Sunday 11 August 2013

Welcome to Rank & File - A British Cinema Blog.

This is a place to celebrate the best and worst of British cinema. Whether that be the joys of Powell & Pressburger, Ealing Studios and Hammer's horrors - or the perils of 1934's  'The Secret of the Loch' (in which the Loch Ness Monster was played by a back-projected iguana).

We will be reviewing films and publishing essays on some of the more obscure elements of British cinema, and celebrating the works of long forgotten actors, actresses and directors. We will also be musing on such topics as "Who else would have made a good James Bond?" and "Which Gainsborough Girl would have won in a cat fight?".

We chose our title on the simple grounds that the Rank Organisation  were behind almost every major film maker in the UK: Ealing Studios; Gainsborough; Launder & Gilliat; Powell & Pressburger; Two Cities; David Lean; and the Carry On films - all in part owed their success to the Rank Organisation.

So if your idea of a sex symbol is Jean Kent ...


Jean Kent

... think David Farrar would have made the perfect Mr Darcy ... 


David Farrar

 ... or like to play 'Spot Sam Kydd' ...



The Captive Heart (1946) left to right: Jack Warner, Sam Kydd & Jimmy Hanley.


... then read on!



3 comments:

  1. I've had a few of the older British films for a while now mainly the ones given free by the Mail a few years ago, but as someone with an interest in old especially British B&W films I've just started buying the Ealing Studios rarities, is there a definitive list or top 50 sort of thing out there.
    Keep up the excellent work , Steve...

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    1. Don't worry, I'll keep on reviewing these films. It looks like Ealing's entire output is going to be available via the Network DVD rarities box sets - which has to be good.
      i don't know about definitive lists of old British films but there are plenty of viewer compiled lists on Amazon. Do keep a look out on the Network DVD website - they are reissuing loads of old films.

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