Product Details

• Actors: Tommy Steele, Julia Foster, Cyril Ritchard, Penelope Horner, Elaine Taylor
• Directors: George Sidney
• Writers: Beverley Cross, Dorothy Kingsley, H.G. Wells
• Producers: George Sidney, Charles H. Schneer, John Dark
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: April 6, 2004
• Run Time: 143 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001AW070
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,809 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Half a Sixpence" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When orphaned shop clerk Arthur Kipps inherits a fortune, his future seems assured--but money doesn't buy happiness, as the gawky lad learns when he mixes with the swells. The splashy musical Half a Sixpence was adapted from H.G. Wells's novel, Kipps, and it saw considerable success as a stage vehicle for the exuberant Tommy Steele. The film version gets caught in that mid-1960s mode of the lumbering super-production (the kind that helped kill the movie musical). Lavishly mounted by old pro director George Sidney, and boasting some echt-sixties photography by the great Geoffrey Unsworth, Half a Sixpence offers its share of eye candy. The blowhard presence of Cyril Ritchard and the spectacular dancing of Grover Dale help. Then there's Tommy Steele, whose stage-scaled performance is all teeth and hair; he attacks the razzmatazz numbers with ferocity--maybe more ferocity than charm. Songs by David Heneker. --Robert Horton

Product Description

A british drapers assistant inherits a fortune and tries to climb the social ladder. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 04/06/2004 Starring: Tommy Steele Penelope Horner Run time: 143 minutes Rating: Nr Director: George Sidney

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A constant joy, May 26, 2004

By	Joseph Hart (Visalia, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I resent the Amazon reviewer's caustic remarks about the movie, Richard and Steele. This movie was a true delight from beginning to end. The dancing was glorious and lots of it. The songs by this time were old friends. Incidentally, I've heard the cast recordings of the London, Bway and movie versions. A few songs were the same in all 3, others came and went, which I thought was odd. Tommy Steele (35 years ago, can you believe it!) was wonderful as was everyone, it was a little long (2 hours and 25 minutes), but it was always fun and exciting. I loved it. Incidentally, the villains were just nasty enough to get their point across, nothing to enrage you, and their comeuppance was also just right, not some scathing triumph. I found the whole thing a pleasure, just as I did 35 years ago.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars HALF A TRANSFER IS BETTER THAN NONE, April 14, 2004

By	Peter Gardner (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews

For the longest time I thought I was the only one in the world who could be hoping against hope for a widescreen stereo DVD of "Half A Sixpence" and thought it would never happen. I'm delighted to be proven wrong on both counts.

While I had no problem with what looked like a fine visual transfer, the stereo sound seems to be from faded magnetic tracks that have not been restored. It all sounds a bit muted, and in one scene one of the channels has a wobbling-hissing sound underneath the dialogue and music. I just wish they would have gone the extra step to polish the great soundtrack. But still, half a "Half A Sixpence" is better than none; this is a lavish, fun, boisterous musical.

Now if they would FINALLY release "Flower Drum Song" in widescreen and stereo...Anyone know what's taking so long?

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Widescreen and Stereo at last!, April 7, 2004

By A Customer

British entertainer Tommy Steele appeared in three big-budget, reserved seat musicals within a year's time - 1967-1968, and then never made another musical film again. While Steele is one of the only assets in Disney's interminable "The Happiest Millionaire", he was much more well utilized in "Finian's Rainbow" as Og the Leprechaun. But his biggest starring role was in the film that came between those two - the gigantic film version of the stage musical "Half a Sixpence". Directed by George Sidney, the film massively realizes what had been a fairly middle-weight, mediocre stage show. Until this DVD release, the film has never been available on home video in its original Panavision aspect ration, with four track stereo surround. And what a difference this transfer makes from the cropped, grainy VHS tape of the film! Splendidly designed, beautifully shot, elegantly scored, and using both studio sets and sweeping location footage, the film is at least as big as "Hello, Dolly!". And that's pretty big for the movie screen. Stuffed with huge production numbers, long takes during the dance sequences, and a terrifically souped-up musical score (thanks to Irwin Kostal), this is truly one of the most dazzling, spectacular movies of its era. The DVD has no extras, but the transfer is quite wonderful to see, and it is indeed the full roadshow version, with intermission and entr'acte music included. What a wonderful treat to see this old-fashioned, razzle-dazzle picture presented in its full glory. Show this to someone under the age of 30, who has no idea how entertaining those big musicals of the '60s really were. Smashing, tuneful, and as the ads proclaimed "The biggest bloomin' musical of the year!"