Search - Cary Grant & Vivien Leigh Collection on DVD

A rare treat, indeed!

turtley | Planet Claire | 10/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm guessing you came across this set because you did a search for Vivien Leigh.
The Cary Grant films are easily found in other box sets & individually but the Vivien Leigh films are not. The Vivien Leigh films have otherwise not yet been re-released to dvd and these sets are a rare treat to find. It is important to note that none of these films co-star Vivien Leigh & Cary Grant in a film together.

AMC has released a few box sets containing the same (plus one additional) Vivien Leigh films in them so don't fret if you can't get a copy of this very one.
However, There is the Vivien Leigh film "21 Days" on this box set that is not on either of the other box sets and this box set also features the documentary "Hollywood Without Makeup".

This collection contains:
The Amazing Adventure, His Girl Friday, Penny Serenade, Hollywood Without Makeup (documentary), 21 Days, Dark Journey, Fire Over England, Sidewalks Of London.

The Amazing Adventure a.k.a. The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss (1936)
Starring: Cary Grant & Co-starring: Mary Brian
Directed by: Alfred Zeisler
Plot: A bored millionaire wagers his doctor that he can support himself at a working class job for year without touching his inheritance.

His Girl Friday (1940)
Starring Cary Grant & Co-starring: Rosalind Russell & Ralph Bellamy
Directed by Howard Hawks
Plot: Walter Burns, editor of a major Chicago newspaper, is about to lose his ace reporter and former wife, Hildy Johnson, to insurance salesman Bruce Baldwin, but not without a fight!

Penny Serenade (1941)
Starring: Cary Grant & Irene Dunne
Directed by: George Stevens
Plot: The films follows Dunne as she contemplates divorce, recollecting the joys and sorrows she has shared with her husband. A wonderful tearjerker, with expert direction. Academy Award nomination for Cary Grant -- Best Actor.


Hollywood Without Makeup (1950)
45 minutes
Documentary
Review Summary
Documentary written by Royal Foster, this program features rare candid footage of Hollywood's royalty, filmed by actor Ken Murray. Over the decades, Murray built an unparalleled collection of home movies of Hollywood's rich and famous. Highlights of this compilation include the television debuts of Marilyn Monroe and Kirk Douglas, and documentary footage of the filming of Gunga Din (1939). Other stars seen in unguarded, relaxed, or playful moments include Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Dick Powell, Mae West, Humphrey Bogart, Laurel and Hardy, Jane Mansfield, the Marx Brothers, John Wayne, Robert Taylor, Walt Disney, and others. Source: Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

21 Days aka 21 Days Together (1940)
Starring Vivien Leigh & Co-starring: Laurence Olivier & Leslie Banks
Directed by: Basil Dean
Plot: After Larry Darrent accidentally kills his lover's blackmailing husband, someone else is arrested for the crime. When he is found guilty, Larry and Wanda have just three weeks together before he must give himself up or let an innocent man go to the gallows.


Dark Journey (1937)
Starring: Vivien Leigh & Co-starring: Conrad Veidt
Directed by: Victor Saville
Plot: Madeline Goddard, played by Leigh, is a British double agent who meets and falls in love with German Spy Baron Karl Von Marwitz (Conrad Veidt) during World War I. A tale of high adventure and espionage blended from wartime romance and chaos which grows in faith that can only come from despair.

Fire Over England (1937)
Starring Vivien Leigh & Co-starring: Laurence Olivier & James Mason
Directed by: William K. Howard
Spain & England Clash in this exciting War adventure. After a foiled plot to depose Queen Elizabeth I, Michael Ingolby (Olivier) goes undercover to infiltrate the court of King Philip the II of Spain (Raymond Massey). This action-packed saga of ships ablaze, sword fighting, and would-be assassins will keep you glued to your seat.

Sidewalks of London a.k.a. St. Martin's Lane (1938)
Starring Vivien Leigh & Co-starring: Rex Harrison & Charles Laughton
Directed by: Tim Whelan
Charles Saggers (Laughton) adds a talented dancer and pickpocket, Libbey (Leigh), to his sidewalk act in the London district. Theater patron, Harley Prentiss (Harrison), is impressed by Libby's dancing and a theatrical career is launched when she attends Prentiss' after-the-play party... alone.
Vivien Leigh absolutely sparkles in Sidewalks of London!!
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Also released by AMC:
The Vivien Leigh box set which is the hardest to find and contains:
4 movies on 2 discs: Disc1- Dark Journey, Fire Over England.
Disc 2- Sidewalks of London, Storm in a Teacup

&

AMC Classic Beauties Box Set: featuring Vivien Leigh & Elizabeth Taylor.
This one is a 3 disc set with 6 films. Only the Vivien Leigh films are unavailable elsewhere on dvd (except with the prior mentioned AMC box sets) and you can find the Elizabeth Taylor films bundled in numerous places for as little as $4. Once again it is all about Vivien Leigh!
The set contains: 3 Disc Set. Disc 1-The Last Time I saw Paris and Father's little Dividend. Disc 2- Sidewalks of London and Storm in a Teacup. Disc 3-Dark Journey and Fire over England.

Storm in a Teacup (1937)
Starring Vivien Leigh & Co-starring Rex Harrison
Directed by: Ian Dalrymple, Victor Saville
Plot: An English newspaper reporter, Frank Burdon (Harrison), meets the beautiful Victoria Gow (Leigh), daughter of a wealthy legal figure in town. When Gow's father orders an impoverished woman's dog be destroyed, Frank decides to try to save the dog's life. Romance and humor make for a pleasing light-hearted British comedy. The storyline of Storm in a Teacup is very funny and Vivien Leigh plays her part very well.

Even though this hasn't *exactly* been a review of the Cary Grant & Vivien Leigh Collection, I still hope all of this information will prove useful for many people when it comes down to purchasing & chasing down which box set will best suit your needs.

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