NFR..Classic Old British Films.

[Macedo]

I watched Hobson's Choice, too  -  sheer brilliance !

There was barely a dull moment and it confirmed my belief that John Mills was one of the greatest of all British actors.  He was just so versatile.

Also superb in The Long Memory, where he plays a man wrongly accused of murder
and ends up on release living on a barge on the Thames Marshes.
Another fav family film The History of Mr Polly.

[Delboy]

Blow up was a great film, shot down in sarf London behind the Valley.
Women in Love, anything really with Ollie Reed in. Not forgetting Mr Caine, most of his films were good. Zulus sir, fousands of em.

[blingo]

Cathy Come Home.

QUADRAPHENIA.

[The Equalizer]

Not sure how old the film has to be to constitute a classic.  Some of my favorite British films are:

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (Donat at his best)
Doctor Zhivago (I still love you, Julie Christie)
Room at the Top (Laurence Harvey fantastic)
Alfie
This Sporting Life
The Loneliness of the Long Distant Runner (Courtney)
The Man in the White Suit (I loved this movie)
Far From the Madding Crowd (huge Hardy fan)
The Third Man (taught in most college film courses)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (best of the Ealing Studios fare)
Lawrence of Arabia (isn't it on everyone's All Time list?)
Get Carter (Often copied by American filmmakers, but poorly)
The Servant
And anything with James Mason in it. 
And what was the name of that movie of the insane asylum in France --King of Hearts or something like that.  Loved that film.

What a great selection of films! Did you know that Carol Reed, the director of The Third Man, was born in Putney?

Lawrence is one of my all time favourite films. A friend of mine recently found a first edition of TE Lawrence's book "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom", which is the basis of the story, in a charity shop on Strutton Ground. I'm tempted to half-inch it.

Anything with James Mason = correct. North By Northwest is legendary.

[Lighthouse]

'An Inspector Calls' and the Alistair Sim 'A Christmas Carol'

[RaySmith]

'If' starring Malcolm Mcdowell, directed by Lindsey Anderson springs to mind -I really liked that.

'King and country' starring Tom Courtney as  a WW1 deserter, dir. Joseph Losey. And Billy Liar also starring Tom C., and Julie Christie.

This Sporting Life, about rugby League, starring Richard harris - a realistic film about sport.

Also from the 60s - Room at the Top, A Taste of Honey Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Performance - all classics, as well as Blow Up - mentioned already.

Brighton Rock still stands up as the best film of Graham Greene's novel, which I only read fairly recently - chilling.

[JBH]

Passport to Pimlico  064.gif

:plus one: quality :54:

[Macedo]

Went the Day Well, is on Film4 at 2-25 today if you can watch.

[Macedo]

Spring and Port Wine..James Mason and the gorge Susan George.

[cmg]

'An Inspector Calls' and the Alistair Sim 'A Christmas Carol'

Alistair Sim - extraordinary talent. Could also recommend him in 'Green For Danger' and 'Waterloo Road' (stars John Mills and also 'stars' a long gone Waterloo/North Lambeth)

One bloke I like to look out for in old British films (could also feature in 'unsung hero' thread as he hardly ever has more than a bit part) is Allan Cuthbertson (not to be confused with the more substantial Iain) who only made Flight-Lieutenant in the RAAF in real life, but in a 150 film career played a General, a Major-General, a Vice-Admiral, 2 Brigadiers, 8 Colonels and a Lt-Colonel, 3 Majors, 12 Captains (Army and RN) and a Lieutenant as well as a 'Guards Officer' a 'Staff Officer' and a 'Monocled Officer' he also moonlighted as 6 Superintendents, 5 Inspectors and a Detective Sergeant. You might remember him in Fawlty Towers as (naturally) Colonel Hall with the little wife who meets Mr Twitchen.
He died in 1988 and I hope was buried with full military honours.

[MasterHaynes]

Just watched on freeview back to back 2 wonderful films made before
my time.Brighton Rock and Hobsons Choice, ive seen Brighton Rock before
but not Hobsons Choice.
The acting by John Mills and co in Hobsons was suberb a joy to watch, so
much better than some of the computerised tosh made now with guns
firing a million bullets, cars flying through the air, and folks heads
exploding, all over the top nonsense.(maybe Im beginning to get old)..lol

If you liked Hobsons choice , you should also try 'This Happy Breed' (my favorite also stars Stanley Holloway) and the 'The History of Mr Polly'

[Macedo]

Just watched on freeview back to back 2 wonderful films made before
my time.Brighton Rock and Hobsons Choice, ive seen Brighton Rock before
but not Hobsons Choice.
The acting by John Mills and co in Hobsons was suberb a joy to watch, so
much better than some of the computerised tosh made now with guns
firing a million bullets, cars flying through the air, and folks heads
exploding, all over the top nonsense.(maybe Im beginning to get old)..lol

If you liked Hobsons choice , you should also try 'This Happy Breed' (my favorite also stars Stanley Holloway) and the 'The History of Mr Polly'

Yes I mentioned The History of Mr Polly earlier..Great film

[Lighthouse]

Went the Day Well, is on Film4 at 2-25 today if you can watch.

:54:

[Forever Fulham]

Additionally--

Don't Look Now
2001, A Space Odyssey ("The greatest film ever made."  Charlie Chaplin.  "I'm sorry, Dave.  I can't let you do that.")
Brazil (genius; ahead of its time)
The Long Good Friday

[cmg]

If you liked Hobsons choice , you should also try 'This Happy Breed' (my favorite also stars Stanley Holloway)

Also has the wonderful Celia Johnson ('In Which We Serve', 'Brief Encounter') with the all-time most fabulous English accent. Did people ever really speak like that? Makes HM The Queen sound like a Bermondsey barmaid.

[Forever Fulham]

As far as English accents on film go, nothing quite compares to Michael Caine in Zulu trying pull off an upper class accent.

Has anyone mentioned Withnail & I?

Or The Fallen Idol (Carol Reed)?

Ridley Scott's Alien was a watershed movie in the sci-fi suspense genre. 

As for comedies,

The Meaning of Life
the first Borat movie
Life of Brian

[cmg]

As far as English accents on film go, nothing quite compares to Michael Caine in Zulu trying pull off an upper class accent.

Apart, I need hardly say, Dick Van Dyke's ('Mary Poppins') incredible assault on the 'Cockernee' (possibly).