One of the first ‘kitchen sink realist’ films of the British New Wave is also one of the best English films ever — believable, absorbing, and emotionally moving. The adaptation of John Braine’s novel launched Laurence Harvey as a major star, and English films were suddenly touted as being just as adult as their continental counterparts. It attracted a bushel of awards, especially for the luminous Simone Signoret. Unlike the average Angry Young Man, Joe Lampton’s struggle feels universal — bad things happen when ambition seeks a way through the class ceiling, ‘to get to the money,’ as says Donald Wolfit’s character.
Room at the Top
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1959 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 115 min. / Street Date January 14, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Laurence Harvey, Simone Signoret, Heather Sears, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Donald Wolfit, Donald Houston, Hermione Baddeley, Allan Cuthbertson, Raymond Huntley, John Westbrook, Richard Pasco, Ian Hendry, April Olrich,...
Room at the Top
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1959 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 115 min. / Street Date January 14, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Laurence Harvey, Simone Signoret, Heather Sears, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Donald Wolfit, Donald Houston, Hermione Baddeley, Allan Cuthbertson, Raymond Huntley, John Westbrook, Richard Pasco, Ian Hendry, April Olrich,...
- 1/28/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A Study in Terror
Blu ray
Mill Creek Entertainment
1966 /1:85 / Street Date April 3, 2018
Starring John Neville, Donald Houston, Anthony Quayle
Cinematography by Desmond Dickinson
Written by Donald Ford, Derek Ford
Directed by James Hill
From master criminals like Professor Moriarty to Sebastian Moran, Sherlock Holmes faced his fair share of danger – but his greatest nemesis may have been the man who created him, Arthur Conan Doyle. Exasperated by his brainchild’s overwhelming popularity, the weary scribe groused, ”I think of slaying Holmes… and winding him up for good and all. He takes my mind from better things.”
Doyle tried to kill off his cash-cow on at least one occasion but the great detective had the last word, maintaining a firm grip on our imagination decades after other seemingly invincible literary characters dropped down the memory hole – perhaps because Holmes is far more mysterious than any mystery he himself might have...
Blu ray
Mill Creek Entertainment
1966 /1:85 / Street Date April 3, 2018
Starring John Neville, Donald Houston, Anthony Quayle
Cinematography by Desmond Dickinson
Written by Donald Ford, Derek Ford
Directed by James Hill
From master criminals like Professor Moriarty to Sebastian Moran, Sherlock Holmes faced his fair share of danger – but his greatest nemesis may have been the man who created him, Arthur Conan Doyle. Exasperated by his brainchild’s overwhelming popularity, the weary scribe groused, ”I think of slaying Holmes… and winding him up for good and all. He takes my mind from better things.”
Doyle tried to kill off his cash-cow on at least one occasion but the great detective had the last word, maintaining a firm grip on our imagination decades after other seemingly invincible literary characters dropped down the memory hole – perhaps because Holmes is far more mysterious than any mystery he himself might have...
- 5/12/2018
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
April is kicking off with an eclectic assortment of genre-related home entertainment releases, with Adam Robitel’s Insidious: The Last Key leading the charge on both Blu-ray and DVD (there’s also a nifty Insidious 4-pack hitting DVD as well). Shout! Factory is putting out the stellar revenge thriller Sweet Virginia this week, and Severin Films is keeping busy with a double dose of Jess Franco with their Blu-rays for Sinfonia Erotica and The Sadist of Notre Dame.
Other notable releases for April 3rd include A Study in Terror, A Place in Hell, 4/20 Massacre, and 12 Feet Deep.
4/20 Massacre (Film Chest, DVD)
Over 4/20 weekend, five young women have decided to celebrate their friend's birthday by taking a camping trip to a secluded part of a nearby national park. However, their fun is quickly snubbed out when they stumble upon an illegal marijuana grow operation hidden in the greenery and protected by a bloodthirsty maniac.
Other notable releases for April 3rd include A Study in Terror, A Place in Hell, 4/20 Massacre, and 12 Feet Deep.
4/20 Massacre (Film Chest, DVD)
Over 4/20 weekend, five young women have decided to celebrate their friend's birthday by taking a camping trip to a secluded part of a nearby national park. However, their fun is quickly snubbed out when they stumble upon an illegal marijuana grow operation hidden in the greenery and protected by a bloodthirsty maniac.
- 4/3/2018
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Possibly everyone’s favorite animated sleuths have joined Funko’s Dorbz line. Eight items from Dorbz’s Scooby-Doo Series 1 and 2 are coming this June! Also in this round-up: a behind-the-scenes clip from Damien and details on the Hammer Films Collection – Volume 2 DVD.
Scooby-Doo Dorbz: From Funko: “Dorbz: Scooby-Doo Series 1 (the first three in the gallery)
Zoinks! Scooby-Doo is coming to Dorbz! When there’s a spooky mystery afoot, Shaggy and his pal Scooby-Doo are on the case! Just make sure they don’t split up so they can catch Werewolf in the act!
Coming in June!
Dorbz Ridez: Scooby-Doo – Mystery Machine
Jenkies! Mystery Machine Dorbz Ridez are coming, too!
Coming in June!
Dorbz: Scooby-Doo Series 2 (the last four in the gallery)
Coming this Summer!”
———
Damien: “Watch Glenn Mazzara, Executive Producer, and the rest of the staff talk about the ‘Omen Curse’ that occurred when filming Season 1 of #Damien.
The...
Scooby-Doo Dorbz: From Funko: “Dorbz: Scooby-Doo Series 1 (the first three in the gallery)
Zoinks! Scooby-Doo is coming to Dorbz! When there’s a spooky mystery afoot, Shaggy and his pal Scooby-Doo are on the case! Just make sure they don’t split up so they can catch Werewolf in the act!
Coming in June!
Dorbz Ridez: Scooby-Doo – Mystery Machine
Jenkies! Mystery Machine Dorbz Ridez are coming, too!
Coming in June!
Dorbz: Scooby-Doo Series 2 (the last four in the gallery)
Coming this Summer!”
———
Damien: “Watch Glenn Mazzara, Executive Producer, and the rest of the staff talk about the ‘Omen Curse’ that occurred when filming Season 1 of #Damien.
The...
- 3/14/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Discarded plots, quotes from canon, Martin Freeman's hatred of Watson's moustache... Here's a long list of Sherlock series 3 trivia...
Released this month, the collector’s edition Sherlock series 3 DVDs are crammed with nerd succour, from the episodes one and three commentaries by Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue and Una Stubbs, to behind-the-scenes featurettes, falling-over and dancing outtakes, footage from episode read-throughs, a deleted scene in which Lars Mikkelsen licks Benedict Cumberbatch, technical special effects gubbins, clips from the only existing television interview with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and - we almost forgot - the series itself.
For Sherlock fans who haven’t yet had the pleasure, we’ve ploughed through all the bonus material on the discs, turning up the odd bit of trivia treasure as we did so. Find out below about Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat's plans for Sherlock to teach Mary the violin, Benedict Cumberbatch...
Released this month, the collector’s edition Sherlock series 3 DVDs are crammed with nerd succour, from the episodes one and three commentaries by Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue and Una Stubbs, to behind-the-scenes featurettes, falling-over and dancing outtakes, footage from episode read-throughs, a deleted scene in which Lars Mikkelsen licks Benedict Cumberbatch, technical special effects gubbins, clips from the only existing television interview with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and - we almost forgot - the series itself.
For Sherlock fans who haven’t yet had the pleasure, we’ve ploughed through all the bonus material on the discs, turning up the odd bit of trivia treasure as we did so. Find out below about Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat's plans for Sherlock to teach Mary the violin, Benedict Cumberbatch...
- 11/25/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Zestful and well-staged Disney version of the Mark Twain classic about a beggar boy in Tudor England who changes places with the King's son. Vigorous performances from a mainly British cast, notably Donald Houston as the pauper's scurrilous father. Jane Asher makes a fetching Lady Jane Grey and Guy Williams (then a big star for Disney on TV in the 'Zorro' series) acquits himself well as the boys' dashing protector.
- 10/3/2014
- Sky Movies
Here's another installment featuring Joe Dante's reviews from his stint as a critic for Film Bulletin circa 1969-1974. Our thanks to Video Watchdog and Tim Lucas for his editorial embellishments!
Fairish collection of mini‑chillers has Kim Novak and class cast for marquee plus routine horror angles. Title may prove a hindrance, otherwise a passable ballyhoo entry. Rating: R.
Multiple‑story horror films have met with some commercial success recently but few, if any, have amounted to much as movies. The plots usually rely entirely on gimmicky "kickers" at the end, and by now, the supply of possible twist endings seems to be depleted. As a result the stories often seem maddeningly predictable. Such is the problem with Tales That Witness Madness, a four‑story British effort that appears headed for just fair boxoffice response in saturation ballyhoo markets, despite a classy cast toplining the long‑absent Kim Novak.
Fairish collection of mini‑chillers has Kim Novak and class cast for marquee plus routine horror angles. Title may prove a hindrance, otherwise a passable ballyhoo entry. Rating: R.
Multiple‑story horror films have met with some commercial success recently but few, if any, have amounted to much as movies. The plots usually rely entirely on gimmicky "kickers" at the end, and by now, the supply of possible twist endings seems to be depleted. As a result the stories often seem maddeningly predictable. Such is the problem with Tales That Witness Madness, a four‑story British effort that appears headed for just fair boxoffice response in saturation ballyhoo markets, despite a classy cast toplining the long‑absent Kim Novak.
- 8/12/2014
- by Joe Dante
- Trailers from Hell
Raquel Welch wigs vs. Ray Harryhausen monsters: One Million Years B.C. [See previous post: "Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan Dies."] Without Charles H. Schneer as producer, Ray Harryhausen created the visual effects for the 1966 camp classic One Million Years B.C. — though, admittedly, his work in that movie played second fiddle to Raquel Welch’s physical effects as a blonde-bewigged (?) cavewoman parading around Earth’s pre-history in a cleavage-enhancing fur bikini. Whereas in producer Hal Roach’s 1940 effort One Million B.C., lizards made up as dinosaurs made life difficult for Victor Mature and Carole Landis, in the creationist-style pre-history of the 1966 (sort-of) remake, Raquel Welch and fellow caveman John Richardson had to square off against Harryhausen’s stop-motion models of giant reptiles. (Photo: Raquel Welch One Million Years B.C.) [Please scroll down to check out TCM's beautiful Ray Harryhausen tribute.] Starring James Franciscus and featuring Earth vs. the Flying Saucers‘ Richard Carlson, The Valley of Gwangi (1969) was Harryhausen’s next-to-last mid-level effort. Both The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974), with John Phillip Law,...
- 5/8/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
London, May 3: A man, whose heart stopped beating for hours, has claimed that he saw angels and spoke to God before unbelievably waking up in hospital and making a full recovery.
Just days before Christmas, Don Houston suffered a heart attack as he slept alongside his wife Rita, who awoke to find her 62-year-old husband with his tongue hanging and not breathing.
Frantically, she called 911 who gave her lifesaving CPR instructions over the phone but her efforts were in vain.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, where they needed to use a defibrillator on three occasions to stabilise his heartbeat.
Don was then taken to Oklahoma City hospital in critical condition and rushed to the ICU - but doctors were not certain.
Just days before Christmas, Don Houston suffered a heart attack as he slept alongside his wife Rita, who awoke to find her 62-year-old husband with his tongue hanging and not breathing.
Frantically, she called 911 who gave her lifesaving CPR instructions over the phone but her efforts were in vain.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, where they needed to use a defibrillator on three occasions to stabilise his heartbeat.
Don was then taken to Oklahoma City hospital in critical condition and rushed to the ICU - but doctors were not certain.
- 5/3/2013
- by Leon David
- RealBollywood.com
(Charles Crichton, 1950; StudioCanal, PG)
Made during Ealing Studios's peak period from the early 40s to the mid-1950s, Dance Hall is virtually the only movie produced by that male-dominated studio that might be considered a feminist work. Co-scripted by Diana Morgan, the sole woman admitted by Ealing boss Michael Balcon to his elite creative team, it looks at the world from the point of view of four young working-class women (Natasha Parry, Petula Clark, Jane Hylton and Diana Dors). They live in council flats, work in the same west London factory, and find romance and an escape from their drab lives at the local dance hall. Except for the middle-class accents, the film presents an honest, down-to-earth portrait of Britain in the postwar age of austerity. Typically for its time, Parry (future wife of the director Peter Brook) is torn between glamorous sports car-driving spiv Bonar Colleano and dull,...
Made during Ealing Studios's peak period from the early 40s to the mid-1950s, Dance Hall is virtually the only movie produced by that male-dominated studio that might be considered a feminist work. Co-scripted by Diana Morgan, the sole woman admitted by Ealing boss Michael Balcon to his elite creative team, it looks at the world from the point of view of four young working-class women (Natasha Parry, Petula Clark, Jane Hylton and Diana Dors). They live in council flats, work in the same west London factory, and find romance and an escape from their drab lives at the local dance hall. Except for the middle-class accents, the film presents an honest, down-to-earth portrait of Britain in the postwar age of austerity. Typically for its time, Parry (future wife of the director Peter Brook) is torn between glamorous sports car-driving spiv Bonar Colleano and dull,...
- 4/22/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
.You.ll never see anything like it this side of hell.. When Robert Downey Jr. made Sherlock Holmes cool again, one film I hoped would appear would be a Study in Terror. Rumors made it sound like that was to be, but it vanished like Whitechapel fog. However, now the game involving Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes is afoot through Sony.s new manufacture on demand DVD service. In 1888, a killer of prostitutes is afoot in the unsavory Whitechapel district of London and the press has dubbed him Jack the Ripper and suspect that he is a doctor. Sherlock Holmes (John Neville) is at his digs on 221B Baker Street with his chronicler Dr. Watson (Donald Houston)...
- 11/3/2010
- by Jeff Swindoll
- Monsters and Critics
Mark celebrates one of his favourite movies. It's the union of Clint Eastwood, Richard Burton and Ingrid Pitt in Where Eagles Dare...
This movie holds a very special place in my heart, because, when I first saw it, it was the first film I was taken to that was intended for adults and not kids. I remember my father explaining before we went that there might be some scenes of violence, which only served to heighten my already considerable expectations. For my part, I promised not to have nightmares or try to join the SS afterwards.
The lights went down, the curtains withdrew and that classic day for night shot of the Junkers Ju 52 over the Alps came into view, and those iconic drums began to that repetitive beat. Instantly I was transported to WWII. The crisp cold winter air caused me a sharp intake of breath and, armed to the teeth,...
This movie holds a very special place in my heart, because, when I first saw it, it was the first film I was taken to that was intended for adults and not kids. I remember my father explaining before we went that there might be some scenes of violence, which only served to heighten my already considerable expectations. For my part, I promised not to have nightmares or try to join the SS afterwards.
The lights went down, the curtains withdrew and that classic day for night shot of the Junkers Ju 52 over the Alps came into view, and those iconic drums began to that repetitive beat. Instantly I was transported to WWII. The crisp cold winter air caused me a sharp intake of breath and, armed to the teeth,...
- 3/30/2010
- Den of Geek
The late actor was celebrated for her beauty and talent, but she had a streak of mischief that made her unforgettable
Jean Simmons was only 12 years older than me, and as I grew up I cut out a lot of pictures of her from magazines like Picturegoer and the Sunday papers. Can you credit that in those days – the late 40s and the early 50s – there were Sunday papers in Britain (such as the Pictorial, the Graphic, the Dispatch) that ran pictures of pretty movie stars in their underwear or swimsuits?
Well, Jean was pretty; I believe the captions also added that she was "saucy" (and I supposed they knew). The big picture for Jean's fans, who had scissors and a scrapbook ready, was The Blue Lagoon. That was 1949, and it had Jean and Donald Houston washed up on a desert island, doing their best for clothes and falling in love.
Jean Simmons was only 12 years older than me, and as I grew up I cut out a lot of pictures of her from magazines like Picturegoer and the Sunday papers. Can you credit that in those days – the late 40s and the early 50s – there were Sunday papers in Britain (such as the Pictorial, the Graphic, the Dispatch) that ran pictures of pretty movie stars in their underwear or swimsuits?
Well, Jean was pretty; I believe the captions also added that she was "saucy" (and I supposed they knew). The big picture for Jean's fans, who had scissors and a scrapbook ready, was The Blue Lagoon. That was 1949, and it had Jean and Donald Houston washed up on a desert island, doing their best for clothes and falling in love.
- 1/27/2010
- by David Thomson
- The Guardian - Film News
British-born film star known for her roles in Great Expectations and Spartacus
Jean Simmons, who has died aged 80, had a bounteous moment, early in her career, when she seemed the likely casting for every exotic or magical female role. It passed, as she got out of her teens, but then for the best part of 15 years, in Britain and America, she was a valued actress whose generally proper, if not patrician, manner had an intriguing way of conflicting with her large, saucy eyes and a mouth that began to turn up at the corners as she imagined mischief – or more than her movies had in their scripts. Even in the age of Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor, she was an authentic beauty. And there were always hints that the lady might be very sexy. But nothing worked out smoothly, and it is somehow typical of Simmons that her most astonishing...
Jean Simmons, who has died aged 80, had a bounteous moment, early in her career, when she seemed the likely casting for every exotic or magical female role. It passed, as she got out of her teens, but then for the best part of 15 years, in Britain and America, she was a valued actress whose generally proper, if not patrician, manner had an intriguing way of conflicting with her large, saucy eyes and a mouth that began to turn up at the corners as she imagined mischief – or more than her movies had in their scripts. Even in the age of Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor, she was an authentic beauty. And there were always hints that the lady might be very sexy. But nothing worked out smoothly, and it is somehow typical of Simmons that her most astonishing...
- 1/24/2010
- by David Thomson
- The Guardian - Film News
Every week, Film School Rejects presents a movie that was made before you were born and tells you why you should like it. This week, Old Ass Movies presents: Room at the Top (1959) The class wars concept has always been handled in a not-so-subtle way by manipulative and creative minds alike. In the latters' case there are probably two ways to do it. You either use your characters as toy soldiers to pinpoint some didactic pre-determined class-conscious moral or use the stereotypes that go with that to establish your characters' starting position and let them develop from there. Just like Jack Clayton did back in 1959 in his first feature film, Room at the Top, based on a novel by John Braine. It's the rags-to-riches story of Joe Lampton (Laurence Harvey), a working class bloke and WWII vet who gets a chance to escape his miserable hometown of Dufton and work as a civil servant in a richer...
- 6/14/2009
- by Loukas Tsouknidas
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
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