* Amazon are not included in Price Watch

Blue Lamp, The / The Nanny DVD

| DVD

This is a double-feature of two British crime classics, The Blue Lamp (1949) and The Nanny (1965). The Blue Lamp is the film that introduced PC George Dixon, played by Jack Warner, later immortalised in the BBC's long-running Dixon of Dock Green (1955-76). Here Dixon's murder is the catalyst for an exciting London manhunt, shot largely on location in a fast-moving, starkly efficient style showing the influence of The Naked City (1948). The war-damaged East End and the car chases through almost vehicle-free streets offer a documentary-like vision of a London now long... gone, and a young Dirk Bogarde makes a serious impact in an early starring role. In contrast, The Nanny has a superstar, the imported Hollywood legend Bette Davis, in the declining years of her career. Just one of three psychological thrillers Hammer produced in 1965 (the others were Frantic and Hysteria), the film capitalises on the popularity of Davis's Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) with a comparable mix of hateful insanity and paranoia. The screenplay skilfully juggles the audience's sympathies between a superb Davis and the dysfunctional family of which she becomes a part, developing a powerful sense of dread which shows such clichéd later fare as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) how to do this sort of thing with real class. On the DVD: The Blue Lamp and The Nanny are presented in black and white with adequate mono sound. The Blue Lamp is in its original 4:3 ratio; The Nanny is cropped from its theatrical 1.85:1 to 4:3, though it's only in a few shots that it becomes obvious that information is missing at the sides of the screen. The print of The Blue Lamp is soft and grainy, while The Nanny is grainy with a considerable amount of flicker. There are no extras. --Gary S. Dalkin [show more]

Read More

buy new from £14.99 | RRP: £15.99
* Excludes Voucher Code Discount
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you click through any of the links below and make a purchase we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Click here to learn more.
Searching retailers...
  • DVD Details
  • Reviews (0)
  • Price History
  • Watch Trailer
Released
23 June 2003
Directors
Actors
Format
DVD 
Publisher
Warner Home Video 
Classification
Runtime
170 minutes 
Features
Black & White, PAL 
Barcode
7321900384896 
  • Title not yet reviewed...

  • Please review this title

    We will publish your review of Blue Lamp, The / The Nanny [1965] on DVD within a few days as long as it meets our guidelines.
    None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.

    Thank you - we will review and publish your review shortly.

More Titles Starring Jack Warner

More Titles Starring Dirk Bogarde

More Titles Starring Bette Davis

More Titles Starring Robert Flemyng

More Titles Starring Bernard Lee

More Titles Starring Wendy Craig

More Titles Starring Jill Bennett

More Titles Starring Jimmy Hanley

More Titles Starring Dora Bryan

More Titles Starring James Villiers

More Titles Starring Patric Doonan

More Titles Starring William Dix

More Titles Starring Peggy Evans

More Titles Starring Alfred Burke

More Titles Starring Gladys Henson

More Titles Starring Maurice Denham

More Titles Starring Clive Morton

More Titles Starring Harry Fowler