Directed by... David Lean - Volume 1 (Imprint Collection Limited Edition)

David Lean is a name synonymous with sweeping epics, the Academy Award-winning director behind The Bridge On The River Kwai, and Lawrence Of Arabia. He was also known for intimate drama and comedy, hand-selected by playwright Noël Coward to bring his most famous works to the big screen.

This set brings together his first six films, including four collaborations with Noël Coward, and two adaptations of beloved novels by Charles Dickens.

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In Which We Serve (1942)

A thrilling war film written by, co-directed by, co-scored by, and starring Noël Coward, this is the suspenseful true story of the sinking of the ship HMS Kelly.

The surviving crew of the HMS Torrin desperately cling to life after being attacked by German bombers during the Battle of Crete.

Nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Picture, Original Screenplay), and described as “a picture in which the British may take a wholesome pride and we may regard as an excellent expression of British strength” (New York Times).

Special Features & Technical Specs:

1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray

NEW Interview with Melanie Williams, author of ‘David Lean’

Audio recording of a conversation between actor Richard Attenborough and Noel Coward at London’s National Film Theatre (1969)

A Profile of ‘In Which We Serve’ – featurette

Theatrical Trailer

• Aspect Ratio 1.33: 1
• Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English HOH Subtitles
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This Happy Breed (1944)

David Lean and Noël Coward reunited for this sombre war-time drama, based on the play by Coward of the same name.

A couple with three children have their modest household touched by joy and tragedy from the tail end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second.

Starring Robert Newton (Treasure Island), Celia Johnson (Brief Encounter), Stanley Holloway (My Fair Lady), and John Mills (Ryan’s Daughter).

Special Features & Technical Specs

• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray
• NEW Interview with Melanie Williams, author of ‘David Lean’
• Restoration Comparison – featurette
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Re-release Trailer
• Stills Gallery
• Aspect Ratio 1.33: 1
• Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
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Blithe Spirit (1945)

Based on one of Noël Coward’s most beloved stage plays, David Lean brought the hit black comedy to the silver screen, starring Rex Harrison (Cleopatra), Constance Cummings (American Madness), Kay Hammond (The Ten Commandments), and Margaret Rutherford (Chimes at Midnight).

A middle-aged author is suddenly confronted by the ghost of his first wife, complicating life (and death) for everyone around him.

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Special Effects, this is the definitive preservation on film for one of the great Noël Coward comedies.

Special Features & Technical Specs:

1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray

NEW Interview with Melanie Williams, author of ‘David Lean’

• The South Bank Show – retrospective of Noël Coward, hosted by Melvyn Bragg
• Theatrical Trailer
• Aspect Ratio 1.37: 1
• Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English HOH Subtitles
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Brief Encounter (1945)

Widely regarded as one of the greatest British films of all time, Brief Encounter is a romantic epic starring Trevor Howard (The Third Man) and Celia Johnson, nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance in this film.

A casual friendship between two middle-class suburbanites evolves into a passionate yearning, leading to a difficult decision that will affect both of their lives forever.

David Lean was nominated for Best Director for this film, an everlasting masterpiece that continues to rank highly on critics’ lists and rankings.

Special Features & Technical Specs

• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray
• NEW Documentary on the works of David Lean – Part One
• NEW Interview with Melanie Williams, author of ‘David Lean’
• Interview with actress Margaret Barton
• Interview with continuity assistant Renée Glynne
• Interview with actor Richard Martin Thomas
• A Profile of ‘Brief Encounter’ – featurette
• Restoration – featurette
• Theatrical Trailer
• Aspect Ratio 1.37: 1
• Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English HOH Subtitles
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Great Expectations (1946)

Based on the beloved Charles Dickens novel, John Mills (Ryan’s Daughter) and Valerie Hobson (Kind Hearts and Coronets) star in the Oscar-winning classic drama.

A poor young blacksmith’s fortunes change dramatically when the generosity of a mysterious benefactor propels him to London to begin his journey toward becoming a gentleman.

Labelled as “the greatest of all the Dickens films” by Roger Ebert, the film was nominated for Best Picture and David Lean was nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards, and critics continue to praise the film, now almost eighty years since its release.

Special Features & Technical Specs

• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray
• NEW Interview with Melanie Williams, author of ‘David Lean’
• Theatrical Trailer
• Aspect Ratio 1.37: 1
• Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English HOH Subtitles
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Oliver Twist (1948)

Acclaimed actor Alec Guinness stars in David Lean’s adaptation of the iconic Charles Dickens novel, a brilliant study of classicism and charity.

Oliver Twist is an extraordinary boy, but he’s destined for greatness. A poor orphan born behind the iron gates of a bleak parish workhouse, Oliver packs up his curiosity and courage and heads for the wild, winding streets of London, embarking on an adventure that will change his life forever.

Starring John Howard Davies as the titular Twist (who went on to become one of the greatest British comedy directors of all time), the film was praised as “one of the finest screen translations of a literary classic ever made” (New York Times).

Special Features & Technical Specs

• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray
• NEW Interview with Melanie Williams, author of ‘David Lean’
• NEW Interview with child actor Donald Wescott
• A Profile of ‘Oliver Twist’ – featurette
• Casting Appeal for ‘Oliver Twist’ – archival featurette
• Theatrical Trailer
• Aspect Ratio 1.33: 1
• Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono

Optional English HOH Subtitles