Dull Saturday nights viewing.

[anotheoldgit]

Rather fed up with the present Saturday TV programmes, I decided to search my DVD archives and I came across a copy of 'The One That Got Away'.

This is a black & white film of a true story about a German POW who tried several times to escape from English POW camps and then finally escaped back to Germany from a Canadian POW camp.

Although I had seen it years before at the cinema, I was still left totally enthralled by the film from start to finish, and it turned an otherwise dull TV viewing night into a superb one.

Have any old movies done the same for you?

[VHG]

>>>last thing I'd want to watch is a depressing film set in a prison of war camp.

Dont judge it till you have seen it.

Very little of it is set in a prison of war camp, and anyway the camp is a small one in Scotland not a huge one like the Germans had.

Much of it involves the "cat and mouse" game beween the british secret service and the german prisoner and it is more of a psychological thriller.

He is a high profile german prisoner (war ace) and the british want to use his capture for propaganda purposes.

He wants to tell them as little as possible and whereever the British put him he tries to escape.

Anyway, would you call the "Great Escape" depressing, even though it does have very sad moments. Some of it is almost comical and it is very uplifting.

[VHG]

I have Sky and channels like Film4 and TCM both show some excellent old movies.

The other day I watched "The 3 faces of eve" (made in 1957) about a woman who has a split personality and behaves totally differently depending on what "personality" takes control.

She can be a quiet boring dutiful housewive and mother, then becomes a sexy vamp woman going out on the town and drinking and dancing and going off with strange men.

Great study of multiple personality and how the family and doctors deal with it.

Wonderful performance from Joanne Woodward (who got an oscar)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051077/

[Bbbananas]

Whistle Down the Wind.

(Especially Alan Bates - he really was rather gorgeous back in the day).

[Ric.ror]

Oh Salla I could not agree more about Alan Bates he really was very handsome and a good actor too
Oliver Reed was also surprisingly good looking when young and (I thought) had great potential as an actor

[WELSHYORKIE]

I'd have to say the Ealing Comedies or failing that, in cupids living room

[Bbbananas]

Alan Bates and Oliver Reed in Women In Love..... oh lordy, that nude wrestling scene fair brought me out in a sweat.

[anotheoldgit]

Thanks for the link Buenchico, interesting to know that he was actually Swiss.

Thank you to all other posters, made very interesting reading of all your favourite films.

Yes I also thought The Phantom of the Opera was a great film, although I didn't care much for the Pink Panther movies, for some reason.

I must admit that I do enjoy a good War Movie, I have an extensive collection, (thanks to past Daily Mail DVD offers) of most of the classics ie Dam Busters, Reach for the Sky, and Battle of Britain.

Best of comedy, a boxed set of Norman Wisdom movies, and a boxed set of One Foot in the Grave.

Best of crime, a boxed set of Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

[xstitcher]

When I just read about The 3 Faces of Eve it jogged my memory that I have seen it many moons ago so I went into Amazon to see if I could get it on VHS or DVD but the prices they wanted were too much for just a whim.

[anotheoldgit]

/// but the prices they wanted were too much for just a whim.///

Which raises the question, why is it that some old movies on DVD and classic ones at that, cost as little as £2.99 while others cost much, much more?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.play.com/D...es+of+Eve}%2bc{57}%2b

£6.07 free delivery.

[xstitcher]

The dearer ones are probably much more sought after I would think. I love to find old gems that nobody has ever heard of.
"Pat and Margaret" was very expensive for a while and then for some unknown reason it plummeted and I snapped it up.

[anotheoldgit]

xstitcher

I don't think £6.07 dear for a DVD.

I remember when pre-recorded VHS tapes first came on the market, they were almost £40 even back then, why even a blank cost £10.

[VHG]

>>>> Whistle Down the Wind. (Especially Alan Bates....

This film (with Alan Bates) is on TV TOMORROW (Wednesday) at 12.05pm (lunchtime) on BBC2.

[xstitcher]

£40.....for a pre recorded video tape....WOW....and here I was thinking the prices were high in Denmark where I live. I probably don't know what I'm talking about because i didn't buy pre recorded ones here....have always used Amazon and especially their Marketplace so am used to getting bargins.

[notasyoungasiwas]

You're right Tizzi - A Town Like Alice - fabulous !

[Sir Alec]

I agree with Chris. The majority of the Ealing comedies are incomparable. Maybe I'm biased, as most of them had Alec Guinness in them.

My favourite 'war' film has to be 'A Matter of Life and Death', with David Niven starring. 'Reach for the Sky', the story of Douglas Bader, starring Kenneth More, is also a favourite.

[DaisyNonna]

Have watched "Laura" a few times. Like most of the John Wayne films, especially "The Quiet Man" and ""The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".

[whiskeryron]

I was looking for a particular Star Trek film on Amazon sometime last year & to my amazement found all 6 films on VHS for I think about 10p each ( clearance) I bought them all, transferred them to DVD & then took the VHS Tapes to a charity shop, everybody wins.
Ron.

[anotheoldgit]

How did you transfer them onto DVD Ron, didn't they have a device manufactured into them to stop from pirate coping them?