In celebration of the centenary of the birth of Trevor Howard
STUDIOCANAL is pleased to announce the release of:
TREVOR HOWARD BOX SET
BRIEF ENCOUNTER
THE THIRD MAN (SPECIAL EDITION)
ODETTE
OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS
HEART OF THE MATTER
OUT TO OWN ON DVD 23RD SEPTEMBER
The inimitable, gravelly voiced Trevor Howard was one of Britain’s finest character actors, and an important figure in post-war British cinema. With a career spanning over 40 years, on both stage and screen, Howard starred in some of the finest films in cinematic history. A celebrated actor within the industry he was Oscar, Bafta, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated many times for his work, winning twice.
This collection brings together some of his finest work, with five of the very best films from his illustrious career. The much loved classic BRIEF ENCOUNTER, directed by Noël Coward, was the film that launched his career, achieving huge success at the box office and catapulting Howard to fame. Carol Reed’s masterpiece, THE THIRD MAN, often cited as the greatest British film ever made, featured Howard’s slightly dry Major Calloway as the perfect foil to Orson Welles’ shadowy Harry Lime. In ODETTE we see Howard in the role of Peter Churchill, a British agent who worked closely with female war spy Odette and married her after the war and in OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS, another collaboration with Carol Reed, Howard stars as Peter Willems: a man on the run from a scandal in Makassar. And finally, Howard was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Actor for one of his finest performances in HEART OF THE MATTER (based on the Graham Greene novel) – as Scobie, a British intelligence officer based in Sierra Leone.
The Trevor Howard collection is a hugely impressive catalogue of work from a quintessentially British actor who has captured the hearts of many during his outstanding career and still does today. This collection is a must-have for any fan of Trevor Howard and fans of British Cinema.
BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945)
Directed by David Lean
Starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson
Noël Coward’s sensitive portrayal of two people thrown together by a chance meeting, helpless in the face of their emotions, but redeemed by their moral courage.
THE THIRD MAN SPECIAL EDITION (1949)
Directed by Carol Reed
Starring Trevor Howard, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles
A celebrated British noir charting post-European malasie, Carol Reed’s The Third Man was recently voted the greatest British film of all time.
Set in post-war Vienna, The Third Man stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, who arrives penniless as guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to find him dead. Martins develops the ultimate conspiracy theory after learning of a “third man” present at the time of Harry’s death. An all-time classic, the film features some of the screen’s most memorable set pieces, and is presented here with some great extras.
ODETTE
Directed by Herbert Wilcox
Starring Trevor Howard, Anna Neagle, Peter Ustinov
A classic tale of bravery and courage during WWII, Odette tells the true story of female war hero Odette Hallowes. After volunteering her services to the Special Operations Executive, Odette (Neagle) is despatched into Nazi occupied France and thrown into an intense world of espionage to work alongside agent Captain Peter Churchill (Howard) and radio operator Alex Rabinovich (Ustinov). Whilst on a deadly mission working for the French Resistance her cover is blown and Odette is captured and interrogated by ruthless Gestapo officers. But even after being brutally tortured and sentenced to death in a concentration camp Odette still refuses to reveal any information concerning her original mission and her fellow spies.
OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS
Directed by Carol Reed
Starring Ralph Richardson, Trevor Howard, Robert Morley
Adapted from the Joseph Conrad novel of the same name, 1952’s inimitable Outcast of the Islands, directed by Oscar winning director Carol Reed, features Trevor Howard as Willems and Ralph Richardson as Lingard. Peter Willems, a disreputable, immoral man is on the run from a scandal in Makassar. He finds refuge in a hidden native village, only to betray his benefactors over his desire for the tribal chief’s daughter.
HEART OF THE MATTER (1953)
Directed by George More O’Ferrall
Starring Trevor Howard, Elizabeth Allan, Maria Schell and Denholm Elliot
Nominated for 4 Baftas and the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, The Heart of the Matter marked Trevor Howard’s second outing in a Graham Greene adaptation. Also starring Denholm Elliot and Maria Schell, the film tells the story of Scobie (Howard), a principled police officer tormented by his own guilt and the misery around him in colonial Africa at the outbreak of World War II.