Kind Hearts & Colonel Blimps

By: Flying Dutchman

My personal favourite of 40’s British cinema.

Also should be on the list..
49th Parallel
Love on the Dole
They Made me a Fugitive
The Silver Fleet

01

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

Michael Powell
02

Kind Hearts and Coronets

Robert Hamer
03

A Canterbury Tale

Michael Powell
04

The Red Shoes

Michael Powell
05

Great Expectations

David Lean
06

Hamlet

Laurence Olivier
07

The Third Man

Carol Reed
08

I Know Where I’m Going!

Michael Powell
09

Night and the City

Jules Dassin
10

Brighton Rock

John Boulting
11

Odd Man Out

Carol Reed
12

Went the Day Well?

Alberto Cavalcanti
13

The Small Back Room

Michael Powell
14

Dead of Night

Alberto Cavalcanti
15

Black Narcissus

Michael Powell
16

This Happy Breed

David Lean
17

The Silent Village

Humphrey Jennings
18

Whisky Galore!

Alexander Mackendrick
19

In Which We Serve

David Lean
20

The Queen of Spades

Thorold Dickinson
21

Oliver Twist

David Lean
22

Gaslight

Thorold Dickinson
23

Brief Encounter

David Lean
24

Passport to Pimlico

Henry Cornelius
25

Words for Battle

Humphrey Jennings
26

One of Our Aircraft Is Missing

Michael Powell
27

A Matter of Life and Death

Michael Powell
28

Blithe Spirit

David Lean
29

Green for Danger

Sidney Gilliat
30

An Airman's Letter to His Mother

Michael Powell
31

Listen to Britain

Humphrey Jennings
32

Fires Were Started

Humphrey Jennings
33

They Made Me a Fugitive

Alberto Cavalcanti
34

A Diary for Timothy

Humphrey Jennings
35

The Fallen Idol

Carol Reed

Wall

Displaying 4 of 6 wall posts.

see all

Not at all bombastic. I certainly agree with everything you say, as pertains to their best films, and I'm beginning to think that the plural pronoun is necessary here. Of the seven pre-Pressburger Powells I have seen, only The Edge of the World has these qualities and engaged me as so many of the later films did. Of course, I'm very fond of The Thief of Bagdad, but does anyone know who did what on that one? Then, in the mid-forties, they really took off. You have certainly made me want to take another look at Colonel Blimp and a Canterbury Tale (perhaps on a second viewing the American soldier would not be so irritating). I'm not sure when I will be able to get to thiis, but when I do, you will be the first to know. I know Where I'm Going is indeed in a class with the color masterpieces, and The Small Back Room not far behind (I wonder if Ian McEwen got his Chesil Beach from the Archers). Of the six later films (with or without EP), that I have seen, only Age of Consent was viewed recently enough for me to have any judgement, in this case quite positive. I certainly felt as though I were in Powellland. I would be curious to hear your thoughts on Gone to Earth and Peeping Tom before I revisit them. Incidentally, I have come to suspect that you are English or else learned the language from an English rather than an American source.

Robert Regan

14Jun10

Another fine list. Since I like Powell so much, I've tried Colonel Blimp several time, but always feel that I'm missing something. Changing the subject, I'm sorry that you didn't like The Cat's Meow as much as I did. For me, it's the only movie with a convincing portrait of a real life movie star (Dunst as Davies, but not Izzard as Chaplin).