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DVD Description
Born in Edinburgh, Alastair Sim began life as the academic he was often to play on screen. Briefly in the family tailoring business, he was soon involved in teaching poetic drama in his native Edinburgh. In his late twenties Sim came to London, and friends, seeing him perform in amateur productions, urged him to turn professional. Sim came to the fore with the three popular Inspector Hornleigh comedy thrillers made between 1938 and 1941, they also marked the first major association between himself and the filmmaking partnership of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, later to give him several of his best roles. Alongside Mario Zampi’s deliciously dark LAUGHTER IN PARADISE three of the Sim/Laundner/Gilliat partnerships are to be found in this collection.
Securing the public’s affection in films such as Hue and Cry, Scrooge and the whimsical farce FOLLY TO BE WISE, a project close to Sim’s heart, the 1950s saw Sim emerge as one of Britain’s biggest stars. GEORDIE ably demonstrated that the public would pay to see Sim even when he did not enjoy top billing, the film also demonstrating the actor’s ability to quietly impose himself on projects in supporting roles. Sim continued to have audiences eating out of his hand, doubling as the headmistress and her bookie brother in The Belles of St Trinian's, and becoming one of the world's least likely assassins in the irreverent THE GREEN MAN. At the end of the decade Sim established a notable rapport with Ian Carmichael – the pair reuniting the following year for the seminal School For Scoundrels – as an avaricious uncle in the political satire LEFT, RIGHT.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Box Set, Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: The Green Man Alistair Sim plays a mild, innocuous little watchmaker who spends his off-hours as a professional assassin. His present target is windbag cabinet member Raymond Huntley. After various misfire attempts, Sim plants a bomb in a small radio and waits for the tube to warm up--but the authorities by now are on to him. The Green Man has some excellent setpieces, notably a droll snatch of black humor involving a body stuffed in a piano. The film's only debit is that, in the play upon which it is based, Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat's Meet the Body, Sim's character is secondary, almost peripheral. By reshaping the film into a star vehicle, much of the play's intimate (albeit ghoulish) charm is dissipated. Folly to Be Wise A newly-arrived army padre is put in charge of camp entertainment and has the idea of putting on a Brains Trust with local notables. Unfortunately for him, it emerges from a question on the rights and wrongs of marriage that there is more going on between three of the panellists than he wants to know about - though the audience obviously thinks differently. Geordie Concerned about his small stature, a young Scottish boy applies for a mail-order body building course, successfully gaining both height and strength. At the age of 21, he displays a talent for hammer-throwing, and is selected to represent Britain in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. Left Right and Centre At the Earndale by-election natural history expert and TV personality Bob Wilcot for the Conservatives finds himself up against Billingsgate girl Stella Stoker for the socialists. Amateur politician against committed activist. But could it beco...Alastair Sim Collection ( The Green Man / Folly to Be Wise / Geordie / Left Right and Centre / Laughter in Paradise )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
94 of 98 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It is good to see some of Alistair Sim's films (in addition to his work on the St Trinians series) being issued on DVD. I'm particularly pleased to see Laughter In Paradise issued. This is one of Sim's best and funniest films with good performances all round and, apart from the social setting, it hasn't seemed to have dated-dealing as it does in a very humourous way with issues of greed and justice.Recommended.
83 of 87 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have been looking for Laughter In Paradise on DVD for a long time after my VHS version wore out and it is not shown on television that often. Unfortunately, so far it is only available in this box set.
Although The Green Man is also worth watching as it is an Alistair Sim classic, Laughter In Paradise is my favourite with a clever twist at the end. These two films make the price worth paying.
There are also another three films in the set 'Geordie', 'Folly To Be Wise' and 'Left, Right And Centre'.
Although The Green Man is also worth watching as it is an Alistair Sim classic, Laughter In Paradise is my favourite with a clever twist at the end. These two films make the price worth paying.
There are also another three films in the set 'Geordie', 'Folly To Be Wise' and 'Left, Right And Centre'.
55 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Great to have this collection. Shame that "The Happiest Years of Your Life" isn't included. Most of these are already available individually. It seems daft not to take this opportunity to bring out more of his work that is so important. The original "headmaster/headmistress" Searle influenced film made before the St. Trinians series. Personally one of my favorite films, currently changing hands on old video for ridiculous amounts of money. Still obviously fantastic for people who haven't already bought most of the content on individual disc. Quite expensive if all you want is "Laughter in Paradise".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Sim was the original card - a great actor
This is an absolute must for those of us of a certain age that used to go to the cinema to see films featuring Alastair Sim. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Banodoc
Worth it just for 'Laughter in Paradise'
Well the title says it all. I bought this collection mainly because it included the real classic 'Laughter in Paradise' and I was not disappointed. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kari Saunders
A good collection of old time comedy
This collection of films are good if you like quality films of a bygone age. Nothing fantastic just good old Britsh
comedy that you can watch without any dodgy scenes. Read more
comedy that you can watch without any dodgy scenes. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Paul
Alistair Sim
Good quality product. More dvds in the box, than I had expected. All discs of very good value for money. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Gerri
ALASTAIR SIMS
I LOVE ALASTAIR SIMS AS AN ACTOR, HE HAS SUCH A LOVELY GENTLE STYLE.
I HAVE ALSO BOUGHT "GREEN FOR DANGER" WHICH IS MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE BUT I LIKE HAVING THIS SELCTION TO... Read more
I HAVE ALSO BOUGHT "GREEN FOR DANGER" WHICH IS MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE BUT I LIKE HAVING THIS SELCTION TO... Read more
Published 4 months ago by JJ
First rate character actor
Alastair Sim Collection - Comic Icons [DVD]This box set will remind people of an earlier style of British cinema. Alastair Sim could carry a film by his understated acting. Read more
Published 5 months ago by C. B. Kay
Sim mania
At last I have got my hooks on one of the greatest actors of all time!
I would suggest that if you have not seen him, that you put it right now! Read more
I would suggest that if you have not seen him, that you put it right now! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. A. Lowe
happiness
My husband and I have been fans of Alastair Sim for years and so happy to find old fils on DVD, favourite is The Green Man but laughed out loud at all. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Taylord
A must for Alistair Sim's fans.
I have enjoyed all these films, if you like Alistair Sim and George Cole you should enjoy these. There is even a for runner to the St Trinnians Film when a boys and girls school... Read more
Published 9 months ago by D. G. Peters
sim shines through
As another review has already stated, Alastair Sim does not play the starring role
in some of these films. Read more
in some of these films. Read more
Published 9 months ago by billy bloke
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