ARMCHAIR THEATRE – McGOOHAN DOUBLE PACK

ARMCHAIR THEATRE – McGOOHAN DOUBLE PACK Two sets of the seminal TV drama series “Armchair Theatre” on DVD (Volume 3 and Volume 4), each of which includes an episode starring Patrick McGoohan. Volume 3 includes his unforgettable performance as a stranded cosmonaut in ‘The Man Out There’, and Volume 4 his BAFTA winning performance in ‘The Greatest Man in the World’. ———————– Armchair Theatre Volume 3 Four-disc DVD set. Produced by Network. Includes the Patrick McGoohan play ‘The Man Out There’. SPECIAL FEATURES * Now Let Him Go retakes – alternate takes from the oldest surviving edition * Old Man’s Fancy – an unaired play from 1964 EPISODES Now Let Him Go One of England’s greatest figures in the world of art is found dying. Who will inherit his money andhis paintings, and how does his death affect his granddaughter Felicity, and Stan, the son of a North Country publican? Starring Hugh Griffith, June Thorburn, Ursula Howells, Frances Rowe and William Mervyn Written by J.B. Priestley Directed by Dennis Vance Original ITV Transmission 15 September 1957 The Criminals A board meeting is interrupted by a known criminal who threatens the four directors’ families with harm if they don’t follow his plans exactly Starring Stanley Baker, Raymond Huntley and Allan Cuthbertson Written by Eric Paice and Malcolm Hulke Directed by James Ferman Original ITV Transmission 28 December 1958 A Night Out Albert Stokes has a night out, against the wishes of his possessive mother. At an office party, he is involved in an embarrassing incident which leads to a more eventful evening than he had bargained for. Starring Tom Bell, Madge Ryan, Arthur Lowe and Vivien Merchant Written by Harold Pinter Directed by Philip Saville Original ITV Transmission 24 April 1960 Lena, O My Lena Tom is fed up with his fellow students and wants to work with ‘people’ for a change. He takes a vacation job in a warehouse, where he falls under the spell of Lena and finds out where he really belongs. Starring Billie Whitelaw, Colin Blakely, Peter McEnery and Scott Forbes Written by Alun Owen Directed by William T. Kotcheff Original ITV Transmission 25 September 1960 The Man Out There In the loneliness of space, the world’s first astronaut, cut off from base, is linked up by a freak radio reception with a Canadian trapper’s wife. She too is isolated, and facing a life or death situation Starring Patrick McGoohan, Clifford Evans, Katharine Blake, Jack Watson and Marne Maitland Written by Donal Giltinan Directed by Charles Jarrott Original ITV Transmission 12 March 1961 The Omega Mystery Butler and Robinson, the unconventional spycatchers first seen in 1960’s Armchair Theatre drama Flight from Treason, return – this time to track down a saboteur at a nuclear research station. Starring John Gregson, Donald Churchill, Stanley Meadows, David Spenser, Frank Gatliff, Miranda Connell and Patrick McAlinney Written by James Mitchell Directed by Guy Verney Original ITV Transmission 10 September 1961 Tune On THE Old Tax Fiddle It’s a black day for Toby Dickson when an anonymous letter ‘shops’ him to the Inland Revenue. When the dust of conflict has settled, who is the winner – Toby or the Inspector? Starring Raymond Huntley, Norman Rossington, John Le Mesurier, Vivienne Martin and Henry McGee Written by Ronald Hardy Directed by Charles Jarrott Original ITV Transmission 17 December 1961 Afternoon of a Nymph A young would-be starlet is invited to a party – offering her a chance to meet all the right people and, she hopes, move on to bigger and better things Starring Janet Munro, Ian Hendry, Peter Butterworth, William Gaunt, Patrick Holt and Aubrey Morris Written by Robert Muller Directed by Philip Saville Original ITV Transmission 30 September 1962 The Snag Ed Crayshaw is a public relations man noted for his success with women; but he has some nasty shocks when he tackles Madame Emma and her niece Agatha, who run a salon selling foundation garments. Starring Derek Francis, Barrie Ingham, Gwen Nelson, Patsy Rowlands and Arthur Lowe Written by Donal Giltinan Directed by Jonathan Alwyn Original ITV Transmission 4 August 1963 Living Image Robert Manders is a traditional portraitist and Royal Academician. When his son John returns from America with radically different ideas about art, conflict threatens to destroy their close and tender relationship. Starring Alec Clunes, Alexis Kanner, Kynaston Reeves, James Villiers and Elizabeth MacLennan Written by James Broom Lynne Directed by Philip Saville Original ITV Transmission 18 August 1963 Poor Cherry Cherry’s marriage to Brian may have stagnated, but she finds plenty of compensation in her work with Philip Rick, a candidate in the local election. When her home becomes a campaign headquarters, the two are conveniently thrown together. Starring Dilys Laye, Jane Birkin, Judy Cornwell, Gwen Nelson and Peter Arne Written by Fay Weldon Directed by Piers Haggard Original ITV Transmission 9 September 1967 Special Feature: Old Man’s Fancy Recorded on New Year’s Eve 1964, this play was never transmitted. Sir Harold’s dalliance with a much younger woman is cause for consternation among his children. Starring Clifford Evans, Robert Hardy, Peter Jeffrey and Meg Wynn Owen Written by Evan Jones Directed by Toby Robertson This DVD is coded to Region 2 PAL format. Purchasers from outside Europe or Australia will need a multi-region DVD player to view these discs. Armchair Theatre Volume 4 Four-disc DVD set. Produced by Network. Inlcudes the Patrick McGoohan play ‘The Greatest Man in the World’. INCLUDES: THE EMPEROR JONES A convicted murderer escapes from prison and flees to a Caribbean island, where he sets himself up as ‘Emperor’ to the natives. Starring Kenneth Spencer and Harry H. Corbett Written by Terry Southern from the play by Eugene O’Neill Directed by Ted Kotcheff Original ITV Transmission 30 March 1958 THE GREATEST MAN IN THE WORLD When Jackie Smurch ‘ the Greatest Man in the World ‘ dies, the world is wracked with grief. ITV joins up with American television to cover the funeral. Starring Ludovic Kennedy, Donald Pleasence, Patrick McGoohan, Wensley Pithey and Michael Balfour Written by Reuben Ship based on the short story by James Thurber Directed by Ted Kotcheff Original ITV Transmission 9 November 1958 THE SCENT OF FEAR “Why are you frightened, Miss Bridey?” asks the police chief; “The scent of fear is all around you.” Air hostess Joan Bridey has good reason to fear Kralik – for she must hide from him the young man she is trying to smuggle aboard a London-bound plane from Eastern Europe Starring Dorothy Tutin, Anthony Quayle, Carl Duering, Neil McCallum and John Carson Written by Ted Willis Directed by John Moxey Original ITV Transmission 13 September 1959 AFTER THE SHOW Young Maurice Liebig takes the first steps towards maturity when he is called to the bedside of his uncle’s girlfriend after her suicide attempt. Starring Hermione Baddeley, Carmel McSharry, Jeremy Spenser, Paul Whitsun-Jones and Ann Lynn Written by Angus Wilson Directed by Ted Kotcheff Original ITV Transmission 20 September 1959 LORD ARTHUR SAVILE’S CRIME Lord Arthur Savile postpones his wedding in order to commit a murder. Which of his many relatives is to have the honour of being the victim? Starring Terry-Thomas, June Thorburn, Ernst Thesiger, Arthur Lowe and Eric Pohlmann Written by Constance Cox and Gerald Savory from the short story by Oscar Wilde Directed by Alan Cooke Original ITV Transmission 3 January 1960 THE TROUBLE WITH OUR IVY Everything seems so normal in the quiet suburban street. Who can guess that the feud between the house-proud Tremblows and the Chards next door will lead to terror? Starring John Barrie, Laurence Hardy, Gretchen Franklin and Dandy Nichols Written by David Perry Directed by Charles Jarrott Original ITV Transmission 19 November 1961 THE HARD KNOCK Pat Greevey returns from sea, and searches Liverpool for people who may help him prove that his brother was unjustly hanged. Starring Colin Blakely, Frank Finlay, J.G. Devlin, Sylvia Kay and Ronald Lacey Written by Alun Owen Directed by Ted Kotcheff Original ITV Transmission 8 July 1962 THE PARADISE SUITE Beautiful movie star Lena Roland, the idol of millions, occupies ‘The Paradise Suite’, yet yearns for love! Starring Sam Wanamaker, Ian Holm, Caroll Baker, Jess Conrad and Derek Smith Written by Robert Muller Directed by Philip Saville Original ITV Transmission 17 February 1963 LONG PAST GLORY The ponderings of two opinionated men are disturbed by a stranger. Starring Maurice Denham, John Le Mesurier and David Andrews Written by Len Deighton Directed by Charles Jarrott Original ITV Transmission 17 November 1963 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST The most famous comedy in the English language involves two pairs of lovers, a mistaken identity, and a secret weekend in the country Starring Susannah York, Irene Handl, Patrick Macnee, Fenella Fielding, Ian Carmichael, Wilfrid Brambell and Charles Lloyd Pack Written by Oscar Wilde Directed by Bill Bain Original ITV Transmission 15 November 1964 I TOOK MY LITTLE WORLD AWAY Do people love enough? Or understand enough? Mandy Hope, traumatised by the recent suicide of her best friend, faces the challenge of living in a world full of people who do not care enough – until she meets Geoffrey Mather. Starring Susannah York, John Robinson, John Ronane, Clemence Bettany and Gary Watson Written by John Hopkins Directed by Peter Hammond Original ITV Transmission 14 March 1965 THE NIGHT BEFORE THE MORNING AFTER Does everyone have the ‘magic chemistry’? A ‘sort of mysterious something going from one to the other and back’. On their wedding eve, Susan and Neville have their doubts Starring Bernard Lee, Julia Foster, Rodney Bewes, Betty Marsden and Trevor Bannister Written by Jack Rosenthal Directed by Kim Mills Original ITV Transmission 2 April 1966 This DVD is coded to Region 2 PAL format. Purchasers from outside Europe or Australia will need a multi-region DVD player to view these discs.