DVDs and Videos from
the The Laureate Collection:
Charade
Dir. Stanley Donen. Starring
Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy.
Originally released in 1963.
114 minutes. Colour. Widescreen
Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 (Letterboxed) with mono Dolby digital sound and
English subtitles for the hard of hearing.
DVD Cat. No. SDE 2003. £12.99
Video Cat. No. SDE 0703.
£5.99
When a young American woman
learns that her French husband has been murdered, she finds herself pursued
by a sinister trio of men bent on retrieving a quarter of a million dollars
supposedly stolen by the deceased. In desperation she turns to the
C.I.A. but from this point things only start to get more fraught.
A thriller very much in the
style of Alfred Hitchcock, Charade was one of the biggest international
box office hits of 1964. Cary Grant, after three decades of stardom, proved
he had lost none of his magic with audiences, whilst the charm of Audrey
Hepburn and the enthralling Paris locations added further first class ingredients
to this gripping masterpiece. All this plus an exceptional screenplay
from Peter Stone (The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three) and Henry
Mancini’s music mean that Charade is a classic of sixties suspense
cinema.
This excellently restored
DVD version of Charade offers a comprehensive array of extra features
including exclusive audio commentary from film historian Ken Barnes featuring
conversations with Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, cast & crew profiles,
excerpts from Cary Grant’s and Audrey Hepburn’s debut screen appearances,
scene selection, animated menus, Charade’s original theatrical trailer
as well as trailers for Notorious and Funny Face.
Royal
Wedding - Collector’s Edition
Dir. Stanley Donen. Starring
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell. Originally released in 1950.
93 minutes. Colour. Original
Aspect Ratio (4:3 Academy Frame) with sound in Dolby Digital (mono) with
the added option of English sub-titles on the DVD.
DVD Cat. No. SDE 2002. £12.99
Video Cat. No. SDE 0702.
£5.99
England - 1947 and the time
of Princess Elizabeth’s marriage to Philip Mountbatten. Successful
brother and sister dance team Tom (Astaire) and Ellen Bowen (Powell) are
invited to perform in London, and whilst there both of them, like the royals,
find romance.
Royal Wedding features
the legendary scene of Fred Astaire dancing on the ceiling. Screenplay
and lyrics are by Alan Jay Lerner (My Fair Lady, Paint Your Wagon)
and the music was composed by Burton Lane (Finian’s Rainbow)
To make this film the ultimate
Special Collector’s Edition many features have been added to this DVD including
exclusive audio commentary from Fred Astaire’s daughter Ava, graphic illustration
of the “Walls and Ceiling” dance sequence, photo gallery, cast profiles,
scene selection and two theatrical trailers: Seven Brides for
Seven Brothers and Yolanda and the Thief. The “Walls and
Ceiling” sequence from Royal Wedding will also be shown at Ava’s
star-studded tribute to her father, Fred Astaire, His Daughter’s Tribute,
taking place at the London Palladium on Sunday 18th February.
Second
Chorus - Collector’s Edition
Dir. H. C. Potter. Starring
Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith and Paulette Goddard. Originally filmed
in 1940.
82 minutes. Black and White.Original
Aspect Ratio (4:3 Academy Frame) and offers Dolby Digital Mono sound.
DVD Cat. No. SDE 2001. £12.99
Video Cat. No. SDE 0701.
£5.99
Trumpet players Danny (Fred
Astaire) and Hank (Burgess Meredith) have been avoiding graduation for
seven years so that they can continue playing with their college band.
They hire pretty Ellen Miller (Paulette Goddard) as the band’s agent and,
as she quickly increases their earning power, the boys find themselves
with flourishing musical careers. One day Ellen is hired as Artie
Shaw’s band manager and makes plans for Danny and Hank to audition for
Shaw. Both, however, are now keen rivals for Ellen’s hand and the
tension between them sees them attempting to foil each other’s chances
as they audition for Shaw.
This Collector’s Edition
DVD also features exclusive audio commentary from Fred Astaire’s daughter
Ava, photo gallery, cast profiles, two theatrical trailers: Holiday
Inn and Reap The Wild Wind, sub-titles for the hard of hearing
and scene selection.
The
Laureate Collection
is a series of much-loved and historically important
films that has been researched, rescued and restored by The Laureate Company’s
founder, Ken Barnes. Barnes’ career as a Hollywood record producer
brought him into contact with many stars of the era, including a 12-year
working relationship and friendship with Fred Astaire. It was these
contacts, combined with Barnes’ love and encyclopedic knowledge of film,
that inspired
The Laureate Collection.
