As I type, the second of tonight’s movie is beginning: Passport to Pimlico, which I’ve never seen. We just finished watching Kind Hearts and Coronets. This is a bonanza for us ES fans - just thought I’d tip you off! Hopefully you may even catch Passport to Pimlico tonight.
::hit submit button hurriedly and runs back to the TV room::
I don’t get AMC [burning, burning jealousy:mad:]
Passport to Pimlico is no Kind Hearts and Coronets, but it’s okay.
What about ‘The Ladykillers’?
I think you mean TMC, not AMC?
Oops, and I meant TCM, not TMC . . .
“Ealing Studios”?
I’ve never heard of 'em or the two movies you listed, Eve.
Can you give some background/info? Genre? Stars?
(I’m going on the assumption that if you’re recommending it, it’s good)
Fenris
AMC—American Movie Classics
TMC—The Movie Channel
TCM—Turner Classic Movies
I’ll bet this is why TCM never got back to me when I tried (and tried and tried) to get them to do a Kay Kendall Night in conjunction with my book! They own b’cast rights to three of her films, but I suppose they figured “too many Brit films this fall as it is . . .” Would have been nice of them to goddam get back to me, though . . .
Ealing Studios is famous for its comedies made in the 1940’s and 50’s in Britain.
The best-known are:
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Lavender Hill Mob
Passport to Pimlico
Whisky Galore
Man in the White Suit
Lady-Killers
As for stars I don’t remember the names of the directors but Alec Guiness starred in several of them. You can find more information on imdb.
Oops, Eve is right. I was posting on the fly between two movies last night.
I haven’t seen The Ladykillers or The Lavender Hill Mob in years, so I’m looking forward to their showings. Perhaps they’ll show some of the lesser-known movies, too, like The Captain’s Paradise or The Horse’s Mouth.
I, too, would like to hear more about ES from you, Eve.
Watch out for the classic “chemistry aparatus” noise in The Man in the White Suit - one of my favourite bits in the film.
Here’s a brief overview of Ealing’s history, as well as a filmography.
Kay Kendall made three films at Ealing (The Square Ring, Dance Hall and Meet Mr. Lucifer)—but it was before she became famous and she only had bit parts in them, dammit.
I’ve heard about The Man in the White Suit! It’s supposed to be wonderful! Thanks for the heads up.
I’ve taped Kind Hearts and Coronets to watch this evening. It’s a personal favorite that I haven’t seen for years.
I was watching the hour-long documentary about Ealing Studios last night. I’ve never see The Ladykillers, so I’m not certain, but did they spoil the ending of the movie with that last clip in the railyard? From the narration, it sounds like they did.
Thread title edited to reflect Reality.
I’m jealous, too, although if I wasn’t so lazy, I would drag the Betamax out of the cupboard, and find my home-taped copies of most of the films mentioned. Got to transfer that stuff one day.
You’ll enjoy The Ladykillers none the less for having seen a supposed spoiler, Miss Mapp (what you saw isn’t really a spoiler, anyway–I’ll say no more).
The Horse’s Mouth is one of my favourite movies, although it’s not properly an “Ealing” production. Guiness is terrific. This film is one of the very few that have really captured the novel on which it was based. “Must have been an explosion at the gasworks!” http://www.imagesjournal.com/2002/reviews/horsesmouth/pic3.htm Directed by Ronald Neame, who also directed Guiness in my other favourite forgotten film of his, called Tunes of Glory.
I really like Pimlico. It conjures up that immediate post-war austerity of daily life in Britain (meat rationing didn’t end til 1954; food rations were actually cut in 1946-47 to below wartime levels!), and the daydreams of plenty.
And Whisky Galore is wonderful, filmed on location on Barra, with Joan Greenwood looking more sulty than ever.