Sony Pictures Choice Collection November Releases

Feature Films

Charley Chase Collection: Volume 2

The great comedic actor Charley Chase continued a very popular run at Columbia Pictures, making several two-reel comedies for the studio. Volume two of this collection highlights not only his slapstick comedy and hilarious sight gags, but also his singing ability in shorts such as The Grand Hooter and The Big Squirt. Chase was an immensely loved comedian, and these twelve shorts are a great addition to your collection.

 Unknown Valley (1933)

Joe Gordon (Buck Jones, Forbidden Trails) heads into the desert to meet his father for some prospecting, but discovers that his father left months earlier and hasn’t returned. Joe passes out in the desert heat, and is found by a group of villagers led by elders Crossett (Wade Boteler, The Green Hornet, 1940) and Snead (Ward Bond, It’s a Wonderful Life). After finding his father being held prisoner by the villagers, Joe must not only save his father, but a young woman (Cecilia Parker, Love Finds Andy Hardy), as well.

 Queen Bee (1955)

In a beautiful, Georgia mansion, the home’s matriarch, Eva (Joan Crawford, Grand Hotel), rules with an iron fist. Whether it‘s domineering her alcoholic husband, Avery (Barry Sullivan, The Tall Man), or preventing Carol (Betsy Palmer, Friday the 13th, 1980) from marrying Judson (John Ireland, All the King’s Men, 1949), Eva controls everyone around her. But when a cousin, Jennifer (Lucy Marlow, A Star Is Born, 1954), comes into town and develops a bond with Avery, Eva wants to take control of the situation again — leading to dark choices.

 Sail A Crooked Ship (1961)

Gilbert Barrows (Robert Wagner, TV’s “Hart to Hart”) tries to save a broken-down ship from being destroyed and hires a gang of oddball criminals to fix it, but they have other plans in mind — to rob a bank in Boston and pull off the greatest crime ever. The crew finds itself trying to dodge other ships, a hurricane and a mutiny in the process. Featuring comic legend Ernie Kovacs (North to Alaska), Carolyn Jones (TV’s “The Addams Family”), Frankie Avalon (Grease) and Frank Gorshin (TV’s “Batman”), SAIL A CROOKED SHIP is a zany, madcap comedy.

 Bambole! (AKA The Dolls, 1965)

Loosely based on episodes from Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron, this Italian comedy is composed of four amusing vignettes. First, a husband (Nino Manfredi, Bread and Chocolate) is upset that his wife (Virna Lisi, Queen Margot) is always on the phone with her mother, so he searches for ways to entertain himself. Second, a student (Elke Sommer, A Shot in the Dark) bounds across Rome looking for the perfect father of her child. Third, a cheating woman (Monica Vitti, L’Avventura) tries to bump off her husband to be with her lover. Lastly, a woman (Gina Lollobrigida, Beat the Devil) tries to seduce the secretary (Jean Sorel, Belle de Jour) of a monsignor. Featuring beautiful women and lively comedy, BAMBOLE! is an entertaining romp.

 Kill Me Quick, I’m Cold (1967)

Giovanna (Monica Vitti, L’Avventura) and Franco (Jean Sorel, Belle de Jour) are lovers pretending to be brother and sister in order to con unsuspecting marks while staying in the most luxurious locales throughout Europe. In their travels, they come across the beautiful Christina (Daniela Surina, Divorce His – Divorce Hers), a girl who is being threatened by her brother, Sergio (Roberto Bisacco, Romeo and Juliet), in order to get the family fortune. But as Giovanna and Franco delve into her story, the double-crossing begins, and no one is sure who is getting tricked.

 The Horseman (1971)

In Afghanistan, the ruthless sport of buzkashi (similar to polo) is a game of great pride. When Uraz (Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia) breaks his leg and loses a spirited match, he brings shame to his village, especially his father, Tursen (Jack Palance, City Slickers), a former champion. After losing his leg below the knee, Uraz, in order to regain his honor, must learn to ride again and win with a special, one-of-a-kind horse. Directed by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, 1962), THE HORSEMEN is an epic, gripping tale.

 

TV on DVD

Battle Dome: The Complete First Season

BATTLE DOME combines brute strength with unquestionable beauty in a competition requiring brains, brawn and athletic endurance. Average people get into the Dome to face a cadre of colorful competitors (including Terry Crews from TV’s “Everybody Hates Chris”) in a variety of exciting games to see who will hold the Battle Dome championship belt. Also featuring an assortment of gorgeous ladies (including Playboy’s Dahm Triplets), BATTLE DOME is a fast, frenetic mixture of sports and entertainment.

 The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976, TV Movie)

In the story that shocked the world, THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING CASE is a compelling crime drama. When the baby of Anne (Sian Barbara Allen, Billy Two Hats) and legendary pilot Charles Lindbergh (Cliff De Young, Glory) is kidnapped and held for ransom, the story becomes a media sensation. Although the ransom is paid, the baby is found dead in the woods and Bruno Richard Hauptmann (Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs) is suspected. Through courtroom testimonies and eyewitness accounts, the truth of this shocking crime is revealed.

 Breaking Up is Hard To Do (1979 – TV Movie)

Six men (Ted Bessell, TV’s “That Girl”; Jeff Conaway, Grease; Robert Conrad, TV’s “The Wild Wild West”; Billy Crystal, When Harry Met Sally…; Tony Musante, We Own the Night; and David Ogden Stiers, Beauty and the Beast), all newly single, stay at a beach house in Malibu to rediscover their young, partying ways. While the nights are meant for fun and frolic, their amazing summer causes the six men to learn about themselves and the importance of their friendships.

 Beach Patrol (1979 – TV Movie)

The sands of Southern California are protected by the BEACH PATROL, policemen who cover the coast in dune buggies. When the patrol’s newest officer, Jan (Christine De Lisle, TV’s “The A-Team”), spots a drug kingpin on her first day, she becomes a target for murder. It’s up to the patrol to track down the crime boss before Jan or her partners wind up dead. Also featuring Robin Strand (TV’s “Generations”) and Jonathan Frakes (TV’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), BEACH PATROL is a wild, fast-paced crime story.

 Salvage 1: Golden Orbit (1979 – TV Movie)

Harry Broderick (Andy Griffith, TV’s “The Andy Griffith Show”) is not like any junk dealer you’ve met. Harry has dreams, and one of them is to go to space, reclaim all of the useless satellites and salvage them. He builds his own spaceship, The Vulture, out of junk and brings on former astronaut Skip Carmichael (Joel Higgins, TV’s “Silver Spoons”) and fuel expert Melanie Slozar (Trish Stewart, TV’s “The Young and the Restless”). Together the team goes into space to get a dead communications satellite, but the government wants them stopped, as there is secret information on it.

 Once Upon A Spy (1980 – TV Movie)

When NASA’s mega-computer is stolen, the government calls on Jack Chenault (Ted Danson, TV’s “Damages”), a wisecracking computer expert, to help track it down. Partnered with Paige Tannehill (Mary Louise Weller, Animal House), the two find out that Marcus Valorium (Christopher Lee, The Lord of the Rings series), a mysterious and powerful millionaire, is in control of the computer and plans to use it to take over the world.  It is up to Jack and Paige to take down Valorium and save the day.