Product Description

Collection of six films based on famous historical novels.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 6-MAR-2007
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53728 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2007-03-06
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Dimensions: .85 pounds

Features

• Some big screen adaptations of LITERARY CLASSICS feature on this collection. The titles included are: The 1962 version of BILLY BUDD, CAPTAIN HORATIO HORNBLOWER, MADAME BOVARY (1992), both the 1952 and 1978 versions of PRISONER OF ZENDA, and THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1948). Please see individual titles for synopsis information. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR Age: 085

Amazon.com
The great movie tradition of adapting high-toned novels into star-studded vehicles gets an airing in Warner DVD's Literary Classics Collection, a group of six such pictures. It's a grab bag, but some of this stuff is unmissable. The best film in the box might be the 1937 version of The Prisoner of Zenda, Anthony Hope's buckle-swashing tale of a commoner (Ronald Colman) impersonating a lookalike king. This David Selznick production is one of those sparkling examples of the Hollywood heyday of the thirties, in which every cylinder is firing at full speed: buoyant script, luscious black-and-white photography (by the great James Wong Howe), exuberant swordplay, wonderful villainy (take a bow, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Raymond Massey), and a lovely damsel (Madeleine Carroll). John Cromwell directed, although others chimed in. As an adventure picture, it's just about flawless. On the flip side of the disc, the 1952 remake sticks closely to the original--and the formula still works, although the zest isn't quite there. Stewart Granger steps into Colman's shoes, with Deborah Kerr and James Mason in support.

The 1948 version of The Three Musketeers is one of the lesser versions of that swashbuckler; Gene Kelly and Lana Turner leads the cast in a Technicolor-iffic but dramatically underwhelming effort. Raoul Walsh's Captain Horatio Hornblower (1950) delivers thoughtful seagoing strategies, as the British captain navigating gunships and political winds. The movie doesn't have the oomph of the usual Walsh action film, perhaps keyed instead to Gregory Peck's serious presence, but it has a gratifyingly intelligent forward motion. Plus, the Hornblower disc comes with "Captain Hareblower," a Warners cartoon with Bugs Bunny battling Yosemite Sam on the high seas.

The shipboard morality play of Melville's Billy Budd is included here, in the classic 1962 adaptation by director Peter Ustinov (who also plays Captain Vere). Terence Stamp, in his film debut, is the innocent sailor Billy, and Robert Ryan etches one of the all-time portrayals of cold-eyed cruelty as the brutal master-at-arms Claggart. A great conversation piece in the era of the repertory house, the film holds up--and a commentary track with Stamp and Steven Soderbergh provides good stuff on the actor's career start.

The 1949 M-G-M production of Madame Bovary might not please Flaubert purists, but it will impress auteurist fans of Vincente Minnelli. The tale of a wayward small-town wife is infused with Minnelli's swooning grasp of camera movement and décor, and a showpiece ballroom sequence out-duels any Max Ophuls film for swirling dance delirium. Jennifer Jones' alien presence might be a problem for modern viewers, yet her strangeness actually fits the character. This might just be the discovery of the set, which is otherwise filled out with a satisfying batch of vintage cartoons and short subjects. --Robert Horton

From the back cover
Billy Budd (1962): The oceans are deep. The heart's treachery runs deeper. A charge of mutiny leads to a murder trial in a sea-swept saga of men and menace. Robert Ryan, Peter Ustinov, Terence Stamp.

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951): Gregory Peck sails for King and country in the title role, outthinking foes in order to outfight them in this tale of 18th-century seafaring heroics.

Madame Bovary (1949): All she wanted was everything. Jennifer Jones plays the title role, and Vincente Minelli directs a lavish Hollywood retelling of the Flaubert masterwork.

The Three Musketeers (1948): En garde! Gene Kelly swashes and buckles with gusto in his favorite nonmusical film, the exuberant tale of the "all for one and one for all" heroes of 17th-century France.

The Prisoner of Zenda double feature: The two finest versions of the often-filmed swashbuckler about a lookalike who fills in for an impoverished king. Ronald Colman (1937) and Stewart Granger (1952) star.

Customer Reviews

SIX LITERARY FILM CLASSICS COME TO DVD!
"The Three Musketeers" (1948) has got to be the best screen adaptation of the beloved Dumas literary classic. I had all but given up hope to have this on dvd! Gene Kelly is brilliant in the lead roll as D'Artagnan, and petite June Allyson (Little Women (1949) his love interest, Constance. Their comic performance in this classic is one not to be missed! The beautiful Lana Turner and the devious Vincent Price give a touch of elegant charm as the villains. Filmed in gorgeous Technicolor, this MGM jewel is one for the collection!

Also included is the Gregory Peck seafaring tale, "Captain Horatio Hornblower," in which Peck gives a fine performance. In 1807, unflappable Capt. Hornblower (Peck) of the British Navy is sent on a secret mission to divert Napoleon's Spanish allies by sponsoring a megalomaniac's Central American revolution. After a hard voyage, unexpected complications force Hornblower to revise his plans...and play reluctant host to the beautiful sister (Virginia Mayo) of the Duke of Wellington. Sea-battles, remarkable adventures, and a star-crossed romantic interlude follow.

A stellar cast give fine performances in another literary classic brought to film in the 1949 "Madame Bovary." French author Gustave Flaubert (James Mason) is on trial for writing the "indecent" novel "Madame Bovary." To prove that he wrote a moral tale, Flaubert narrates the story of beautiful Emma Bovary, (beautiful Jennifer Jones (Duel in the Sun (1946) an adulteress who destroyed the lives of everyone she came in contact with. The film also stars French actor, Louis Jourdan (GiGi (1958) and Van Heflin (Possessed (1947)

Two versions of the literary classic, "The Prisoner of Zenda" are also included. David O. Selznicks's 1937 version is a classic swashbuckler. Maj.Rudolph Rassendyll, (Ronald Colman) which is Rudolf V's identical distant cousin, is asked to risk his life and impersonate the would-be king. While doing so, his relative is kidnapped before his impending coronation. If Rudolf V isn't present at the ceremony, he will forfeit the crown to his younger brother. Complications ensue when Princess Flavia (lovely Madeleine Carroll) the cousin's betrothed, begins to notice a "personality change" in her fiancé.

The 1952 version of "The Prisoner of Zenda" stars Stewart Granger as Maj Rudolph Rassendyll, and Deborah Kerr as the Princess Flavia. The story is beautifully filmed in Technicolor with Granger and Kerr giving fine performances, especially Granger that excelled in swashbuckling tales such as this and my personal favorite, "Scaramouche (1952).

The sixth and final literary classic brought to film is the 1962 version of "Billy Budd." Billy (Terence Stamp) is an innocent, naive seaman in the British Navy in 1797. When the ship's sadistic master-at-arms (evilly played by Robert Ryan) is murdered; Billy is accused and tried. Great performances by Peter Ustinov, Melvyn Douglas, Terence Stamp, and especially Robert Ryan, who certainly deserved what he got!

Any serious dvd collector of classic Hollywood films will definitely add these gems to their library and be glad that they did!

Diamonds are forever!!
I ordered this package because of Captain Hornblower and The Three Musketeers, two films that have really marked my childhood memories. I haven't had the chance to see the rest of the films so this package was an excellent chance to do so and also get the two other films that I only possess in worn-out VHS copies.
I have already watched Captain Hornblower and it was as if it was brand new. The quality and sound are of high quality, the colours are better and I also loved the fact that I had the english subtitles available (I always wanted to figure out the "Fire as your guns bare" phrase).
The price is not a bargain only if you compare it with other available box-sets but I would pay even more for this one.

Good stuff!!
This item popped up in my recommendations yesterday, and I was excited! Although this is still about 4 months away from being released, it is highly anticipated by me.

The main attractions in this collection (at least from my perspective) are "Captain Horatio Hornblower" and "The Three Musketeers." Neither of these has been available on DVD, and I have looked forward to their inevitible (eventual) release.

"The Three Musketeers" is a very fun movie. This literary classic has been made into several movies over the years, but this is my favorite. There is a humerous slant to this that only someone like Gene Kelly could add. This was actually one of those videos that I watched as a kid, and it made an impression on me. There are some good laughs and overall good entertainment!

"Captain Horatio Hornblower" is another one of those that makes you wonder what took so long to get on DVD! An all-time great that epitomizes the seafaring tale--and Gregory Peck doing a terrific job.

"The Prizoner of Zenda" is considered one of the all-time great family adventure movies by some prominent critics (at least the 1937 version). A terrific addition to this collection.

As for the remaining three, I cannot give individual reviews on them because I have not seen them. However, I would most likely buy this collection for the other three alone, so an additional three titles just makes the bargain better! This is a terrific buy with several "overdue" DVD releases. This is a no brainer for your classic movie collection!