The Film:
H.G. Wells' stories have long been a staple of cinema, constantly being adapted for the big screen. Some of the most well known films have come from his novels, including "War of the Worlds", "The Time Machine", "The Invisible Man" and "Empire of the Ants", but it is with the forthcoming ITV remake of "The History of Mr Polly" starring Lee Evans that Network have decided to release the original 1949 adaptation, directed by Anthony Pelissier and starring British legend Sir John Mills.
John Mills plays Alfred Polly, a man down on his luck after losing his job for daydreaming and his father dying. When he goes to his father's funeral however, he find out that he has been left £500 as his inheritance. With his new found wealth he decides to buy a bicycle, and with it, embarks on long ride. As he's riding along, he meets a young lady called Christabel (Sally Ann Howes - "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang") with whom he instantly falls in love, only for the short lived relationship to fail after her friends find out about their romance. From here, Alfred visits his Aunt and cousins, eventually marrying Miriam (Betty Ann Davies - "The Belles of St Trinian"). Fast forward fifteen years later and we learn that Alfred is in a failing marriage and running an unsuccessful drapers, which is mounting up debts. To get away from it all, he decides he will commit suicide by fire, but things go wrong when he saves an old lady and is hailed a hero. With this, he runs away and finds a job as a ferryman and general handyman for a country innkeeper (Megs Jenkins - "Saraband For Dead Lovers"), whose main task is keeping abusive brother in law Uncle Jim (Finlay Currie - "Brigadoon") at bay.
In this film you would think that the stand out performance would be from Mills but you would actually be wrong on this occasion. Whilst his character shines on screen, it feels that he was trying to express his characters emotions too hard and unfortunately you can tell. The real standout performance is from Finlay Currie, the bad guy of the film, whose huge build compared to Mills, along with his 'ogre' like face, gives the viewer a feeling of fear from his hobby of bouncing the new workers out of the inn. Having not read the book, I can't comment on the differences made in the making of the film, or if any major plot points have been left out, but the end product seems polished and nothing seems badly done. Some may also wish to know that this wasn't the first attempt to get the story to the big screen and it was in fact attempted just a decade earlier with Charles Laughton in the starring role. Unfortunately, the Second World War got in the way of the film ever coming to light. All in all, this is a gloriously funny film, with several stand out moments such as Alfred's attempted suicide, making "The History of Mr Polly" an underrated joy which can be enjoyed by all ages. It's no masterpiece, but it's worth a purchase by all accounts.
The DVD:
Video:
Network have provided the film in it's original 4:3 aspect ratio and it is more than adequate. With very little grain present and hardly any scratches, the film is a pleasure to watch, despite the print being well over fifty years old. The blacks and whites are also well distinguished and there is no problem with the blacks 'fading' into each other, as happens quite often with older black and white films.
Audio:
Network have provided us with the original English Dolby Digital Mono track here and again, it's good for the most part. Dialogue is clear at all times and volume levels are consistent throughout. The only real problem with the soundtrack was the noticeable (but low volume) background hiss, present for the duration of the main feature. As is usual for Network releases, no subtitles have been provided.
Extras:
Network have provided several extras for this release.
We start with the a bonus episode of Tales of the Unexpected starring John Mills and Anthony Steele entitled Galloping Foxley. The episode originally aired on British TV on the 15th March 1980 and is about William Perkins, a man who is still disturbed by bullying he encountered at school over sixty years prior. One day though, he sees his old school prefect on a train, but Perkins does make one mistake. The episode runs for 25 minutes 31 seconds, but unfortunately the picture is quite bad with non-stop grain throughout.
Next we have an interview with John Mills from Sunday Sunday. The interview originally aired on the 7th September 1986 and lasts for 11 mintes and 27 seconds. In it, Mills talks about his upcoming play "The Petition", leaving London with just £10 and becoming a door to door toilet paper salesman, doing his own stunts and winning an Oscar for "Ryan's Daughter". Unfortunately, the clips from "Ryan's Daughter" have been cut from the interview due to contractual reasons.
Then we have an interview with John Mills from Aspel & Company. Originally airing on the 31st January 1987, it lasts for 15 minutes and 29 seconds. In this interview Mills talks to Michael Aspel about starring with Madonna in "Who's That Girl?", workng in the UK film industry during what was probably it's most prominent time to date, the make-up needed for his Oscar winning performance in "Ryan's Daughter" and his wife writing plays for him, as well as throwing in some amusing anecdotes including one about a cougar. He is also joined on 'the couch' by Sarah Brightman and Mike Yarwood.
We finish the extras with an image gallery that lasts for one minute and 21 seconds.
