List Price: $59.98You Pay Only: $53.99 You Save: $5.99 (10%)Prices subject to change.
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Warner Brothers
EAN: 0085391108122
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Number Of Items: 5
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: March 06, 2007
Sales Rank: 54342
Studio: Warner Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: March 06, 2007
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 03/06/2007
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
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Billy Budd
I'll try to keep it short, I've waited years to track down a copy of this movie. (Thank you, Amazon, if that is not inappropriate).
The movie is "great" "superb" not lost in time. If you like old fashioned entertainment and action, done with integrity. Peter Ustinov as Producer/Director and a leading role, sympathetic, yet having to abide by sea laws, Robert Ryan as a mongrel, Terrence Stamp in yes, his first role, "the collector" came after, and a young "Aussie" John Meillon. Innocent charm, naivety and brutality in one film. I consider this a classic. But who am I to judge? Just a lover of a good film and escapeism.
Rating:  - Surprised at lack of quality
I purchased this set mainly for the wonderful 1937 version of "The Prisoner of Zenda." I watched that film first, and was surprised at the lack of quality there. The film does not look to be restored. The picture has a "grainy" look to it. At one point, there are several "scratch" lines running from the top to the bottom of the screen for several frames. The most disappointing flaw, however, occurs near the beginning of the movie: the soundtrack is out of sync with the picture. You see the mouths of the actors move, and there is a split-second delay before you hear the voice. This is most annoying. I have collected many box sets from Warners, and indeed, this company has been my favorite source for the classics. However, their quality does vary from one picture to another (I was very disapointed with "Brigadoon" also -- very poor picture quality). I understand that it takes time and money to restore these pictures, but it also COSTS money to add them to a classic movie collection. If a movie is worth preserving, then it's worth restoring to a near-new quality before producing the DVDs for sale. I realize that we can't have the restoration quality of "The Wizard of Oz" on every product, but for cryin' out loud, can't we at least get a copy of a print with synchronized sound?
Rating: - How I remember these films!
I waited with earnest anticipation for these films to be released. And finally my wish was granted what wondeful and delightful memorys came flooding back to me. How I remember waking early to view these films on The Prize Morning Movie, and how constantly I looked to see if these fims had been released to DVD's, and then suddenly they where all released in One Box Set. I was moved with such joy, I could not wait to view these wonderful restored colored and every thing else they do to restore these films I watched them all in one weekend, I had my own home revival of classic films with popcorn and friends, it was wonderful!!!
Rating: - Prisoner of Zenda
This Definite Literary Classic Collection is great and a great addition to one's collection. My favorite was the 1937 version of The Prisoner of Zenda.
Rating: - DVD of Horatio Hornblower... GREAT!!!
My VHS copy of Horation Hornblower was showing signs of age. I had looked for a DVD copy for three years. When I saw this collection--I bought it for that one movie, but I love Billy Bud, and it's great that it has a commentary. I wish Horatio had one also.
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