty Wilde, Susan Maughan and Freddie and the Dreamers, What a Crazy World is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Alf Hitchins is an unemployed East End lad whose life revolves around dance halls, amusement arcades and cafés – any place to escape from the family home. Alf's cynical but cheerful acceptance of life expresses itself in the song he casually composes one night – and the results take everyone by surprise!
Special Features and Technical Specs: BRAND NEW REMASTER OF THE FILM Theatrical trailer Image gallery Optional English subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: APRIL 13.
The Man in Grey
Synopsis: The definitive Gainsborough Melodrama, The Man in Grey stars James Mason in a career-defining role as the despicable Lord Rohan, alongside memorable performances from co-stars Phyllis Calvert, Margaret Lockwood and Stewart Granger. This quintessential "bodice ripper" is featured here as a High Definition remaster from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Forced into an arranged marriage with the sadistic Marquis of Rohan, Clarissa Richmond is caught in a loveless relationship in order to provide Rohan with the heir he craves. When Clarissa's friend Hesther takes Rohan's fancy, things take a turn for the worse.
Special Features and Technical Specs: BRAND NEW REMASTER OF THE FILM James Mason: The Man they Loved to Hate - Featurette Theatrical trailer Image gallery Optional English subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: APRIL 13.
The Intruder
Synopsis: An excellent early feature from future Bond director Guy Hamilton, this tense drama boasts outstanding performances from Jack Hawkins, as a distinguished former officer, and Michael Medwin, as the wartime hero he endeavours to save from a life of crime. Featuring strong support from Dennis Price, and George Cole, The Intruder is presented here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Wolf Merton, a London stockbroker with a fine war record as colonel of a tank regiment, returns to his Belgravia home to find that there is an intruder in the house – a young armed thug called Ginger Edwards, who he remembers well as one of the most fearless and spirited troopers under his leadership. But why has Ginger taken up housebreaking? And will Merton be able to help him to return to a more honorable way of life?
Special Features and Technical Specs: BRAND NEW REMASTER OF THE FILM Theatrical trailer Image gallery Optional English subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: APRIL 20.
The Card
Synopsis: A gentle, Oscar-nominated comedy featuring a memorably charming performance from Alec Guinness, The Card co-stars Valerie Hobson, Glynis Johns and Petula Clark in an early performance. Stylishly directed by Ronald Neame, it is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
A precocious child who has grown into a cheeky charmer, ambitious Denry Machin relishes the challenge of surmounting social and other barriers with his amiably affectionate personality. He soon becomes the youngest ever mayor of his home town, but he soon meets his match when it comes to women!
Special Features and Technical Specs: BRAND NEW REMASTER OF THE FILM Theatrical trailer Image gallery Optional English subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: APRIL 20.
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The following release has also received a new street date.
Cottage To Let
Synopsis: Leslie Banks stars alongside Alastair Sim, John Mills and a very young George Cole in this thrilling wartime espionage drama from award-winning director Anthony Asquith. Adapted from Geoffrey Kerr's smash West End play (which also starred Banks, Sim and Cole), Cottage to Let is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Working in secret for the Air Ministry at his remote country house laboratory, John Barrington is key to the ongoing war effort against the Nazis. Barrington's household, however, has been infiltrated by enemy agents - who plan to take him back to Berlin as prisoner.
Special Features and Technical Specs: BRAND NEW RESTORATION Image galley Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: MARCH 16.
Definitely in for The Man In Grey, I love those old b/w Gainsborough films, full of melodrama & I hope we get more of them on Blu-ray (esp. The Wicked Lady). James Mason makes a great villain with that amazing purring voice, & there's the lovely Margaret Lockwood.
…& maybe, What a Crazy World, I saw it & enjoyed it on TV last year. It's set in a world that seems just as historical as The Man In Grey!
British label Network Releasing has announced its next batch of Blu-ray releases. Amongst them are: Convoy (1940), The Overlanders (1946), and Another Shore (1948).
Convoy
Synopsis: Clive Brook and John Clements star as naval officers at odds with one other in this thrilling drama from Ealing Studios that pits duty against love during wartime. The final film from rising star Pen Tennyson, killed a year later on active service, Convoy is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Returning to port after a long and tiring tour of duty, Captain Armitage receives orders to take his warship and urgently escort a fleet of merchantmen safely to Britain. Reaching the convoy, Armitage realises that one ship is missing – and amongst the refugees it is carrying is his ex-wife, Lucy.
Special Features and Technical Specs: NEWLY RESTORED Image gallery Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: MAY 18.
The Overlanders
Synopsis: Ealing Studios' first foray into overseas production proved a resounding hit with this wartime "Western" shot entirely on location in Australia. Chips Rafferty stars as the tough cattle drover determined to keep his animals alive under threat of imminent invasion in this enormously successful drama from celebrated documentarian Harry Watt. The Overlanders is presented here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original fullscreen aspect ratio.
Australia, 1942. Under threat of Japanese invasion the government initiate a scorched earth policy and Dan McAlpine is ordered to shoot his cattle. Refusing point blank, Dan and his helpers are determined to drive the herd 2,000 miles over some of the toughest country in the world.
Special Features and Technical Specs: NEWLY RESTORED Extensive image gallery Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: MAY 4.
The Woman in Black
Synopsis: When a friendless old widow dies in the seaside town of Crythin, a young solicitor is sent in to settle her estate. Following cryptic warnings from the locals regarding the terrifying history of the old woman's house, he very soon begins to see visions of a menacing woman in black...
Atmospherically directed by BAFTA-nominated Herbert Wise and starring Adrian Rawlins as the unfortunate young solicitor and Pauline Moran as the terrifying revenant, this unsettling drama remains a high watermark for ghost story adaptations on British television and still retains its significant potential to shock.
Unseen for decades, Nigel Kneale's chilling adaptation of Susan Hill's best-selling novel has been painstakingly restored in High Definition by Network's award-winning in-house Restoration Team from original film elements for this long-awaited release.
Special Features and Technical Specs: NEWLY RESTORED Audio commentary with Mark Gatiss and Kim Newman Image gallery Booklet by Andrew Pixley Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: MAY 25.
Lady Godiva Rides Again
Synopsis: Dennis Price and Stanley Holloway star in this classic, early 1950s comedy from legendary film-makers Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat. A cautionary tale of fame and fortune, Lady Godiva Rides Again also features Kay Kendall, Diana Dors and George Cole and is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
A starstruck provincial waitress wins the local beauty contest to ride as Lady Godiva in the town pageant. She goes on to win first prize in the Fascination Soap Beauty Contest and immediately finds herself plunged into a strange new world of privilege, glamour... and not a little danger!
Special Features and Technical Specs: NEWLY RESTORED Image gallery Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: MAY 11.
Another Shore
Synopsis: A whimsical comedy from Ealing Films, starring Robert Beatty as an idle fantasist and Moira Lister as the girl who falls for his poetic charm. Supported by Stanley Holloway and directed by the legendary Charles Crichton, Another Shore is featured here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
Gulliver Shiels lies abed in Dublin, loafing to the best of his ability. He whiles away his time dreaming of a South Sea island that, he believes, will be bequeathed to him for an act of selfless charity. When he bumps into ace toper Alastair McNeil, Shiels believes that McNeil could be the benefactor of his daydreams.
Special Features and Technical Specs: NEWLY RESTORED Image gallery Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature STREET DATE: MAY 11.
Unseen for decades, Nigel Kneale's chilling adaptation of Susan Hill's best-selling novel has been painstakingly restored in High Definition by Network's award-winning in-house Restoration Team from original film elements for this long-awaited release.
Maybe "Unseen" from television broadcasts, but there were earlier VHS and DVD releases that didn't vanish into thin air. Network PR dept. could be more accurate with "Long out of print..."
British label Network has announced a large batch of new catalog titles to be released on Blu-ray between January and February, 2021. Amongst them are: State Secret a.k.a. The Great Manhunt (1950), The Man Upstairs (1958), The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953), and Kidnapped (1971).
Please note that final technical specs and supplemental features for most titles have not yet been revealed.
State Secret a.k.a. The Great Manhunt
Synopsis: Hollywood star Douglas Fairbanks Jr gives a lively performance as a man on the run in this dramatic thriller from British film legends Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat. Co-starring Glynis Johns and featuring cinematography from Oscar-winning Robert Krasker, State Secret is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
The East European state of Vosnia appears to outsiders as a civilized and beautiful country but is, in truth, a tightly controlled dictatorship. When a visiting American surgeon is duped into becoming dangerously involved in Vosnian power politics he goes on the run - a wanted man, his life is forfeit if he's captured!
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 22.
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan
Synopsis: Robert Morley and Maurice Evans star as the celebrated Gilbert and Sullivan in this sumptuous costume drama from British film legends Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat. Co-starring Peter Finch and Eileen Herlie as the D'Oyly Cartes, The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan features spectacular imagery from BAFTA-winning cinematographer Christopher Challis, lavish design by Oscar-winners Hein Heckroth and Vincent Korda and a memorable soundtrack courtesy of the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. It is featured here as a High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Amid accusations of talent-wasting, composer Arthur Sullivan joins forces with dramatist W.S. Gilbert and impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte in a partnership to create what ultimately became some of the most innovative and successful music ever created.
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 22.
The High Command
Synopsis: Lionel Atwill, Lucie Mannheim and James Mason (in an early breakout role) star in this memorable Colonial tale of honor and betrayal between the wars. Oscar-nominated Thorold Dickinson's feature debut as a solo director, The High Command is presented here as a High Definition remaster from original film elements in its as-exhibited aspect ratio.
West Africa, 1937. When a medical officer attached to a military garrison is found murdered, a fellow officer is suspected. The subsequent court martial rakes up the past, uncovering secrets best left dead and buried...
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 15.
It's in the Air
Synopsis: One of the successful run of pre-war Ealing comedies that secured George Formby's enduring popularity with the British public, It's in the Air finds everyone's favorite gawp fulfilling his dream of joining the RAF – though, of course, he does it the hard way! Partly filmed at the famous London Air Park, it co-stars Polly Ward, Jack Hobbs, Garry Marsh and Hal Gordon and is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Hapless George's dreams of flying are continually thwarted, and when he's even rejected for a job as an Air Raid Warden he sneakily tries on his brother-in-law's RAF dispatch rider uniform. Finding an urgent communique in its pockets he decides to deliver it himself... and ends up with his head in the clouds – though not in the way he'd expected!
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 15.
Johnny Frenchman
Synopsis: Renowned farceur Tom Walls stars alongside French cinematic icon Francoise Rosay in this heart-warming comedy-drama from Ealing Films. Made as World War Two was coming to an end but set during its opening months, Johnny Frenchman is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
There exists an age-old rivalry between the Cornish and Breton fisherfolk, but harbourmaster Nat Pomeroy holds a particular grudge... not just for the Bretons' incessant poaching, but for the harbor dues he loses in the process!
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 8.
Sailors Three a.k.a. Three Cockeyed Sailors
Synopsis: A broad naval comedy that kept cinemagoers highly entertained during the early years of World War Two, Sailors Three was Walter Forde's last film for Ealing and Tommy Trinder's first. Co-starring Claude Hulbert and Michael Wilding, this memorable mix of music hall and propaganda is presented here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original fullscreen aspect ratio.
On shore leave from HMS Ferocious at a neutral South American port, three sailors have one shandy too many before re-boarding their ship. Unfortunately it's not their ship and they wake up to find they've drunkenly boarded the German pocket battleship Ludendorf!
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 8.
Kidnapped
Synopsis: Based on the novels by Robert Louis Stevenson and directed by Oscar-winning Delbert Mann, this epic, star-studded adventure sees Michael Caine in the role of a Jacobite rebel who befriends an orphan fleeing a life of slavery. A strong drama with a moving score from Roy Budd (and end theme sung by folk legend Mary Hopkin), Kidnapped co-stars Jack Hawkins, Donald Pleasence, Trevor Howard and Gordon Jackson. It is featured here as a brand-new High Definition restoration from original film elements in its as-exhibited aspect ratio.
1746: as defeated Jacobite rebels flee Government forces in the aftermath of the battle at Culloden, eighteen-year-old orphan David Balfour's attempt to claim his inheritance results in his incarceration on a slaver ship heading for the West Indies. Luckily for David the ship's captain runs afoul of Alan Breck Stewart, and both Alan and David make their bloody escape.
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 1.
The Show Goes On
Synopsis: Beloved by the British public for her string of hit pre-war films, Gracie Fields' Lancastrian earthiness, impish humor and memorable songs have endeared her to many generations of fans. The Show Goes On sees Gracie starring opposite Owen Nares and John Stuart in this emotional, semi-autobiographical musical romance. It is presented here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Sally Lee, an erstwhile mill girl who fancies her chances on stage, tries her luck in London but ends up busking. When she's spotted by Martin Fraser, a composer of sentimental songs, her career takes an unexpected turn!
STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 1.
The Man Upstairs
Synopsis: Richard Attenborough gives a compelling performance in this gripping psychological drama as a hysteric approaching the limits of his sanity! Also featuring Donald Houston, Kenneth Griffith, Bernard Lee and Alfred Burke, The Man Upstairs is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited aspect ratio.
Insomniac Peter Watson lives in a state of perpetual crisis. Lodging in a run-down boarding house and becoming ever more unpredictable, he is tormented by guilt over his part in an accident that claimed the life of his fiancee's brother. When he hits out at another tenant the police get involved, and Watson finds himself trapped in an escalating drama in which the actions of those around him may help him... or harm him.
STREET DATE: JANUARY 25.
Please Turn Over
Synopsis: A precocious teenage daughter writes a steamy bestseller featuring fictionalised versions of her family and friends, turning their quiet suburban life upside down in the process when their neighbours believe that the book's contents are true!
Ted Ray, Jean Kent, Leslie Phillips and Joan Sims star in this hilarious comedy from the quintessential Carry On team of writer Norman Hudis, producer Peter Rogers and Director Gerald Thomas. Based on the hit West End comedy Book of the Month, Please Turn Over is featured here as a High Definition remaster from original film elements in its theatrically exhibited aspect ratio.
Network Releasing will bring to Blu-ray Peter Graham Scott's film The Pot Carriers (1962), starring Ronald Fraser, Paul Massie, and Carole Lesley. The release will be available for purchase on April 26.
Synopsis: Ronald Fraser reprises his role as a petty career criminal in the big-screen remake of ITV's 1960 hit comedy-drama Play of the Week. An authentic and original look at life behind bars, The Pot Carriers also stars Paul Massie as a first-time prisoner, Carole Lesley as the girl he left outside and Dennis Price in a memorable turn as the charming-but-unprincipled Smooth-Tongue Bertie. It is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
James Rainbow is sentenced to twelve months for GBH. Assigned to prison kitchen duties he is taken under the wing of several old lags led by Redband, and becomes involved in some of their fiddles. Redband, however, is due to be released soon – and wants to pull one really big fiddle before he goes!
