Old Christmas

Exploring the mythology of Christmas 
Tags


Filed under

dvd

 
October 25, 2009

The Holly and the Ivy comes to UK DVD

This is the first DVD release for this British film from 1952.  Directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Ralph Richardson, Celia Johnson and a young Denholm Elliott, "The Holly and the Ivy" is a relatively little-known Christmas film.

Based on a play by Wynyard Browne, the film is set around a family Christmas hosted by a recently widowed, aging country vicar.  More of a family drama than the kind of schmaltzy or child- orientated fare that now characterises Christmas films, this is a welcome addition to the often less-than worthwhile category of Christmas DVDs.

The Holly and the Ivy is released by Optimum Home Entertainment on Monday 26 October 2009.

For more information about the film, visit the IMDb listing

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   celia johnson   denholm elliott   dvd   margaret leighton   optimum home entertainment   r2   ralph richardson   region 2   uk  

Comments [0]

August 23, 2009

A Christmas Carol

One of the more obscure versions of Dickens' masterpiece "A Christmas Carol" is being released on DVD on 13 October 2009 by Timeless Media Group.
 
I've not been able to find out much about this release. TMG's website has no mention of it and Amazon.com's listing is (at this point) very short on detail.
 
As far as I can make out, this is the CBS TV Shower of Stars adaptation that was broadcast on 23 December 1954. A musical adaptation (a downside for me, I'm afraid) featuring Fredric March as Scrooge and Basil Rathbone as Marley, this was unusual for Shower of Stars in that it was filmed and in colour (Shower of Stars was usually transmitted live in black and white). Most extant recordings, however, are only in black and white, so unless a new print has turned up, the DVD will likely not be in colour. As for the quality of the DVD, that is anyone's guess...
 
 
For more information:
 
"A Christmas Carol and its Adaptations" by Fred Guida, McFarland & Company, Inc., 2000, ISBN 0-7864-0738-7
 
Amazon.com's product listing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B002M0HOV4/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance
 
Timeless Media Group http://www.timelessmusic.com/

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   a christmas carol   dickens   dvd   musical   tv  

Comments [1]