Ealing Studios Boxset 2

Ealing Studio output from the 1940s and 1950s helped define what was arguably the golden age for British cinema. It fostered great directors such as Alexander Mackendrick and Robert Hamer, while giving star such as Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers the chance to shine.

These four classic films are testament to the studio's considerable influence on film-making both in the UK and beyond.

The Lavender Hill Mob:

Holland (Alec Guinness), is a shy retiring man who works as a bank transfer agent for the delivery of gold bullion. One day he befriends Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway), a maker of souvenirs. Holland remarks that, with Pendlebury's smelting equipment, one could forge the gold into harmless-looking toy Eiffel Towers and smuggle the gold into France. Soon after, they gain the services of professional criminals Lackery (Sid James) and Shorty (Alfie Bass) and the four plot their crime, unaware of the pitfalls which lie ahead.

The Titfield Thunderbolt:

When British Railways announce the closure of the Titfield to Mallingford branch line, a group of local village residents make a bid to run it themselves, backed by a monied member of the community who is attracted by the complete lack of licensing hours on trains. Unfortunately this puts them into direct competition with the local bus company.

Hue And Cry:

Hue and Cry has since become known as the first of the Ealing comedies proper, and was also the first to make brilliant use of post-war London's exterior locations.. The story follows a boy who becomes convinced that a major heist is being planned and executed through the pages of boys' weekly serial The Trump. Having been laughed out of the police station, he and the rest of his friends set about entrapping the culprits and exposing the plot.

Dead Of Night:

Starring Mervyn Johns, Michael Redgrave and Googie Withers, Dead of Night represented a departure for Ealing from the classic comedy mould and is instead a spooky psychological thriller made up of 5 chilling ghost stories. An architect visits a country house only to get trapped in recurring nightmare involving tales of the occult told by fellow guests at the manor. A portmanteau work from four of Ealing's best directors, Dead of Night preyed masterfully on the country's post-war fears and paranoia.

Special Features:

• None Listed.