Top Black and White British Films

[october_lost]

I looked, but didn't see either, Loneliness of the long distance or An inspector calls.

I would also go with Whistle down the wind. The young lad in the film has a really strong Burnley/East Lancashire accent, it cracks me up to hear him in contrast to Hayley Mills whose supposed to play his sister

 

[Casually Red]

Remember watching this when I was a teenager . Genuinely gave me the creeps. Really well made and well shot.

 

[hash tag]

Murder She Said - Margaret Rutherford Part 1 - Video Dailymotion
Murder She Said - Margaret Rutherford Part 2 - Video Dailymotion

Margaret Rutherford in Murder She Said....
I really enjoy her as Miss Marple and Joan Hickson, another brilliant Ms Marple, appears in this as a young woman.

Margaret Rutherford was a great an interesting character and her biography is well worth a read. Murder She Said, like many similar films had some great names in it, including the late Richard Briers. This is of course one of the many films where MR insisted her beloved Stringer had a part, however minor.

B&W lends a certain atmosphere to a film which is lost in colour.

 

[blossie33]

That's in colour . Your telly must have been on the blink.

Yes, another poster told me earlier

 

[Shirl]

Not a british film but I'm about to watch my all time favourite black and white film.
Sorry Wrong Number with Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster.

 

[Dieselpunk2000]

From 1965- The War Game. Almost as terrifying as Threads.

 

[ice-is-forming]

A tale of two cities

 

[not-bono-ever]

From 1965- The War Game. Almost as terrifying as Threads.
View attachment 98404

Just been watching this again, Fucking hell.

 

[Sirena]

I know Where I'm Going.
Powell and Pressburger and staring Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesey. It's got Petula Clark in too
It also has deerhounds in it so I'm bound to love it but it's a great film anyway.

Bugger, Just noticed that Reno rates it too and got here before me.

Just watching it now for the second time.

It's a morality tale about the forces of Nature and human vanity/aspiration (like 'Black Narcissus'). But it's told in such a tiny, small-island way.....

I loved it.

 

[Reno]

I think the diamond wedding anniversary scene in I Know Where I'm Going is one of the most magical scenes ever. The term "heart warming" is often double talk for sentimental mush in films, but this scene genuinely is.

 

[hash tag]

What a tremendous film this was - had forgotton it was B&W.

 

[Sirena]

I thought I had mentioned this but it seems I didn't.

Leslie Howard and the beautiful Merle Oberon in 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) - IMDb

 

[DaveCinzano]

I thought I had mentioned this but it seems I didn't.

Leslie Howard and the beautiful Merle Oberon in 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) - IMDb

Difficult to properly enjoy if you've already seen Carry On Don't Lose Your Head though

 

[Reno]

What a tremendous film this was - had forgotton it was B&W.

Shot by Freddie Francis who also shot my choice for most beautiful British b&w film, The Innocents. I love b&w with a wide aspect ratio.

 

[hash tag]

This was on the box the other day. It may not be the greatest B&W film of all time, but it's British, with an interesting line up, ie Alistar Sim, George Cole, Stanley Holloway, Diana Dors, Kay Kendall and a certain Ruth Ellis!

Lady Godiva Rides Again. Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb

 

[a_chap]

Speaking of Diana Dors, I've recently bought the DVD of the TV series she was in in the '70s called "Queenies' Castle". Anyone remember that?

 

[blossie33]

Speaking of Diana Dors, I've recently bought the DVD of the TV series she was in in the '70s called "Queenies' Castle". Anyone remember that?

Yes, I do although I don't remember actually watching any of them.
I did like Di though, I think she was probably a better actress than she was given credit for - probably because of the image and most of the films she was in, she played a good straight part in the film about Ruth Ellis.

 

[hash tag]

That's weird. Di doors was alongside Ruth Ellis in Godiva and later in a film about her...you live n learn.

 

[Indeliblelink]

Yield To The Night wasnt actually about Ruth Ellis, it was based on a book written before she was arrested although obviously they would of been very aware of the case when making the film and knew comparrisons would be drawn. Agree that it's a great film with a fine performance from Dors.

 

[ska invita]

Night of the Demon...

Just watched this tonight for the first time.......top class. Going to have to keep the lights on tonight
The demon itself may not look the scariest but the effects in general were excellent i thought - especially the smoke the demon rides in on. Supposedly there was a plan not to show the demon at all but Im okay with it tbh...not sure they couldve pulled it off without it.

 

[killer b]

Anyone know Hell is a City? A 1960s noir based in Manchester, with loads of location shots in the city and levenshulme... been meaning to watch it for ages, it's supposed to be brilliant.

Hell Is a City: the making of a cult classic - in pictures

 

[Lurdan]

Anyone know Hell is a City? A 1960s noir based in Manchester, with loads of location shots in the city and levenshulme... been meaning to watch it for ages, it's supposed to be brilliant.

Hell Is a City: the making of a cult classic - in pictures

Very enjoyable tough thriller. A Hammer film - part of the early 60s attempt to broaden their range, although in a direction they didn't subsequently pursue. IMO not quite as good as Losey's The Criminal also with Stanley Baker but well worth watching.

(It was actually shown last Saturday on the Talking Pictures TV channel. Doesn't appear on the schedule for the next couple of weeks though).

ETA: actually I'm wrong it's on this coming Friday - bad news is that its at 9.20 in the morning.

 

[krtek a houby]

Piccadilly from 1929. Beautiful and dark.

 

[killer b]

Very enjoyable tough thriller. A Hammer film - part of the early 60s attempt to broaden their range, although in a direction they didn't subsequently pursue. IMO not quite as good as Losey's The Criminal also with Stanley Baker but well worth watching.

(It was actually shown last Saturday on the Talking Pictures TV channel. Doesn't appear on the schedule for the next couple of weeks though).

ETA: actually I'm wrong it's on this coming Friday - bad news is that its at 9.20 in the morning.

I've never come across Talking Pictures - I've never heard of anything on their schedule but some of it looks good - worthwhile keeping an eye on?

 

[danny la rouge]

I've never come across Talking Pictures - I've never heard of anything on their schedule but some of it looks good - worthwhile keeping an eye on?

Mrs la rouge loves it. She's always finding gems on there. I forget it's there, but I think it's channel 81.

 

[ska invita]

Me neither heard of it..cant find it streaming anywhere annoyingly - not on tvplayer which i thought showed all freeview channels

ETA: article about the channel...sounds like its quite a new thing
Talking Pictures TV: The return of black and white television

Eta 2: got it working ... Thanks for the tip lurdan, it's a wonderful thing

 

[ska invita]

Just saw this post about George Formby...I presume it's all true

 

[danny la rouge]

Just saw this post about George Formby...I presume it's all true

I don't know about Formby's anti racist credentials, but while there was segregation and minority white rule at the time, formal legislative Apartheid was introduced in 1948. So in 1946 Formby did not technically visit "Apartheid South Africa".

 

[killer b]

A version of this tale appears in his biography, so it's probably true.

 

[ska invita]

Some suggestion in the comments his wife Beryl was instrumental. Don't think I've ever watched a Formby film from start to finish...nor a Norman wisdom. Mainly know through clips....I think im ready