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A Town Like Alice: Special Edition - Special Edition [1956] [DVD]
 
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A Town Like Alice: Special Edition - Special Edition [1956] [DVD]

Peter Finch , Virginia McKenna , Jack Lee    Parental Guidance   DVD
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
Price: £6.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

A Town Like Alice: Special Edition - Special Edition [1956] [DVD] + Inn Of The Sixth Happiness- Studio Classics [DVD] [1958] + The  Nun's Story [1958] [DVD] [1959]
Price For All Three: £14.14

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Product details

  • Actors: Peter Finch, Virginia McKenna, Kenji Takaki, Jean Anderson, Maureen Swanson
  • Directors: Jack Lee
  • Writers: Nevil Shute, W.P. Lipscomb, Richard Mason
  • Format: PAL
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: Network
  • DVD Release Date: 24 July 2006
  • Run Time: 462 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000FTWUDG
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 10,884 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Although made in 1956, A Town Like Alice has remained enduringly effective and affecting. Based on Nevil Shute's novel the story revolves around a romance set against the unlikely backdrop of a forced march through the jungles of Malaysia by British prisoners--mostly women and children--captured by the invading forces of Japan. The title is a reference to the homesick yearnings of Australian soldier Joe Harman, played by Peter Finch. He forms a bond with one of the female prisoners, Jean Paget (Virginia McKenna), and their travails are depicted with a remarkable subtlety and commendable lack of corniness. It's a minor classic.

On the DVD: The black-and-white picture is presented in 4:3 format, with English subtitles if required. Extra features include a 25-minute "making of" documentary, a collection of behind-the-scenes photographs, potted biographies of the cast and crew and the original trailer. --Andrew Mueller

Product Description

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Documentary, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery, Scene Access, Special Edition, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: A harrowing WWII drama that was a huge critical and commercial success in England, this British production was based on a novel by Nevil Shute. During the war, a group of prisoners, mostly women and children, are led by Japanese soldiers on a brutal march through Malaysia. Some die by the roadside and others are sadistically tortured. One of the women, Jean Paget (Virginia McKenna), is befriended by an Australian man who is also a prisoner of war, Joe Harman (Peter Finch). Joe tells Jean about his hometown of Alice Springs, an oasis in the Australian outback. When he steals a chicken to feed Jean and the others, Joe is caught and treated ruthlessly. The Japanese force Jean and the others to march on while Joe is put on a crucifix and left to die. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, ...A Town Like Alice (UK) ( Rape of Malaya )


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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
There have been many books and DVDs about the Japanese Invasion but in my
opinion this is the most factual.
This is a DVD that tells the story with consideraton to those who were
involved and lived to tell their stories. It shows a lot of true feelings for everyone and proves that the Invaders were not all cruel.
Buyers who are Australian, British.Malaysian and Japanese will more than
appreciate owning this DVD.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:VHS Tape
The director of the film A Town like Alice has stayed very close to the original book by Nevil Shute. The film is packed with drama and is extremely captivating. I really enjoyed the quick pace of the first part of the film but found that the middle section was perhaps a little too slow. Other than that I think it is a brilliantly directed film. I read the book first and was worried that perhaps the film would not be in keeping with the sentiments of the book but I was very pleasntly surprised that the main characters were exactly as I had imagined them! Anybody who has read and enjoyed the book will love this film but you won't need to have read the book to find it very entertaining
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
A Town like Alice. 30 April 2007
Format:DVD
A moving war drama which takes place in the steamy jungles of Malaya during the WW 11 Japanese occupation. Starring Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch, a group of female prisoners are compelled to trek through the jungles of Malaya and as no Japanese officers will take responsibility for their care they are left to journey from village to village and how the women come to terms with their hardships and death of some of the women and children in the group.

Jean Paget (McKenna) is befriended by Joe Harman (Finch) a tough Australian prisoner of war who dreams of returning back to his home town of Alice Springs. Jean Paget falls in love with him, but then something terrible occured and she knew that she would never see Joe again - or so she believed.........

Based on one of the best gripping novels ever written by the accomplished Nevil Shute.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
northernrivers
A really great movie.....with superb acting by both Peter Finch and Virginia McKenna. A fine adaptation from the book by Neville Shute. Well done...... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Carol Timbrell
Alice Springs
On my wifes wish list so had to get it. I've not sen it for years but might watch it together
Published 5 months ago by George Penman
The film was better than the book!
Our book group had read, enjoyed and reviewed Neville Shute's A Town Like Alice. We particularly liked the two part aspect to the story - war and post war, and the misunderstanding... Read more
Published 5 months ago by GrAnnMarie
DVD A Town Like Alice
I had read the book and wanted to see the film. Unfortunately the film didn't cover the Australian aspect of the book in any depth at all and as such was very disappointing.
Published 6 months ago by Joann
What a Lovely Film
Thoroughly enjoyed this film again and again. What a wonderful story and it was one that (dare I say it) I had to read the story in English lessons at school and it has stayed in... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Shazbaz
dissapointing
When you have read the book, the movie is very dissapointing. many parts are not in the movie. I hope to find a more satisfying movie about this wonderfull story
Published 19 months ago by Henk Torenvlied
A TOWN LIKE ALICE
THE SENDER WAS VERY PROMT AND THE FILM WAS IN A VERY GOOD CONDITION WOULD USE AGAIN IN THE FUTURE
Published 21 months ago by Edward S. Prior
UPDATE May, 2011 -This is a great movie
UPDATE, April, 2011. I got the DVD of "A Town like Alice" in April 2011. NOTE: Only the Carlton studio version of this movie has English subtitles for the HOH (hard of hearing),... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mary
A TOWN LIKE ALICE
I purchased this item,A town Like Alice. Special Edition,Special Edition,on the 24th April 2010,
I should have played it straight away, because,in the audio there is a buzzing... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Robert
did i buy this
OMG did i really buy this must of been for the old people
of course its a real classic not my cup of tea but there again Im not 101
Published on 12 Jan 2010 by Mr. R. Davies
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