Ealing Studios DVD Collection - Champagne Charlie/The Maggie/It Always Rains On Sunday/Whisky Galore

I purchased this title to obtain The Maggie often referred to as a lesser Ealing comedy. This is an opinion that has always puzzled me, but I guess in some eyes it must have substance if you compare how often Passport to Pimlico, Kind hearts And Coronets or Whiskey Galore for that matter are trotted out on television by way of comparison. How many Ealing TV seasons have included The Maggie? In brief, the wily Scottish captain of a tired old steamer called The Maggie cons a rich American into letting his crew transport expensive furniture to a remote Scottish island. Sounds like a classic recipe for Ealing fun and it is! Whiskey Galore requires no introduction and the box set is worth the asking price for these two gems alone, of the other titles It always rains on a Sunday made in 1947 is a fairly grim reminder of just how harsh life was in post war London. The story revolves around an escaped convict and a woman torn between her not so cosy east end life and her passion for the escapee and one time fiancé. Its fun spotting some of cast from Pimlico and other films, turning their hands to more earthy roles as part of the criminal underbelly of dear old London, and without spoiling it for you the ending is both grim and quite gripping. Champagne Charlie is OK and has it moments, the spiralling competition between two vaudeville rivals and their search for the finest drinking song is very funny and eventually leads to a pistol dual. It's a good film, and if British Music Hall humour is your thing (it's not mine) it will keep you amused for its full 100 min length, however it did feel slightly over long by comparison with the other titles and there is a segment in the middle of about 20 min's where the singing seems to be never ending. All in all a fine set to be enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon after the roast is beginning to settle. I treated 3 of the films as a bonus after soaking up The Maggie for the 1st time in years.

Myself and countless others will agree, that our Scottish humour is timeless. this dvd has a fabulous wealth of entertainment in one box. With Ealings unique style, you will be transported into each storyline head first. you will enjoy film after film. Truly a fantastic package. For me "The Maggie" stands out as my all time favourite. Of course it could'nt be any other way, as Tommy Kearins, my name sake is my father. Again proving that generations down the line are still enjoing Ealing movies, as are my children.

Having just been through a year of watching old Powell and Pressburger films and some of the lesser known Hitchcock films, we remembered how good all the Ealing films were, in our youth. Most people (us included) associate 'Ealing' with Ealing comedies, as opposed to Ealing films, but this set is a reminder that they made all kinds of excellent films, not just comedies. And with that particular gentle and subtle style both of production, and visual effects.

I was initially put off by a review which said the quality wasn't good and recommended another set - but money is tight and we decided to go with this set. It is absolutely fine. Picture quality is excellent we found - but then we only have a basic TV so no HD or anything - but it is a good quality print. We have only watched one of the films so far (The Maggie - a lovely gem of a film - and I reckon you need to see it more than once or you miss a few subtleties. Moving in places, gently humorous in places, fascinating historically and in terms of topic, a gentle slow place - and not as predictable a story-line as you might expect. Clever - and also a little piece of history in some ways. Some may say it is nostalgia, but as people who have stayed on remote Scottish Islands, we feel it is realistic and some things are similar even today. What it really does is remind you of lovely important things in life that seem to have been forgotten in a modern, fast technological age. It also has heroes who are not perfect and with real human qualities and frailties. It is a thoughtful and thought-provoking film that is quite difficult to describe or categorize in some ways.

Whisky Galore is in the set too - which we know we will enjoy - one of the famous ones. In fact it was seeing a stage production of Whisky Galore recently that reminded me what an excellent story it was and I had very fond memories of it being one of the better and more memorable films from my childhood, that I enjoyed over and over again - and funny. Looking forward to seeing it again.

Rather than finding these old films don't work for you any more - we found they actually work better - they stand the test of time and on top of that you have the life experience to understand different things in them than you would have done in your youth. To see beyond the simple story and plot.

I'm very glad we got this set, rather than one with the famous comedies on, which we have seen many times and remember well. But if anyone hasn't seen them - then definitely get those too!

I saw a most of the Ealing comedies a few years ago, on the big screen at an art-house cinema - where they did a whole season of Sunday double-bill Ealing comedies. Wonderful - they are wonderful films and seeing them as they were originally meant to be seen, on a big screen, was a real treat.

We are looking forward to watching the other films in the collection. I don't remember them - they are less well known - but my other half does remember them and remembers them as good films also.

These films will be a comfort and welcome distraction from life, whatever mood you are in - aside from the excellent script-writing, photography and production. They will probably enhance your life in some way too - make you think and remember what is important in life. They may seem a little slow at first - but that's in comparison with fast-paced, special effects-filled modern films - just relax and go with them - they are a joy.

I haven't had any problems with playing the DVD's - and if a previous reviewer had problems with something jumping maybe it was his dvd player, or a faulty set. Our set seems fine, and we have plenty of other dvd's from 'Canal' as well, and they are also all fine.

It is minimalist - no extras - just the films - and small sleeves for each dvd that fit into a box. But it's nice and compact - and nothing but the films to think about.