John Ford at Columbia, 1935-1958 – Limited Edition (Blu-Ray)

A showcase for some of the most unexpected and surprising turns in the great director’s prolific career: The Whole Town’s Talking is a screwball comedy about a law-abiding man (played by Edward G Robinson) who happens to be the doppelganger of Public Enemy No. 1, ‘Killer’ Mannion; The Long Gray Line is a Ford military picture with a difference, focusing its attentions away from the battlefield and onto the fifty-year career of an Irish immigrant who rises through the ranks at West Point; The Last Hurrah is a star-studded political drama boasting the talents of Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, Pat O’Brien, Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, and John Carradine, and Gideon’s Day takes us on a twenty-four journey in the life of Jack Hawkins’ titular London-based detective.

All four films are presented for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, with The Long Gray Line making its world Blu-ray premiere. This limited edition box set is strictly limited to 6,000 numbered units.

Extras   INDICATOR LIMITED BLU-RAY EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES:

 THE WHOLE TOWN’S TALKING
•          4K restoration
•          Original mono audio
•          Introduction by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz (2014)
•          Cymbaline (2020): a new video essay by Tag Gallagher, author of John Ford: The Man and His Films
•          Leonard Maltin on ‘The Whole Town’s Talking’ (2014): archival appreciation by the film critic and historian
•          Sheldon Hall on ‘The Whole Town’s Talking’ (2020): new appreciation by the film historian
•          Pamela Hutchinson on Jean Arthur (2020): a look at the life and career of the acclaimed actor
•          Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
•          New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
•          Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Farran Smith Nehme, an extract from the W R Burnett’s Jail Breaker, Edward G Robinson on The Whole Town’s Talking, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
•          UK premiere on Blu-ray

 THE LONG GRAY LINE
•          4k restoration
•          Original mono audio
•          Audio commentary with film historians Diana Drumm, Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme
•          Living and Dead (2020): a new video essay by Tag Gallagher, author of John Ford: The Man and His Films
•          Leonard Maltin on ‘The Long Gray Line’ (2014): archival appreciation by the film critic and historian
•          The Red, White and Blue Line (1955): rare promotional film, featuring the principal cast of The Long Gray Line
•          Original theatrical trailer
•          Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
•          New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
•          Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Nick Pinkerton, archival interviews with John Ford, Maureen O’Hara on The Long Gray Line, an overview of contemporary critical responses, Anthony Nield on The Red, White and Blue Line, and film credits
•          World premiere on Blu-ray

 GIDEON’S DAY
•          4K restoration
•          Original mono audio
•          Alternative feature presentation with the US Gideon of Scotland Yard titles
•          Audio commentary with film historian Charles Barr (2020)
•          Milk and Sugar (2020): a new video essay by Tag Gallagher, author of John Ford: The Man and His Films
•          Leonard Maltin on ‘Gideon’s Day’ (2014): archival appreciation by the film critic and historian
•          John Ford’s London (2020): new appreciation by Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London
•          Interview with Elaine Schreyeck (2020): the continuity supervisor recollects her work on the set
•          John Ford and Lindsay Anderson at the NFT (1957): rare silent footage of Ford visiting London’s National Film Theatre during the production of Gideon’s Day
•          Original UK theatrical trailer
•          Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
•          New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
•          Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Robert Murphy, an interview with producer Michael Killanin, Jack Hawkins on Gideon’s Day, Lindsay Anderson on John Ford, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
•          UK premiere on Blu-ray

THE LAST HURRAH
•          2K restoration
•          Original mono audio
•          True Blue (2020): a new video essay by Tag Gallagher, author of John Ford: The Man and His Films
•          Leonard Maltin on ‘The Last Hurrah’ (2014): archival appreciation by the film critic and historian
•          Super 8 version: original cut-down home cinema presentation
•          Original theatrical trailer
•          Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
•          New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
•          Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Imogen Sarah Smith, John Ford on Spencer Tracy and The Last Hurrah, screenwriter Frank S Nugent on John Ford, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
•          UK premiere on Blu-ray

Extras subject to change

Limited edition box set of 6,000 numbered units.

Original release: 1935-1958

Running time: 93 minutes/138 minutes/91 minutes/121 minutes

Colour/B&W: Black & White/Colour