![Genevieve [DVD] (1953) (Special Edition )](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/6139OCxM1WL._AC_SL3840_.jpg)
Genevieve [DVD] (1953) (Special Edition )
Product ID: 53901609
Details
- FormatDigital Sound
- GenreDocumentary
- LanguageEnglish
- Runtime1 hour and 50
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For anyone who travels the congested roads of Britain these days the utterly delightful Genevieve will provoke a wistful, nostalgic sigh of regret for times gone by when there were no motorways, traffic jams were almost non-existent and friendly police motorcyclists riding classic Nortons (without helmets) cheerfully let people driving vintage cars race each other along country lanes. Even in 1953, Henry Cornelius gentle comedy must have seemed pleasingly old-fashioned, concerned as it is with the antics of two obsessive enthusiasts on the annual London to Brighton classic car rally. The principal quartet could hardly be bettered: though John Gregson is something of a cold fish as Genevieves proud owner, the radiant warmth of Dinah Sheridan as his long-suffering wife more than compensates. Kenneth More is ideally cast in the role of boastful rival enthusiast and Kay Kendall has possibly the best comic moment of all when she astonishes everyone with her drunken trumpet playing. Cornelius also directed Ealings Passport to Pimlico , so his sure eye for gently mocking and celebrating British eccentricities is never in doubt. The screenplay by (American writer) William Rose now seems like an elegy to a way of life long disappeared: the pivotal moment when Gregson stops to humour a passing old buffer about his love of classic cars comes from a vanished era of politeness before road rage; as does the priceless exchange between hotel owner Joyce Grenfell and her aged resident: "No ones ever complained before", says the mystified Grenfell after Gregson and Sheridan moan about the facilities, "Are they Americans?" asks the old lady, unable to conceive that anyone British could say such things. Genevieve is both a wonderful period comedy and a nostalgic portrait of England the way it used to be. On the DVD: the "Special Edition" version of Genevieve has a decent new documentary with reminiscences from Dinah Sheridan (still radiant), the director of photography and the films editor, who talk about the challenges of filming on location. Most treasurable of all, though, is legendary harmonica player Larry Adler, who remembers his distinctive score with much fondness and is not at all embittered by his Hollywood blacklisting, which meant he was denied an Academy Award nomination. Theres also a short piece on some of the locations used (which for economic reasons were mostly in the lanes around Pinewood studios), cast biographies and a gallery of stills. The 4:3 ratio colour picture looks pretty good for its age and the mono sound is adequate. -- Mark Walker Every year, barrister Alan McKim (John Gregson) and wife Wendy (Dinah Sheridan) compete against Alan's friend (and Wendy's former beau), Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More), in the London to Brighton vintage car race. This time round, however, Alan's 1904 roadster, 'Genevieve', breaks down on route. Angered by Ambrose's jokes at the expense of his beloved car, Alan bets his rival that he can beat him on the return journey to London - and the race is on! Larry Adler's harmonica score was nominated for an Oscar. Also included is a 'making of' documentary. Review: A VINTAGE CLASSIC! - I never get tired (or should I say tyred!) of watching this Classic British Comedy about the antics and rivalry of two couples during the London to Brighton Vintage Car Run. After 70 years it still remains one of my favourite British Films. Great performances from the lead actors and actresses with some familiar faces amongst the supporting cast. It's stellar entertainment from start to finish and a film you will want to watch again and again. Good clean fun which is suitable for all ages. A great price from desertcart too! Review: Great - This movie is great from start to finish and a classic release.
| Contributor | Arthur Wontner, Dinah Sheridan, Geoffrey Keen, Henry Cornelius, John Gregson, Joyce Grenfell, Kay Kendall, Kenneth More, Michael Medwin, Reginald Beckwith Contributor Arthur Wontner, Dinah Sheridan, Geoffrey Keen, Henry Cornelius, John Gregson, Joyce Grenfell, Kay Kendall, Kenneth More, Michael Medwin, Reginald Beckwith See more |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,077 Reviews |
| Format | Digital Sound, Dolby, Full Screen, Mono, PAL |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Language | English |
| Manufacturer | ITV Studios Home Entertainment |
| Number of discs | 1 |
| Runtime | 1 hour and 50 minutes |
| Studio | Carlton |
R**N
A VINTAGE CLASSIC!
I never get tired (or should I say tyred!) of watching this Classic British Comedy about the antics and rivalry of two couples during the London to Brighton Vintage Car Run. After 70 years it still remains one of my favourite British Films. Great performances from the lead actors and actresses with some familiar faces amongst the supporting cast. It's stellar entertainment from start to finish and a film you will want to watch again and again. Good clean fun which is suitable for all ages. A great price from Amazon too!
J**M
Great
This movie is great from start to finish and a classic release.
J**S
Another classic of the fifties.
Absolute delight to watch and travel back to a more wholesome age. Lovely movie and lovely actors. Kenneth More is always superb to watch.
M**7
A classic British comedy like an old friend
Always wanted a high quality dvd version of my scratchy old videotape. Wasn’t disappointed. The new extras are good. Can’t believe it was made in 1953. The picture quality was that good. I’ll treasure it for life.
T**E
Video
Another classic
J**L
Classic British Film
Great film and cast! Good quality DVD which plays well. Recommeded.
R**E
It’s a great film
It’s a great film of its time with a little skulduggery & mischievous competition
C**N
Good
Good
R**N
Good movie
Very happy with this purchase
M**R
Worth the drive...
Lovely, delightful film. Good copy on DVD, timely arrival. Must-have for fans of British film. Fantastic performances by the 4 main players.
D**S
Rallye Londres-Brighton en vieux tacot
Excellent film de la grande époque de Whisky à Gogo, Passeport pour Pimlico, De l'or en barres... Moins connu malheureusement. La copie est de très bonne qualité (technicolor d'époque !)
R**B
🤙🏼📀❤️🇬🇧
Ja 🤙🏼sehr schöne klassische britische Spielfilm! Nicht nur tolle Oldtimer und auch schöne hübsche und schicke Frauenkleidern und auch sehr gute lustige Schauspieleri(innen) usw….!!! Und auch schöne hübsche DVD 📀-Box! Very britisch!
H**R
Genevieve Blu-ray
Genevieve is a delightful British comedy from 1953, winner of both the BAFTA (British Oscars) Best British Film and the Golden Globe Best Foreign Film awards. It is a story of two antique car buffs (John Gregson and Kenneth More) who through circumstance and misadventure end up challenging each other to a grudge-match race from Brighton to London. The comedic trials are shared by a long-suffering wife (Dinah Sheridan) and a new girlfriend (Kay Kendall). I had remembered Genevieve fondly from my one childhood viewing over 50 years ago, and had wanted a copy for many years. I eventually found a British release that required a region 2 DVD player, but its picture quality was marginal. A later Korean copy was worse. Now this fine film is available on Blu-ray, and playable on North American players. The video and sound are not reference quality, but nonetheless satisfactory, and likely the best we will ever get. A note on aspect ratios: films made before 1954 were in the aspect ratio of 1.37 to 1. This was "full screen" on the old 4:3 televisions. Modern screens are 16:9, and much better for displaying widescreen films. Those who are distressed by black bands to the left and right on their television screen when viewing old films in so-called "full" mode can merely push the "picture size" button ("pic size", or "format") on your TV remote to change the aspect ratio. This will result in some distortion of the picture or loss of image at the edges. When viewing an old movie I always run through the options by repeatedly pressing the format button, then selecting the image that looked best. Almost invariably for old 1.37:1 films this is either "full" (with black bars at the sides) or "justify" (or "just"), which stretches the left and right edges to fill the screen, but stretches the center image less so distortion is not obvious. Genevieve is typical of the good-natured comedies released by the J. Arthur Rank Organization and the Ealing Studios during the 1950s, and is considered by many to be the best of its kind. Its technical aspects will not wow you, but its story will warm you immediately, and then again every time you think of it thereafter.
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