Search - Vivien Leigh Classics (Dark Journey, Fire Over England, Sidewalks of London, Storm in a Teacup) on DVD

C. M P. (selkie)
Reviewed on 8/4/2015...

I gave this three stars since I do not care for "Storm in a Teacup" or "Dark Journey", but I greatly like "Fire Over England" and "Sidewalks of London" (a.k.a: "St. Martin s Lane") and feel like they never quite got the credit they deserved.

"Fire Over England" is a historical Elizabethan piece about England's retaliation against the Spanish Inquisition and the Spanish Armada. Laurence Olivier plays the hero, with Vivien Leigh playing a quasi-bit part as his lady-love.
Flora Robson plays the jealous Queen Elizabeth, Morton Selten plays her valued Lord Treasurer, and Raymond Massey as the brooding Philip II of Spain---all of whom provide superb performances.

In "Sidewalks of London" Vivien Leigh plays a young pickpocket shown sympathy and provided help by Charles Laughton, only to abandon him when she makes it big in the theatre.

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On the Road to Scarlett

J. Michael Click | Fort Worth, Texas United States | 09/14/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Four of Vivien Leigh's early cinematic efforts, filmed in England during 1937 and 1938. These were crucial years for the actress: in private life she was falling in love with Laurence Olivier while professionally she was beginning to dream of playing the role of Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind" (which was already in pre-production in America). This quartet is especially interesting because - in addition to their individual entertainment value - they collectively provide fascinating documentation of Leigh's metamorphosis from a lovely but unsure ingénue into an increasingly radiant and confident star capable of carrying a film on her talented shoulders. They also offer a testament to her versatility; her roles include an historical romance ("Fire Over England"); a comedy ("Storm in a Teacup"); a spy drama ("Dark Journey"); and a quasi-musical ("Sidewalks of London").



The copyrights to these features lapsed years ago, and wretched quality multi-generational prints have flooded the early home video and cable TV markets. The AMC/Genius Entertainment transfers offered in this collection are advertised as "digitally remastered", and they are indeed the highest quality prints I have (yet) viewed, offering superior sound and picture quality. While hardly pristine, none of the films is plagued by the washed out contrast, bleary focus, and unsteady volume that are often associated with public domain titles. On the whole, this collection is an outstanding value that is sure to delight the many fans of the incomparable Miss Leigh.

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My two cents

Anita | Salt Lake City, UT USA | 06/15/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I love old movies, that is pretty much all I buy. I bought this because very few of Vivien Leigh's films are on DVD. I enjoyed "Storm In A Teacup".......BUT...the film quality of this set is so poor it is completely unwatchable so don't waste your money."

Classic British Films

Robert Baksa | new york state | 09/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was familiar with most of the films in this collection but only knew Storm in a Teacup from a less than perfect transfer to VHS. Happily the transfer to DVD is a great improvement in picture and sound. Gone are all the skips that were present in the VHS version. This lively comedy is a gem, full of beautiful performances by a lively troup of actors. Of course Leigh looks beautiful and acts like the pro that she was. The other films feature such greats as Charles Laughten, Rex Harrison (also in "storm")and Laurence Olivier as her partners.



To me the main difference between American film and British films of that era is that American films often feature "personalities" with limited acting ability while in the English films the acting is always flawless. Anyone interested in vintage films from across the sea should have this collection and at this price, its a steal."