Customer Reviews

British Cinema Volume 2 - Comedy Collection: Disc One: Our Girl Friday & Dentist in the Chair Disc Two: Runaway Bus, Carry on Admiral & Time of His Life

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

VCI Entertainment presents "BRITISH CINEMA VOL.2" --- (1954-1960) (407 mins/B&W & Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Swapped identities, crazed antics, and criminal misadventures--they're all here in this collection of whimsical British comedies that includes OUR GIRL FRIDAY, DENTIST IN THE CHAIR, RUNAWAY BUS, CARRY ON ADMIRAL, and TIME OF HIS LIFE. Please see individual titles for complete synopsis information --- The main attraction of the set is the Joan Collins 1953 ship-wreck comedy (in color!) Our Girl Friday which is also known as The Adventures of Sadie.

Our Girl Friday (1 December 1953) (88 min/Color)
Rich Sadie Patch (Joan Collins) is marooned on a desert island after an emergency on her cruise-ship --- With her are Irish stoker Pat Plunkett (Kenneth Moore), prickly young Jimmy Carrol (George Cole), and bald and bookish Professor Gibble (Robertson Hare) --- All fancy their chances, what do you think?

Dentist in the Chair (August 1960) (84 min/B&W)
This was to be the first of a series of comedies cued to the enormous success of, and utilizing many of the same players from, England's "Carry On" comedies --- Two goofy dental students are tricked into selling stolen dental equipment --- At what price can this comedy sustain your laughter.

Runaway Bus (8 October 1954) (78 min/B&W)
Full of stodgy British belly laughs this movie was excellent to view --- See an incredibly young Petula Clark, with Margaret Rutherford as the stereotypical English grandmother complete with fox fur and the parasol --- Check out Frankie Howard, virtually unknown to American audiences, as the bus driver of a bus with about a half dozen passengers who are stranded in one of the legendary London fogs, Howard gets the best laughs just trying to find the bus in the fog to begin with --- A winner from beginning to end.

Carry on Admiral (11 October 1957) (83 min/B&W)
This 1957 film of an Ian Hay stage play is worth seeing for three reasons --- First, it has some great cameos by a range of British bit-part actors, including a perplexed Reginald Beckwith, a young Joan Sims, a lugubrious Ronald Shiner, a too-short appearance by Alfie Bass and uncredited James Hayter (the original voice of Mr Kipling Cakes) --- Secondly, it has a barnstorming appearance by the elderly British character actor A.E. Matthews who was in his late 80s when the film was shot and had been playing the same role of a peppery old admiral/colonel etc for decades. He fluffs a few lines but carries the film along with his enthusiasm --- Finally David Tomlinson, one of Britain's finest comedy actors, is a joy to behold. His comic timing is faultless and he lights up every scene he's in --- A flick not to be missed.

Time of His Life (1955)(74 min/B&W)
Very simple and pleasant British comedy that mixes in a bit of pathos -- but not enough to spoil the fun --- Richard Hearne does his usual Mr. Pastry character -- lots of sight gags --- This time he's an ex-con father of a very proper British lady (Ellen Pollock) --- She keeps him locked in the attic so he won't wreak havoc on her daughter's birthday party --- But guess what he gets out and does wreak havoc. But also solves a few of their problems, which is extremely a scream.

BONUS FEATURES:
1. Photo Gallery
2. Trailers

Hats off and thanks to Robert Blair and his staff at VCI Entertainment --- VCI was named in Variety and Hollywood Reporter as the first company to produce and release motion pictures directly to the home marketplace --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- VCI are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector -- looking forward to more Nostalgic Collections.

Total Time: 407 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video 8543 ~ (4/28/2009)

The movies in this set are great but some of the transfers are only just average.But apart from this they of good value.I really enjoy british films so please keep releasing them.They arrived ahead of scheduled time thanks to amazon.

Ken Barrett
Mooroolbark
Austalia